John N. A. Griswold House

The John N. A. Griswold House is a National Historic Landmark at 76 Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island. It is home to the Newport Art Museum and houses an art gallery. The home was built in 1864 by Richard Morris Hunt for John Noble Alsop Griswold, an Old China Trade merchant and member of the Griswold Family. The house is one of the earliest American Stick–style buildings and one of Hunt's first works in Newport. The house is an official project of Save America’s Treasures.

John N. A. Griswold House
Location76 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI
Coordinates41°29′9″N 71°18′32″W
Area2.41 acres (0.98 ha)[1]
Built1864
ArchitectRichard Morris Hunt
Architectural styleAmerican Stick Style
Part ofKay Street-Catherine Street-Old Beach Road Historic District (ID73000052)
NRHP reference No.71000023
Significant dates
Added to NRHPNovember 5, 1971[2]
Designated NHLMay 16, 2000[3]
Designated CPMay 22, 1973

Description and history

The Griswold House is a 2-1/2 story wood frame structure, set on a granite foundation, on a parcel that was landscaped in the early 19th century to a design by the Olmsted Brothers. It has a complex roofline, whose main mansarded section is pierced by numerous gable and dormer sections. The roof is finished with bands of polychrome slate, and is enhanced by chimneys with concrete caps and decorative panels. There are numerous balconies sheltered by deep eaves, with gable ends decorated with applied Stick style woodwork. An expansive veranda wraps around the southern and western sides of the house, with an elaborately-decorated port-cochere on the north side.[1][3]

The exterior Stick style theme of applied woodwork is continued inside, where the public rooms feature extensive woodwork, and richly decorated spaces. A number of rooms are either partially or completely octagonal in shape, including the main hall, the dining room, and the library. The main hall features an elaborately decorated staircase, with a carved griffin statue standing guard at its base.[1]

The house was designed by Richard Morris Hunt and built in 1864 for John Noble Alsop Griswold, a merchant in the China Trade. It was the first of Hunt's many notable works in Newport, and is considered a prototype work of the Stick style of architecture. Griswold died in the house in 1909; it remained vacant until 1915, when it was acquired by the Art Association of Newport, which now uses it as a museum gallery. The association is one of the oldest organizations of its type in the United States.[1]

The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2000, in recognition for its architectural significance and its association with the Art Association of Newport.[1][2]

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See also

References
  1. Leslie Donovan and Carolyn Pitts (2000-01-31). "National Historic Landmark Nomination: John N. A. Griswold House / Newport Art Museum and Art Association" (pdf). National Park Service. Cite journal requires |journal= (help) and Accompanying 10 photos, exterior and interior, from 1969, 1999, and undated (32 KB)
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  3. "John N. A. Griswold House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2008-05-12.

Images
  • 1862 sketch
  • West Facade
  • First floor plan
  • The library
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