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        <title>Newport RI Real Estate Blog</title>
        <link>https://www.hoganassociatesre.com/blog/newport-mansions/</link>
        <description>Read Hogan Associate's take on real estate trends and life in Newport, RI.</description>
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    <guid>https://www.hoganassociatesre.com/blog/a-rare-opportunity-just-a-block-off-bellevue-avenue-in-beautiful-newport-rhode-island.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.hoganassociatesre.com/blog/a-rare-opportunity-just-a-block-off-bellevue-avenue-in-beautiful-newport-rhode-island.html</link>
        <title>A rare opportunity just a block off Bellevue Avenue in beautiful Newport Rhode Island</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
 Presenting the Carriage House of Belmead Mansion, this historic &quot;shingle style&quot; property features a main residence plus 2 apartments, artist's loft, greenhouse studio, screen porch, garage and ample on-site parking. All within walking distance to the Cliff Walk and Bailey's Beach.





This represents one of the last remaining chances to renovate and revitalize a Newport carriage house from the Gilded Age. Take a walk or a drive and look around the city, you will find numerous examples of some of the amazing work that has been done to re-purpose these magnificent structures.


There is over 6,000 square feet of to have some fun. Let your imagination run wild. Grab your architect, your interior designer, your contractor and oh yes your checkbook. Have a go at it. You will be so glad you did.
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    <pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2015 14:43:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.hoganassociatesre.com/blog/astors-beechwood-takes-shape.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.hoganassociatesre.com/blog/astors-beechwood-takes-shape.html</link>
        <author>leslie@hoganri.com (Leslie Hogan)</author>
        <title>Astors' Beechwood Takes Shape as Larry Ellison Art Museum</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Restoration of Astor's Beechwood underway 12/30/12








on Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI


Yesterday, while cruising down Newport's Bellevue Avenue, I glanced over at Astors' Beechwood and, much to my surprise, it wasn't there  After a quick double take I realized the big, beige Italiante mansion WAS in fact there, but it was no longer the cream-colored wedding-cake-of-a-house I remembered, but rather a somber red brick edifice with pale quoining along the corners and roof line.


It's a temporary look, as plans call for the reapplication of the stucco, but the mansion's current &quot;nakedness&quot; combined with the wintery, leafless landscape accentuates the dignity of the original architecture.


Astors' Beechwood is undergoing a complete restoration thanks to Oracle co-founder, Larry Ellison who purchased the property in 2010 for $10.5 million and plans to open it as a non-profit museum to display his collection of 18th and 19th century art.  The Atlantic Arts Museum will be a bonus for Newport's residents and visitors and a happy outcome for Astors' Beechwood.


Rendering of Astor's Beechwood from Bellevue Ave.


Beechwood is often attributed to architect, Richard Morris Hunt, but Andrew Jackson Downing and Calvert Vaux designed the original summer cottage for Daniel Parrish in 1851. The original house burned to the ground 1855 and was rebuilt closer to Bellevue Ave.  In 1881 William Blackhouse Astor Jr. purchased this replica, and his wife, Caroline Webster Shermerhorn-Astor, immediately commissioned Hunt to renovate the manse and add a ballroom large enough to entertain the elite members of Newport's famous &quot;400,&quot; the most prominent families of the day.  25 years later Beechwood's pale stucco exterior was applied.


The current plan includes renovation of the carriage house, a new slate roof, demolition of a 1980s garage, renovation of the greenhouse and extensive landscaping.


Rendering of Astor's Beechwood from Cliff Walk


A dramatic arched loggia destroyed in the hurricane of 1954 will be rebuilt restoring lovely Atlantic Ocean views enjoyed by the homes along Cliff Walk.  Once complete, the 26,000 square foot Italianate mansion will house the a residential style museum similar to New York's Frick Museum on the first floor and private residence above. The first floor museum will be open to the public, and the residential second floor will be open when no one is in residence.


This is one of several big projects going on around here this winter.  


It just keeps getting better and better here in Newport, RI.  Happy New Year
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    <pubDate>Mon, 31 Dec 2012 15:01:00 -0500</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.hoganassociatesre.com/blog/newport-ris-hopedene-estate-sold-today-for-16m.html</guid>
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        <author>leslie@hoganri.com (Leslie Hogan)</author>
        <title>Newport's Hopedene Sold Today for $16M</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Hopedene, Newport, RI, sold $16M 12/19/12


It was another stellar day for Newport, RI luxury real estate as word spread that Gustave White Sotheby's brokered the sale of Hopedene for $16M. The sale was Rhode Island's highest recorded sale this year and the second highest ever. 


