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Newport, Rhode Island

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Newport, Rhode Island
Nickname(s): 
City by the Sea, Queen of Summer Resorts , America's Society Capital
Location in Rhode Island
Location in Rhode Island
CountryUnited States
StateRhode Island
CountyNewport
Government
 • MayorStephen Waluk
Population
 (2000)
 • Total26,475
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Websitehttp://www.cityofnewport.com

Newport is a city in Newport County, Rhode Island, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Providence. It is the home of the United States Naval War College, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, and a major United States Navy training center. The city is the seat of Newport County.

History

Newport was founded in 1639 by William Coddington, John Clarke, and others, who left Portsmouth, Rhode Island after a political fallout with Anne Hutchinson and her followers. Newport soon grew to become the most important port in colonial Rhode Island. A public school was established in 1640. In the mid 1600s, a group of Jews fleeing the inquisition in Spain and Portugal were allowed to settle in Newport. The Newport congregation is the second oldest Jewish congregation in the United States. At the same time, a large number of Quakers settled in Newport. The evidence of this population can be seen today in the fact that many streets are named after trees. The Quaker meetinghouse in Newport (1699) is the oldest house of worship in Rhode Island. At the same time, a large population of Baptists settled in Newport. In 1727, James Franklin (brother of Benjamin) was printing in Newport; in 1732, he published the first newspaper, the Rhode Island Gazette. In 1758, his son James founded the Mercury, a weekly paper. Throughout the 18th century the famous Goddard and Townsend furniture was made in Newport.

Throughout the eighteenth century, Newport suffered from an imbalance of trade with the largest colonial ports. As a result, Newport merchants were forced to develop alternatives to conventional exports.[1]

Newport was also a major center of pirate activity during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. So many pirates used Newport as their base of operations that the London Board of Trade made an official complaint to the English government. The most famous pirate who made Newport his base was Thomas Tew. Tew was very popular with the locals, after one of his pirating voyages, it was reported that almost the whole town came out to greet him.

In the 1720s, colonial leaders, acting under pressure from the English government, arrested many pirates. Many were hanged in Newport and were buried on Goat Island.

During the colonial period, Newport was the center of the slave trade in New England. Many of the great fortunes made during this period were made in the slave trade. The Old Brick Market in Newport was the scene of many slave auctions. The Common Burial Ground on Fairwell Street was where most of the slaves were buried.

A side street in Newport, Rhode Island, showing the historic buildings near the waterfront

During the American Revolution, Newport was the scene of much activity. One of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, William Ellery, came from Newport. He later served on the Naval Committee. In the fall of 1776, the British, seeing that Newport could be used as a naval base to attack New York (which they had recently occupied) took over the city. Because most of the population was pro independence, the British allowed them to leave. The city was repopulated with loyalists and British soldiers. For the next three years, the whole of the Narragansett Bay area became one large battlefield, with Newport being a British fortress.

In the summer of 1778, the Americans began the campaign known as the Battle of Rhode Island. This was the first joint operation between the Americans and the French after the signing of the treaty of alliance. The Americans based in Tiverton, planned a formal siege of the town. However, the French (wanting a frontal assault) refused to take part in the siege. This weakened the American position and the British were able to expel the Americans from the island. The following year, the British, wanting to concentrate their forces in New York, abandoned Newport.

In 1780, the French under Rochambeau landed in Newport and for the rest of the war Newport was the base of the French forces in the United States. The French soldiers behaved themselves so well that in gratitude, the Rhode Island General Assembly repealed an old law banning Catholics from living in Rhode Island. The first Catholic mass in Rhode Island was said in Newport during this time.

By the time the war ended (1783) Newport's poulation had fallen from over 9,000 (according to the census of 1774) to less than 4,000. Over 200 abandoned buildings were torn down in the 1780s. Also, the war destroyed Newport's economic wealth, as years of military occupation closed the city to any form of trade. The Newport merchants moved away, some to Providence, others to Boston and New York.

It was in Newport in 1791 that the Rhode Island General Assembly, acting under pressure from the merchant community of Providence, voted to ratify the Constitution and become the 13th state.

