There are many institutions in Newport, Rhode Island, that boast outstanding architectural monuments, and one of the most important is the International Tennis Hall of Fame. This institution traces its origins to 1879, when the flamboyant publisher of the New York Herald, James Gordon Bennett Jr., commissioned the newly formed architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White to design a new type of building—a country club—for a new sport: lawn tennis. This complex of buildings was called “The Newport Casino.” Contrary to what the name suggests, it was not intended for gambling, but rather as an exclusive social and recreational venue for Newport’s elite summer colony. Its innovative design and enduring legacy as a center for tennis in the United States have grown over the years, and today it holds a vital cultural and economic position—not just in Newport, but in the global tennis community.
The Newport Casino in 1881.
The complex of buildings and sporting facilities was innovative from the outset. A young architectural firm was tasked with designing a facility for the relatively new sport of lawn tennis, which had been invented just a few years earlier at the Wimbledon Croquet Club, just outside London, England. For this project, Yale architectural scholar Vincent Scully argued that McKim, Mead & White essentially invented a new architectural style, which he coined “The Shingle Style.” Building upon the Queen Anne Revival model, McKim, Mead & White developed a more stripped-down approach that used varying patterns of cedar shingles for decorative effect, with less polychromy and heavy timbering than the Queen Anne style popularized by Henry Hobson Richardson at the William Watts Sherman House in Newport nearly a decade earlier. The Casino was also forward-thinking in its design as a mixed-use facility, with retail shops open to the public at street level and a private sporting club occupying the interior and upper floors.
The Tennis International Hall of Fame sitting on Bellevue Avenue in Newport. Photo by Ross Cann, AIA
The use of wood shingles for both roofing and wall cladding created a sense of rustic informality, yet the overall composition—with its verandas, piazzas, and asymmetrical massing—projected an understated elegance. Inside, the complex included a Real Tennis court, a theater, dining rooms, and card rooms, all arranged around a central open courtyard, with dozens of perfectly manicured lawn tennis courts situated between the various buildings.
The Newport Casino’s central role in the development of tennis in the United States began almost immediately. In 1881, the United States National Lawn Tennis Association (now the USTA) was founded at the Casino, and the first U.S. National Men’s Singles Championship—the forerunner of today’s US Open—was held on its grass courts. These championships continued there until 1914, when they were moved to Forest Hills, New York. Decades later, in 1954, Jimmy Van Alen, a Newport resident and then-president of the Casino, spearheaded the creation of the National Lawn Tennis Hall of Fame, which was renamed the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1986. Van Alen’s vision ensured the Casino’s preservation and continued relevance as a temple to the sport of tennis.
View looking east from the porch. Photo by Ross Cann, AIA
Today, the International Tennis Hall of Fame is more than just a museum. It is an active sporting venue and a significant economic driver for Newport. It hosts the annual Hall of Fame Open, an ATP Tour event that draws professional players and thousands of spectators, filling hotels, restaurants, and shops. The museum attracts visitors year-round who come to explore the history of tennis and view an unparalleled collection of artifacts and memorabilia from the sport’s greatest champions. The Hall of Fame’s events, educational programs, and status as a global tennis landmark contribute substantially to Newport’s tourism industry, reinforcing the city’s identity as a premier historic and sporting destination.
The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and was designated a National Historic Landmark—the highest honor bestowed on a building by the Secretary of the Interior—in 1987. This architectural treasure continues to serve not only as a monument to the Gilded Age and to tennis but also as a vibrant contributor to Newport’s present and future.
Newport Tennis Hall of Fame hosts the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
This year will be especially significant for the International Tennis Hall of Fame as it hosts the Ladies’ Real Tennis World Championship in May, the U.S. Professional Singles in June (often called “The Fifth Major”), and the biennial Men’s Real Tennis World Championship in September. From its earliest days, the Newport Casino has stood as a landmark of architectural and cultural innovation. In the hands of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, it remains a center of attraction for both sporting and architectural enthusiasts. A4 Architecture is proud to have completed four projects on the grounds of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and we are honored to work with them to preserve this extraordinarily important set of buildings.
Ross Sinclair Cann, AIA is an, historian, educator and practicing architect living and working in Newport. He is the Founding Principal of A4 Architecture and the former President of the National Tennis Club located at the Newport Casino. He holds architecture degrees from Yale, Cambridge and Columbia Universities.