Located on Cliff Avenue with a sweeping lawn and stunning views of First Beach and the Atlantic, Hopedene was designed by Peabody and Stearns and completed in 1902 for Elizabeth Hope Gammell Slater.


Interior designer Ogden Codman, Jr. built an addition in 1913 and redesigned the Georgian Revival mansion when Charles P. Patterson, a NY antiques dealer purchased the home.


When he died, Mr. Patterson left Hopedene to Newport's Preservation Society and in 1983 Britty Cudlip purchased it.  In the late 1990s Craig and Michele Millard bought the property and kept it until today.


Rumor has it the new owners rented Hopedene first, then fell in love with it.  And what's not to love about this majestic summer cottage?
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    <pubDate>Wed, 19 Dec 2012 23:23:00 -0500</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.hoganassociatesre.com/blog/tips-from-an-insider-secret-waterfront-havens-in-newport-ri.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.hoganassociatesre.com/blog/tips-from-an-insider-secret-waterfront-havens-in-newport-ri.html</link>
        <title>Tips from an Insider: Secret Waterfront Havens in Newport RI</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 



The intricate ins and outs of Newport’s streets are typically explored by those who have exhausted the main street attractions. Once you are numb to the typical sights you begin to crave more, and Newport has much much more to see. In grade school my friends and I wandered around town looking for things to do. In doing so we discovered many hidden spots with amazing views of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. I now love taking friends to these spots to show them Newport’s beauty the way I grew up seeing it. These are my top spots in Newport RI to enjoy the waterfront:


The Point: The Point is at the end of the downtown area just before the bridge to Goat Island. This historic part of Newport right by the Newport Bridge has lovely parks great for looking out over the water, especially at night when the bridge is lit up.


Aquidneck Lobster Co.- Bowen’s Wharf: This large, run down fish market is a cover for one of my favorite spots to enjoy Narragansett Bay. Walk through the barrels of live fish to the back. You’ll pass a few small shops before reaching the deck where you can look over the water and watch the boats for miles. On your way out you can grab something for dinner- they have great seafood


The Coffee Grinder- Bannister’s Wharf: Not far from the fish market is Bannister’s Wharf, a small area full of activity among the bars and restaurants. At the end of the wharf is a small coffee shop that sits between the boating docks. When there aren’t any large boats docked here (they were once visited by one of the Tall Ships) this is another quiet spot to watch the sun set over the bay as you wait for your coffee. 


Cliff Walk: Everyone knows Cliff Walk is gorgeous. All five miles of the walk are covered in beautiful views. Often after one or two miles people diverge off and on to Ruggles or Narragansett Avenue. More breathtaking views are beyond this point. As you walk closer to the ocean the sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks, the sandy dunes and the beautiful mansions make the walk very well worth it. The Chinese Tea House is also at the end of the walk, where William Vanderbuilt’s wife, Alva, held women’s suffrage rallies in the 1880’s. This beautifully constructed teahouse by the sea is one of my favorite places to visit in Newport.


I’m happy to share these secret spots, so show off what you know when taking friends around town and visit a few of them. Have your own favorite spot? Share it below
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    <pubDate>Tue, 11 Sep 2012 10:04:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.hoganassociatesre.com/blog/newport-mansion-stories-afternoons-with-mrs-firestone.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.hoganassociatesre.com/blog/newport-mansion-stories-afternoons-with-mrs-firestone.html</link>
        <author>leslie@hoganri.com (Leslie Hogan)</author>
        <title>Newport Mansion Stories: Afternoons with Mrs. Firestone</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 



I married into a family of native Newporters descended from the European immigrants who worked in Newport's mansions.  As I result, I have heard many amazing stories about Newport's gilded age families.  Among my favorites are my husband Paul's recollections of Elizabeth Parke Firestone and his visits to her Newport, RI Firestone Estate, Ocean Lawn. 


After her husband died, Mrs. Firestone (a.k.a Betty) summered alone at Ocean Lawn, a sprawling 1888 Peabody &amp; Stearns mansion overlooking the water on the corner of Narragansett Avenue and Cliff Walk. She was the widow of the late Harvey Firestone, Jr., son of the founder of Firestone Tire. 