The city is the site of the last residence of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the birthplace of Commodore Matthew C. Perry and the Reverend William Ellery Channing.

Begining in the mid-nineteenth century, wealthy southern planters seeking to escape the heat began to build summer cottages on Bellevue Avenue such as Kingscote (1839).[1] Eventually wealthy Yankees such as the Wetmore family also began constructing larger mansions such as Chateau-sur-Mer (1852) nearby.[2] Most of these early families made a substantial part of their fortunes in the Old China Trade.[3] They were followed by the richest families in the country, such as the Vanderbilts and Astors who constructed the largest "cottages", such as The Breakers (1895) in the late nineteenth century.[4]

In the mid 19th century, a large number of Irish immigrants settled in Newport. The Fifth Ward of Newport (in the southern part of the city) became a staunch Irish neighborhood for many generations. To this day, St. Patrick's Day is an important day of pride and celebration in Newport, with a large parade going down Thames Street.

The oldest Catholic parish in Rhode Island, St. Mary's is located on Spring Street, though the current building is not the original one.

File:Thebreakers2006.JPG
The Breakers mansion as of August 2006

Until 1900, Newport was one of two capitals of Rhode Island, the other being Providence. The state legislature would alternate its sessions between the two cities. Connecticut was the only other state to have more than one capital at one time.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier were married in St. Mary's Church in Newport on September 12, 1953. [5]

Presidents Kennedy and Eisenhower both made Newport the sites of their "summer White Houses" during their years in office. Eisenhower stayed at Fort Adams, while Kennedy used Hammersmith Farm.

In the 20th century, immigrants from Portugal and the Caribbean began settling in Newport, adding to the rich diversity of the city.

In 1900, 22,204 people lived in Newport, Rhode Island; in 1910, 27,149; in 1920, 30,255; and in 1940, 30,532. The city has long been entwined with the U.S. Navy. Until 1971, it hosted the Cruiser-Destroyer Force of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and subsequently it has from time to time hosted smaller numbers of warships. It held the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy during the Civil War, when the undergraduate officer training school was temporarily moved north from Annapolis, Maryland. It remains home to the U.S. Naval War College and the Naval Education and Training Center (NETC), the center of Surface Warfare Officer training.

Geography

Newport as seen from the International Space Station.

Newport is located at 41°29′17″N 71°18′45″W / 41.48806°N 71.31250°W / 41.48806; -71.31250. It is the largest city on Aquidneck Island in Narragansett Bay. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.7 km² (11.5 mi²). 20.6 km² (7.9 mi²) of it is land and 9.2 km² (3.5 mi²) of it (30.86%) is water. The Newport Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in New England, connects Newport to neighboring Conanicut Island across the East Passage of the Narragansett Bay.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 26,475 people, 11,566 households, and 5,644 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,287.4/km² (3,336.3/mi²). There were 13,226 housing units at an average density of 643.1/km² (1,666.7/mi²).

The racial makeup of the city was 84.12% White, 7.75% African American, 0.85% Native American, 1.33% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 2.41% from other races, and 3.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.54% of the population.

There were 11,566 households out of which 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.3% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.2% were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the city the population was spread out with 19.6% under the age of 18, 14.6% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,669, and the median income for a family was $54,116. Males had a median income of $37,780 versus $27,492 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,441. About 12.9% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.8% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

Newport has one of the highest concentrations of colonial homes in the nation. Many of these homes were restored in the late 20th century through grants made by Newport resident Doris Duke, as well as other local efforts such as Operation Clapboard. As a result, Newport's colonial heritage is well-preserved. In addition, the city is known for its Gilded Age mansions, which have also received extensive restoration from both private owners and non-profits such as the Preservation Society of Newport County.

File:Belcourt gates.jpg
Bellevue Avenue's Belcourt Castle is owned by the Tinney Family.

Newport is the home of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, where important tennis players are commemorated, as well as a number of mansions dating back to the Gilded Age, including The Breakers, Belcourt Castle, Chateau-sur-Mer, The Elms, Marble House, Rosecliff, and Rough Point. Some of these are open for guided tours. The nearby Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboretum has a fine collection of trees and plants, including the largest sequoia on the East Coast.

