Isaac Bell House
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Isaac Bell House | |
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| (U.S. National Historic Landmark) | |
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| Location: | 70 Perry Street, Newport, RI |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Built/Founded: | 1882 |
| Architect: | McKim, Mead and White |
| Architectural style(s): | Queen Anne |
| Designated as NHL: | September 25, 1997[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | January 13, 1972 (original) September 25, 1997 (increase?)[2] |
| NRHP Reference#: | 72000022 (original) 97001276 (increase?) |
| Governing body: | Private |
The Isaac Bell House, also know as Edna Villa, one of the famous Gilded Age Newport summer cottages in Newport, Rhode Island was the summer resort of choice for America's wealthiest families. Construction of this Shingle Style home took place from 1881 to 1883.
[edit] History
The Isaac Bell House is one of the best remaining examples of Shingle Style architecture; this summer “cottage” was designed for Isaac Bell, Jr. Bell was a successful cotton broker and investor. He is also the brother-in-law of James Gordon Bennett, Jr. publisher of the New York Herald.
It was designed by the architectural firm McKim, Mead, and White (Charles Follen McKim, William R. Mead, and Stanford White) of New York, NY. Known in Newport for designing Newport Casino and later in Boston for designing Boston Public Library, they also designed the famous Pennsylvania Station in New York.
The Shingle Style was pioneered in the design of the William Watts Sherman House also located in Newport RI. This style of Victorian architecture popular in the late nineteenth century and named after the decorative shingles used on the exterior. The Isaac Bell House provides an example of this style through its unpainted wood shingles, simple window & trim details and multiple level porches. It combines elements of the English Arts and crafts philosophy with colonial American details. This home features a Japanese-inspired open floor plan and bamboo-style porch columns. Details include inglenook fireplaces, natural rattan wall coverings, wall paneling and narrow band wooden floors.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1997.[1][3]
The home history includes being split up into apartments and serving as a nursing home. This property was purchased in 1994 by the owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County County with the help Carol Chiles Ballard. It is a National Historic Landmark and has won awards for restoration work.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Isaac Bell House. National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2006-03-15).
- ^ John Tschirch, Diane D. Galt, Fred Stachura, Susan Kline, and Carolyn Pitts (December 18, 1996), National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Isaac Bell, Jr. House / Edna VillaPDF (32 KB), National Park Service and Accompanying ten photos, exterior and interior, from c.1886, 1950, 1973, 1994, 1995, and undatedPDF (32 KB)
[edit] External links
- Isaac Bell House, 70 Perry Street, Newport, Newport County, RI: 10 photos, 8 drawings, 14 data pages, at Historic American Building Survey
- Isaac Bell House
- 2001 Victorian Society Award
- Gilding and wallpaper reproduction firm
- Historic carpet reproduction firm
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