In those days, Mrs. Firestone didn't get out much, but she enjoyed a little sherry and conversation with occasional afternoon visitors. Somehow, my husband, Paul, and his pal, Matt, became part of this tradition. (I must admit, I cannot imagine a more unlikely trio.) She enjoyed their company and told them what it was like when Henry Ford's auto business took off, and the money started flooding into Firestone Tire.


According to Mrs. Firestone, her father-in-law was reluctant to make tires for Henry Ford.  But as he ramped up his tire business, the auto industry took off and so did the Firestone fortune.  According to Mrs. Firestone, &quot;Each day we had no idea what the postman was bringing, where it was from and whether the amounts were correct.&quot;  They had no idea how much money was coming in, how much was was outstanding or how to account for it all.  &quot;So, of course,&quot; Mrs. Firestone said, &quot;we had to start a bank.&quot;  The Harvey J. Firestone Bank of Akron, Ohio is still in business today.





On another visit the conversation turned to more domestic matters.  Mrs. Firestone told Paul she was looking for a cleaner and asked him who he used.  Paul told her that Plaza Cleaners on Aquidneck Avenue was the best.  Mrs. Firestone replied, &quot;I'm still sending my linens to France, and I'm just not happy with the way they're coming back.&quot; (Apparently she was unaware of Madame Bonnetat who ran a French laundry right off Van Zandt Ave.)


On another afternoon, Mrs. Firestone took her gentleman callers to see her couture dress collection.  She had hundreds of custom made dresses in her closet each with two diminutive pairs of hand made shoes on the floor underneath.  In the 1950s Mrs. Firestone was regarded as one of America's best-dressed women, and she liked her shoes. She was a size 4 and a half.







When Mrs. Firestone needed a place to store her Jamaica furniture, she bought the mansion next door.  She said it was good for the furniture, and lIfe was more peaceful without neighbors. Both this house and a spectacular pool house she built for a favorite granddaughter are now grand private homes.


Mrs. Firestone died in 1990. Her home was sold, and the property was subdivided into several large lots between the Cliff Walk and Annandale Road.  Today the original mansion, the converted pool house and several new homes coexist behind the original iron gates.


If you have a Newport Mansion story of your own, don't keep it to yourself  Please share it here.


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    <pubDate>Mon, 11 Jun 2012 21:17:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.hoganassociatesre.com/blog/another-newport-story.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.hoganassociatesre.com/blog/another-newport-story.html</link>
        <author>leslie@hoganri.com (Leslie Hogan)</author>
        <title>A Newport Story: The Horse in the Foyer</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
A Cautionary Tale: Don't bring the horse in the house.


Like many historic towns, Newport, RI has a rich oral history. My father in law, the late John Hogan, was a great story teller.  In addition to being a life long Newporter, he worked for many years as a docent in the mansions. Tales about Newport families - wealthy ones and everyday people - would just spill out of him whenever we visited. I wish he had been a blogger because many of those stories will be lost over time. Here's one of his more memorable urban legends:


Sometime in the last mid-century, a family lived in a big, beautiful house on Old Beach Road in the Kay Catherine section of Newport.  They had a barn out back where the family horse resided.  One exceptionally cold Christmas Eve, the family took pity on the creature and decided he would be happier in the house.  The children ran out to the barn and led the horse through the front door.  As the unsuspecting animal stepped into the entry foyer, all four legs descended through the lovely hardwood floors leaving him suspended by his belly.  


After several unsuccessful attemts to extricate the poor beast, the family called the Newport Fire Department. They eventually managed to lift him out using a canvas sling. Perhaps the family was inspired by Doris Duke's habit of bringing her camels inside when the weather got stormy.  Legend has it there was some egg nog involved, and the horse was fine.


