Hunter House In Newport Opening To Public For 1st Time In Over 2 Years

NEWPORT, RI — For the first time in nearly three years, the Preservation Society of Newport County on Friday will open Hunter House to the public.

Guided tours of the iconic house dating back to Newport’s colonial era will be offered on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Aug. 5 through Sept. 4, and Saturdays and Sundays from Sept. 10 through Oct. 2. The guided tours will explore the lives of many residents who resided in the home.

There will be six tours per day, each limited to eight people. Tickets will not be sold onsite. Tickets can be purchased at the Newport Mansions' website or by visiting a ticket sales station at The Breakers, Marble House or The Elms.

"We look forward to reintroducing Hunter House to visitors and telling a more complete story of its past," Preservation Society CEO Trudy Coxe said. "Our staff and fellows have done extensive research, and we are excited to provide an engaging new understanding of this historically significant property."

The research featured in the new tour of Hunter House was conducted by Preservation Society research fellows Catherine Doucette and MaryKate Smolenski, and was partially funded through a Dean F. Failey Grant from The Decorative Arts Trust.

The new tour highlights never-before-told stories about the people who lived and worked there, including enslaved residents. Visitors will also learn about Hunter House’s collection of fine and decorative arts.

A rare surviving waterfront home from Newport’s colonial era, Hunter House was the first property rescued by the Preservation Society in June 1945. It was built around 1748 for Deputy Governor Jonathan Nichols and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1968.