Newport, Rhode Island

Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island, Rhode Island. It covers 11.5 sq mi (29.7 sq km) on the southwestern tip of the island, and has a population of 25,000 people (2011 estimate). Once a bustling seaport in the 18th century, Newport today has one of the highest number of colonial buildings still standing in any city in the United States.

Edward King House, Newport, Rhode Island
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edward_King_House,_Newport,_RI.jpg
Author: Daniel Case


The history of Newport goes back to the 17th century. It was founded in 1639 by a group of men, led by William Coddington, who parted company with the Puritan Anne Hutchinson and her followers. Coddington and his followers settled on the south side of Aquidneck Island, and was joined by Nicholas Easton, who was similarly expelled from Massachusetts for his beliefs.

The settlement established by Coddington soon became the largest of the four towns on Aquidneck Island. Over the years, friction developed between Coddington and Easton, but this did not prevent Newport from growing into the most important port in Rhode Island.

Newport received an influx of Jews in 1658. They include Jewish refugees fleeing the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal and those fleed Portuguese-controlled Brazil. The Jewish congregation established in Newport is the second oldest in the United States. Their descendants still meet at Newport's Touro Synagogue, the oldest standing synagogue in the country.

The most prosperous era for Newport was from the mid-19th century until the early 20th. That was when Newport has grown into a major seaport attracting wealthy southern planters to set up summer homes there. Some of the wealthiest families in the country own properties in Newport, among them the Vanderbilts, Astors and Wideners. In the 20th century, both Presidents Kennedy and Eisenhower made Newport the site of their "Summer White Houses" during their years in office.

Today Newport continues to wear an air of neatness and affluence. It has the highest concentration of colonial-era houses in the country.

Visiting Newport

Newport is reached via the Jameston Bridge from mainland Rhode Island.

Places of Interest in Newport

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