If you remember this tale or have another Newport story, please add it below so it won't be forgotten.
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    <pubDate>Thu, 24 May 2012 10:35:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.hoganassociatesre.com/blog/a-story-about-the-help-on-bellevue-avenue.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.hoganassociatesre.com/blog/a-story-about-the-help-on-bellevue-avenue.html</link>
        <author>leslie@hoganri.com (Leslie Hogan)</author>
        <title>Tales of The Help, a Newport RI Mansion Story</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 

 

 


An Elegant Hand-Me-Down from Newport, RI's Gilded Age


Tucked away in one of my closets is an antique wicker doll carriage abandned many years ago by my now grown-up daughters.  My mother-in-law, the late Dorothy Hogan, gave us the carriage when our daughter, Casey, was born. Casey was the first girl in two generations of Hogans, and Dorothy saved that carriage hoping someday she'd have a granddaughter to enjoy it. The fabric is worn and frayed, but the metal wheels and hinges still operate smoothly after all these years.


It was an expensive toy, elegant and built to last. In the early 1900s it belonged to a little girl who summered in a Newport &quot;Cottage&quot; off Ocean Drive. Sometime in the 1930s it was given to Dorothy's mother, Ethel Rabatin, a Hungarian immigrant who served as upstairs maid to the Bruygere family.


At the turn-of-the-century European immigrants came to Newport in droves settling in tight knit communities in the Fifth Ward and on The Point. They were gardeners, governesses, chamber maids, cooks, grooms, master carpenters, masons and others who kept the mansions humming. 


I imagine there are many stories sitll alive in the memories of Newport families descended from &quot;The Help.&quot;  If you have a Newport mansion story of your own, please share it here:
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    <pubDate>Sun, 11 Mar 2012 21:52:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.hoganassociatesre.com/blog/newport-ri-vacation-options-carriage-house-light-ship-or-a-seaside-estate.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.hoganassociatesre.com/blog/newport-ri-vacation-options-carriage-house-light-ship-or-a-seaside-estate.html</link>
        <title>Epic Summer Rentals in Newport, RI</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Mae West once said, &quot;You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.&quot;


As a luxury waterfront rental specialist in Newport, RI, helping folks &quot;do it right&quot; is my profession. Lucky me - especially at this time of year when Rhode Island summer rental activity begins to heat up. If you're looking for a cool place to spend your vacation this summer, I have lots of ideas in all price ranges, but here are a few of the more unusual offerings:


The Nantucket Lightship


The Nantucket Light Ship, Newport RI


Just imagine yourself on the deck of this amazing vessel sipping Champagne while the setting sun paints the harbor an indescribable shade of pink. The lights on the bridge are twinkling, the temperature's about 75, and mmm, mmmm, mmmm, life is good.


The Nantucket Lightship was a floating light house stationed off the coast of Nantucket to warn ships of the treacherous Nantucket Shoals.  Her brilliant beacon was the first light seen by approaching transatlantic ships and the last one sighted upon their departure.  Today it's a stunning pleasure craft available for rent.  With 6,000 square feet of cherry and mahogany-clad interior, 5 elegant staterooms with ensuite baths and a 2,000 square foot deck it's the perfect place for a dockside partiy or a quiet retreat with your nearest and dearest.


Click here for more details on renting the Nantucket Lightship for your once-in-a-lifetime vacation.


The Windmill at Hammersmith Farm, Newport, RI


If history, romance AND location strike a chord with you, then The Windmill might be right up your alley.  Step back into the magical era of JKF and Camelot at The Windmill at Hammersmith Farm. This iconic landmark occupies a huge grassy waterfront space near Fort Adams park.  In the 1960s it was a part of the Auchincloss' estate which served as President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy's summer White House. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onasis spent many happy summers here as a child, and the structure is just as charming today as it was during that time. The views are spectacular across the Bay toward Jamestown to the west, Newport Harbor  to the north and the open ocean to the south.


Click here for pricing and availability for The Windmill


Beacon Rock, on Newport Harbor


Beacon Rock, Newport, RI


Beacon Rock was once home to reknowned sculptor, Felix deWeldon creator of the iconic Iwo Jima monument. Designed by McKim, Mead and White, the 22,000 square foot home has over 2,000 feet of water frontage on Brenton Cove. Set high on rocky promontory, the imposing structure offers the most commanding harbor view of any Newport residence. There are six large bedrooms, three smaller ones, ten full baths and one half bath. A pool at the tip of the peninsula offers unparalleled views of the Newport Bridge. A deep-water dock, 50' sail boat, with 16' tender can be included.


Click here for more information on Beacon Rock.


AND there's SO MUCH MORE  Visti our rental search page for detailed information on ALL of our summer and year-round rental properties.
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    <pubDate>Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:11:00 -0500</pubDate>
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