Newport Casino- Newport, RI

Despite visiting Newport many times over the years, and being an ardent McKim, Mead and White fan, I had never ventured through the Newport Casino’s Bellevue Avenue arch. I never even thought twice about the shingled commercial complex, as I drove past on my way to the mansions. Don’t make the same mistake. Every bit as impressive as the “cottages” down the street, to pass through that unassuming arch is to travel back to the Gilded Age. 

Built by New York Herald publisher James Gordon Bennett in 1879, it was McKim, Mead & White’s first major commission. Designed in the shingle style, it was intended to be Newport’s preeminent social club, with tennis and squash courts, reading rooms, billiards, a ballroom and a theater. It was the very center of summer society during the Gilded Age. 

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987, the property has been very well maintained and restored. Many projects, such as the theater renovation, were performed by nearby Salve Regina University, which has several Historic Preservation programs. 

Today, the complex houses the International Tennis Hall of Fame, several tennis courts, and a restaurant. It’s an absolutely stunning space, all but hidden behind an assuming façade.