With coastlines on the west, south and east, Newport is a maritime city. Its harbors teem with commercial fishing boats, power and sail pleasure craft. It is known as the sailing capitol of the United States. Many defenses by the New York Yacht Club of the America's Cup yachting prize took place here. Newport Country Club was one of the five founding clubs of the United States Golf Association; it hosted the first U.S. Open and the first US Amateur, both held in 1895. In June 2006, the city hosted the U.S. Women's Open.

In 2001, Newport became the new home of the Newport Gulls baseball team of the NECBL. The city hosted the 2005 NECBL All-Star Game at Cardines Field, which, originally built in 1908, is one of the oldest active baseball parks in the country. The Gulls, the historic Sunset League, and other teams attract thousands of fans to Cardines weekly throughout the summer. Directly up West Marlborough Street from the ballpark is the White Horse Tavern, built prior to 1673, and considered to be one of the oldest surviving taverns in the United States.[6]

Newport is also home to the Newport Tower, Salve Regina University, Hammersmith Farm, Prescott Farm, and the Touro Synagogue, the oldest Jewish house of worship in the United States, as well as Redwood Library and Athenaeum, the nation's oldest lending library.

Newport plays host to a number of festivals during the summer months, including the Newport Jazz Festival, the Sunset Music Festival, the Newport Folk Festival (where Bob Dylan shocked the crowd by playing an electric guitar), the Newport International Film Festival, and the Newport International Boat Show. In the winter the festival area transforms into an outdoor ice skating rink.

Outdoor Activities

Aquidneck Island is home to many beautiful beaches, most public and a few private. In Newport, the largest public beach, Easton's beach or First Beach, has a view of the famed Cliff Walk. Second Beach, in neighboring Middletown, is a fantastic beach for waves, with a surfer's beach abutting. Gooseberry Beach, located on Ocean Drive, is a good family beach. There are two private beaches, both highly exclusive in Newport, Bailey's Beach (Spouting Rock Beach Association) and Hazard's Beach, both located on Ocean Drive.

Brenton Point State Park is also an excellent spot for the family, with exquisite vistas, and is home to the annual Brenton Point Kite Festival.

Fort Adams, an historical fort dating back to the War of 1812 houses the Museum of Yachting and hosts the Newport Folk Festival annually. It too has spectacular views of Narragansett Bay, and is a perfect location for family picnics.

Since Newport has a strong maritime heritage, water based recreation is a primary attraction. Options include sailing, sea kayaking, and windsurfing. For many years Newport was home to the series of yacht races for the America's Cup. One can charter 12-Meter yachts that have raced in the America's Cup for a pleasure cruise on Narragansett Bay.

Schools

  • Elementary Schools: Carey School, Coggeshall School, Cranston- Calvert School, Sheffield School. Sullivan School, Underwood School, St Michael's Country Day School, St. Joseph of Cluny Sisters' School.
  • Secondary Schools: St. George's School, Thompson Middle School, Rogers High School, Newport Area Career and Technical Center, Aquidneck Island Adult Learning Center.
  • Post Secondary Schools: U.S. Naval Academy Prep School, Salve Regina University, Naval War College, International Yacht Restoration School.

Sister cities

Notable people born in Newport

Newport's Shoreline includes the mansions of many famous people from the past and present

Eighteenth Century


Ninteenth Century

Twentieth Century

Notable people who lived in Newport

17th Century

18th Century

19th Century to 1885

The Gilded Age, 1885 - 1914

20th Century, 1914-2000


21st Century


[7]

Further reading

  • S. G. Arnold, History of the State of Rhode Island, (two volumes, New York, (1859-60)
  • G. W. Mason, Reminiscences of Rhode Island, (Newport, 1884)
  • E. M. Stone, Our French Allies, (Providence, 1884)
  • B. R. McHugh, One Cool Guy (Portsmouth, 1995)
Wikisource has original text related to this article:

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  1. ^ Tunnell, Daniel L. (April 1975). "Life in Newport Part II: The Eighteenth Century". Early American Life: 26–31. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
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