Whitehall Museum House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Whitehall
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Whitehall Museum House in 2022
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 Location in Rhode Island
Location in the United States
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| Location | Berkeley Ave., Middletown, Rhode Island |
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| Built | 1729 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000016 |
| Added to NRHP | April 28, 1970 |
The Whitehall Museum House is a historic farmhouse in Middletown, Rhode Island. A famous thinker named George Berkeley lived here from 1729 to 1731. He changed the house to make it his home. At that time, he was planning to open a college in Bermuda. People also call this house Berkeley House or Bishop George Berkeley House. It became a protected historic place in 1970.
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History of Whitehall House
George Berkeley's Arrival
George Berkeley (1685–1753) was a well-known Anglo-Irish philosopher. He arrived in Newport, Rhode Island, on January 23, 1729. A local minister, Reverend James Honyman, welcomed Berkeley and his group. He invited them to stay at his home in Newport.
Buying and Naming the House
In February 1729, Berkeley bought a farm with a small house. It was about 96 acres (39 hectares) and was next to Honyman's farm. Berkeley also bought several people to help work the land. He made the house bigger and designed it himself. He named it "Whitehall". This name honored the old palace of English Kings.
Life at Whitehall
While living at Whitehall, Berkeley wrote his book Alciphron. He also sometimes preached at nearby churches. These included Trinity Church, Newport, Rhode Island and St Paul's Church, Wickord (The Old Narragansett Church). In Newport, he started the Philosophical Society. This group later grew into the Redwood Library. Berkeley once wrote that Newport had "some of the softest rural and grandest ocean scenery in the world."
Family Life and Departure
Berkeley's wife, Anne, gave birth to their son, Henry, at Whitehall. They also had a daughter, Lucia, who sadly died as a baby. She was buried at Trinity Church, Newport, Rhode Island in 1731. When Berkeley left in September 1731, he gave his library and the Whitehall property to Yale University. He asked that the money from the property help support three students at Yale.
Whitehall After Berkeley
By 1743, the Whitehall farmhouse was being used as an inn. A traveler named Dr. Alexander Hamilton visited the inn that year. He wrote about being served by the daughter of the inn's owner. Yale University rented out the property as an inn for many years. However, by the late 1800s, the house was in poor condition.
Restoration and Museum
In 1899, the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America took over the property with a very long lease. In 1936, they hired a famous architect, Norman Isham, to restore two rooms. Today, the Colonial Dames in Rhode Island take care of the house and its garden. The house is filled with furniture from that time period. It is open for tours during the summer months. Scholars who study Berkeley also use the house during this time.
See also
