Ocean Lawn Sells for $11.64 Million

NEWPORT, RI — Ocean Lawn, one of Newport’s most notable estates, was sold on Jan. 27, according to Lila Delman Real Estate International.

The buyers are Alexis DeJoria and her father, John Paul DeJoria.

"My father and I invested in this property so all of our family can enjoy it," she said. "We appreciate the estate's rich history and plan on retaining its Gilded Age grandeur."

The Queen Anne-style home, constructed c.1889 by legendary architects Peabody & Stearns, is surrounded by park-like grounds designed by acclaimed landscape architects Innocenti & Webel. The property consists of a 13-bedroom manor house, a playhouse, pool, and beautiful gardens overlooking the Atlantic.

The estate is prominently sited on Newport’s legendary Cliff Walk.

“Ocean Lawn is a special Newport estate with an iconic social history within a private oceanfront compound," said Melanie Delman. "Built during the Gilded Age and famously owned by the Firestone family, it is a truly an American story, past and present.”

Betty Parke Firestone was known as the best-dressed woman in America in the 1950s. Mrs. Firestone added a ball gown closet and custom French entry gates to Ocean Lawn, among other improvements. The residence also features his-and-hers libraries, with hers exquisitely paneled in 18th century English pine, created by a woodcarver who lived in the house for two years while working to complete the room. It was said that formal teas in the English gardens and black-tie affairs were common occurrences during the Firestones’ tutelage. Prominent guests, including Bob Hope and former Army Chief of Staff Gen. William C. Westmoreland, frequented the Ocean Lawn estate.

This marks the third sale of a major Newport oceanfront mansion in the past 18 months by Melanie Delman, president, Lila Delman Real Estate International, according to real estate sales reported by Rhode Island Statewide Multiple Listing Service.*

Delman has represented the property for two decades.

“I am honored to have been involved in listing and selling this wonderful property over the past twenty years,” she said.

*This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the State-Wide Multiple Listing Service. The MLS does not guarantee and is not in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.

Photo Credit Lila Delman Real Estate International