Chateau-sur-Mer
The main house of the estate, Chateau-sur-Mer, was built in 1852 for William Shepard Wetmore, a merchant trader. A decade later, his son, George, governor of Rhode Island and a U.S. Senator, inherited the estate. Edith M. K. Wetmore (1870-1966), daughter of George P. Wetmore, was a resident of both New York and Newport. Edith and her family were very active in Newport social and civic life. More about Edith Wetmore is available through the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. She died March 10, 1966 at the age of 95.
While the property's original carriage house and stables are now part of the university's Antone Academic Center, the Chateau-sur-Mer residence is owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County. The Antone Academic Center was named for Dr. M. Therese Antone, RSM, university president from 1994-2009.
The Wetmore Family
- Rites of Passage: The Wetmores of Chateau-sur-MerIn a second research report on the Wetmore Family, sponsored by the Preservation Society of Newport County, author Holly Collins focuses on the family and their societal role as "international merchants to their key roles in American politics, the arts and historic preservation."
- Wetmore-Sherman Family PapersThe Rhode Island Historical Society provides a brief background on the Wetmore family, along with a bibliography and finding aid for extended family papers, including various correspondence, estate inventories and financial statements. Family members include Seth Wetmore (1769-1830), William S. Wetmore (1801-1862), George P. Wetmore (1846-1921), Edith Wetmore (1848-1927), William S.K. Wetmore, Edith M.K. Wetmore (1870-1966), and Maude A.K. Wetmore (1873-1951).
- A catalogue of the books in the library of William S. Wetmore at Chateau-Sur-Mer, Newport, R.I. : Prepared during A.D. 1862.Available at Redwood Library and Athenaeum in Newport, Rhode Island.
- Wetmore Family PapersWetmore family papers, 1847-1950 and undated (bulk 1847-1854). The collection is held at the Redwood Library and Anthenaeum.
- George Peabody WetmoreBrief biography of George P. Wetmore detailing his years in the U.S. Senate.
George P. Wetmore
George P. Wetmore in an electric car circa 1906.
Photograph by Harris & Ewing, Library of Congress.
George Peabody Wetmore
Portrait of George Peabody Wetmore, 1892, The Preservation Society of Newport County.
George Peabody Wetmore (1846-1921) inherited Chateau sur-Mer from his father, William Shephard Wetmore. George P. Wetmore served as governor of Rhode Island from 1885-1886 and was twice elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate, 1895-1907; 1908-1913.
Dedication of Antone Academic Center
The Antone Academic Center for Culture and the Arts houses performance areas, studios, offices, classrooms and laboratories for several academic departments and programs, including art, cultural and historic preservation and music, theatre and dance. Dedicated in 2008, the building was named in honor of Dr. M. Therese Antone, RSM, president of Salve Regina from 1994-2009. Sister Therese currently serves as the university's chancellor.
Dr. M. Therese Antone, RSM
Through the windows: A history of the work of higher education among the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas by Call Number: CRC Collection LC495.S58 D35 2000ISBN: 9780940866928Publication Date: 2005Discusses the important work and legacy of the Sisters of Mercy in the United States, and includes a profile on two past Salve Regina University presidents, M. Therese Antone, R.S.M., Ph.D, and Lucille M. McKillop, R.S.M., Ph.D.
