Getting started with research
Books discussing the architecture of Newport are featured on this page, with links to the records in the catalog and the call number of the book. For research articles, a list of the "best bet" databases are listed as well. Research librarians are available to assist in person or through the library's online chat service. Access the chat service through the "Ask a Librarian" portal on this page.
Books
- AIA Guide to Newport byCall Number: McKillop Library Reference NA735.N7 O7 2007Publication Date: 2007A guide of the city of Newport's architectural legacy from 1650 to present day by the American Institute of Architects.
- The Architectural Heritage of Newport, Rhode Island: 1640-1915 byCall Number: NA735.N54 D6 1982 and e-bookISBN: 9780517097199Publication Date: 1982; 1967
- Between the Golden Age and the Gilded Age: A History of the Southern Thames Street Neighborhood byCall Number: F89.N5 B48 2009 and online accessPublication Date: 2009This southern Thames St. neighborhood of Newport, home to a substantial portion of Newport's Irish immigrant population, a working class group who arrived in Newport between 1820 and 1920, is an outstanding example of an 19th-century immigrant neighborhood built according to local, vernacular traditions.
Newport Houses by Call Number: NA7238.N67 S34 1989ISBN: 9780847809127Publication Date: 1989The city's public and private buildings reflect the varied attitudes, styles and tastes adopted by the American nation, from the colonial settlers in the seventeenth century who sought religious and political freedom to the socialite robber barons of the late nineteenth century whose enormous wealth bought the freedom to pursue life's pleasures. The architecture ranges from simple clapboard houses and religious buildings to opulent summer cottages and mansions.
Newport Mansions: Postcards from the Gilded Age by Call Number: F89.N5 S26 2006ISBN: 9780764324970Publication Date: 2006This book features over 200 period images of the mansions, the beaches, and the shopping areas where the Newport summer colony gathered to do what they did best: spend money.
Newport Through Its Architecture by Call Number: NA735.N54 Y37 2005ISBN: 9781584654919Publication Date: 2005Newport has the largest number of pre-Revolutionary War buildings in North America, and in the 19th century Newport was home to many of America's most prominent families and patrons of innovative architecture. From Greek Revival to Gothic, Italianate, and French Second Empire, Newport exemplifies the greatness of mid-nineteenth-century American architecture. Features color photographs, architectural drawings and illustrations.
Newport Villas by Call Number: NA7238.N67 K38 2009ISBN: 9780393732702Publication Date: 2009In this volume, abundant archival and new photographs and accompanying floor plans show off 35 featured houses, and a selected catalog illustrates 39 additional residences covering the gamut of revival styles from Italian Renaissance and Colonial Revival to French Neoclassic and English Manor.
Peabody & Stearns: Country Houses and Seaside Cottages by Call Number: McKillop Library Reference NA737.P36 R63 2010Information on the architects Peabody & Stearns with specific details on their involvement with the Althorpe estate.
The Decoration of Houses by Call Number: NK2110 .W5 1997ISBN: 9780393038859Publication Date: 1997Edith Wharton, as an arbiter of taste and correct usage in the making of domestic interior rooms, worked with Ogden Codman, Jr., a revivalist architect, to produce this volume considered by many to be an "authentic classic." Codman was commissioned as an architect and interior designer for countless estates, including Wakehurst and Chateau sur Mer.
Designers on Designers by Call Number: NK1980 .G73 2003ISBN: 9780071421607Publication Date: 2003Designer Thomas Jayne explores the inspiration behind the design team of Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman's and their book, The Decoration of Houses.
Databases
The following databases provide researchers with access to a wealth of historical information; visitors may only access the databases within the library. Assistance for getting started with research is available in person at the library's Information Desk and through an online chat service available on the library's home page.
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new windowA large multidisciplinary database providing articles from scholarly journals and magazines.
- America's Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new windowOffers over 700 historical American newspapers, mainly from the 18th and early 19th centuries. Includes coverage of the Newport Gazette, 1777; Newport Herald, 1787-1791; and Newport Mercury 1758-1866.
- America: History & Life with Full Text This link opens in a new windowProvides journal articles on the history and culture of the United States and Canada, from prehistory to the present. 1955-present.
- Ancestry Library This link opens in a new windowLarge collection of genealogy records, including census data, vital records, directories, photos, and more.
- Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals This link opens in a new windowIndexes architectural journals and magazines.
- Historical New York Times This link opens in a new windowNew York Times from 1851 to 2018. For recent issues, use New York Times Digital Edition or Nexis Uni.
- Sanborn Maps - Digital 1867-1970 This link opens in a new windowProvides large-scale maps of towns and cities in Rhode Island.
Campus Map
Download a copy of the campus map.
History through tour books
- A walking tour of Salve Regina University : From Gilded Age estates to inspired education byCall Number: Salve Curriculum Library CRC Collection LD4881.S1561 W34 2000Publication Date: 2002Provides historical background on the buildings of Salve Regina University.
A Guide to Newport's Cliff Walk by Call Number: F89.N5 M792 2009ISBN: 9781596294387Publication Date: 2009Ed Morris takes you on a tour of twenty-four historic mansions and landmarks, entertaining along the way with tales of splendor and style, social maneuvering and matchmaking.
