Francis Malbone House facts for kids
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Francis Malbone House
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U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property |
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 Location in Rhode Island
Location in the United States
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| Location | Newport, Rhode Island |
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| Built | 1758 |
| Architect | Peter Harrison |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Part of | Newport Historic District (ID68000001) |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000055 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 28, 1975 |
| Designated NHLDCP | November 24, 1968 |
The Francis Malbone House is a historic house located at 392 Thames Street in Newport, Rhode Island.
This beautiful house was built around 1760. Its design is thought to be by Peter Harrison, a famous architect from that time. He also designed other important buildings in Newport, like the Touro Synagogue and the Redwood Library.
In 1975, the Francis Malbone House was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as a very important historical site.
Contents
The Story of the Francis Malbone House
Building a Merchant's Home
The Francis Malbone House was built in 1760. It was the home of Colonel Francis Malbone (1728-1785). He was a very rich shipping merchant. Newport Harbor was one of the busiest ports in the world back then.
Colonel Malbone made his money by trading goods. People believe he brought goods into his house without paying taxes. This was a common practice in Newport, which was known as a "Free Port." Many fortunes in Newport were built this way. Secret tunnels found in the cellar of the house led to the pier where Colonel Malbone kept his ships.
The House During the Revolution
During the American Revolution, British soldiers took over Newport. They also took control of the Malbone Estate. The mansion was used to store valuable items that the British had taken. Because of this, people started calling it "the treasure house."
Return to the Malbone Family
After the American Revolution ended, the mansion was given back to the Malbone family. They owned it until the early 1830s. After Colonel Malbone passed away in 1785, his son, also named Francis Malbone, became the owner. This younger Francis Malbone later became a United States Senator. He owned the house until he died in 1809.
In 1770, a famous painter named Gilbert Stuart painted a portrait of the younger Francis Malbone and his brother Saunders. This painting is now displayed at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
A Grand Newport Home
In the early 1800s, before the famous mansions on Bellevue Avenue were built, the Malbone House was one of the most luxurious homes in Newport.
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From 1833 to 1838, the house was owned by Colonel Joseph G. Totten. He was part of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. At that time, Colonel Totten was in charge of building Fort Adams. He was also the most senior Army engineer in the northeastern United States. He sold the house in 1838 when he was chosen to be the Chief Engineer of the Army.
In 1850, Dr. James R. Newton owned the house. He built a brick office on the property for his doctor's practice. This building is now known as "The Counting House."
Restoring a Historic Gem
The Francis Malbone House was carefully restored in the early 1970s. The front door of the mansion has a special design called an Ionic doorway. It looks very similar to the front entrance of the Touro Synagogue.
Inside, the house has a wide central hallway with rooms on both sides. The hallway has a tall, divided arch. The stairs have a fancy railing with twisted balusters. A large Palladian window lights up the stair landing. The front living rooms have rich wood paneling, which showed off a family's wealth in colonial times. Two-story fireplaces decorate the walls, and one even has a broken scroll design at the top.
In 1989, the house reopened as a historic inn with nine guest rooms. In 1996, they added a new section to the inn. This allowed it to grow to eighteen luxurious guestrooms, while still keeping its historic look.
