The Point Neighborhood Aerial View
Easton’s Point (known locally as “The Point“) is a neighborhood that has seen the full architectural history of Newport, Rhode Island, from its earliest settlement during the Colonial Era, through to the present day. As such, this tightly knit neighborhood, generally protected from summer tourist traffic, is an ideal place to experience Newport’s history and development within a short and easily manageable walking tour, thereby offering a unique window into America’s evolving architectural and social landscapes.
The Hunter House (c. 1748)
The neighborhood was first settled in the 17th century by Nicholas Easton, one of Newport’s founding fathers. By 1725, his heirs had subdivided the land, attracting tradesmen, artisans, and merchants, many of whom were Quakers. This early period established the neighborhood’s enduring character: a dense concentration of wooden, clapboard-sided homes, reflecting a practical, “plain style” yet exuding a distinct colonial charm. Streets laid out in a grid pattern, such as Washington, Second, and Third Streets, intersected by those named after trees, became home to skilled craftsmen, including the renowned Goddard and Townsend furniture maker families. Their workshops and homes contributed to the vibrant maritime economy of colonial Newport, creating a bustling, close-knit community. The Point quickly became recognized for having one of the highest concentrations of colonial-era dwellings in the nation.
Sanford Coville House (c. 1869)
As Newport transitioned into the Gilded Age during the late 19th century, the opulent “summer cottages” of America’s elite began to rise along Bellevue Avenue and Ocean Drive. While The Point didn’t witness the construction of these palatial stone mansions, the era brought a new wave of prosperity and growth to the neighborhood. Some infill construction occurred in The Point, but more significantly, the Gilded Age’s focus on leisure and Newport’s burgeoning reputation as a premier resort town indirectly underscored the intrinsic value of its older, historic streetscapes, even as they began to show signs of age.
Stella Maris House (c. 1871)
The mid-20th century, however, brought new challenges. Urban renewal projects like the construction of America’s Cup Boulevard, while aimed at modernizing infrastructure, posed a significant threat to The Point’s historic fabric. It was during this critical period that a powerful preservation movement emerged. Philanthropist Doris Duke established the Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) in 1968. The NRF, alongside grassroots efforts like “Operation Clapboard,” undertook the monumental task of acquiring, restoring, and preserving dozens of colonial-era houses in The Point that were in difficult condition. This initiative was pivotal in saving the neighborhood from demolition and neglect, ensuring that its unique architectural heritage would endure. Today, many of these meticulously restored properties are rented to tenant-stewards, keeping the historic atmosphere alive, and nearby houses have been purchased and carefully renovated by private owners.
Americas Cup Boulevard in 1970 During Demo
Despite these modern interventions, Easton’s Point today remains a remarkably intact historic neighborhood. Designated as part of the Newport Historic District, it is recognized as a National Historic Landmark. It exists today as a vibrant, living museum of Newport’s Colonial (and to a lesser degree) Gilded Age eras. Its streets, lined with beautifully maintained Colonial Era homes, many bearing NRF or Operation Clapboard plaques, offer an unparalleled glimpse into Newport’s past. The architectural development of Easton’s Point is a compelling illustration of early American urbanism, Gilded Age transformation, and the enduring power of dedicated historic preservation, securing its importance for generations to come.
America’s Cup Blvd. (1970’s) / Gateway Center (1974)
A4 Architecture has been privileged to restore many houses in The Point and be part of the effort to keep this neighborhood both historic but also vital and livable to its inhabitants. If you have a New England architectural project you would like to undertake that would benefit from our firm’s unique skills and experience, we would be very interested to speak with you.
NRF, Operation Clapboard Plaques In The Point Neighborhood
Ross Sinclair Cann, AIA, LEED AP, is a historian, educator, author, and practicing architect living and working in Newport for A4 Architecture and is Founding Chairman of the Newport Architectural Forum. This semester, he is teaching a course on the Architectural History of the Point Neighborhood at Salve Regina University in the Circle of Scholars program.