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The term "Victorian" refers to an age rather than one specific style of architecture. Queen Victoria reigned  from 1837 to 1901, a period of rapid industrialization and empire building led by Britain, Europe and the United States. It was an age of color and ornament. Industry provided a new range of vibrant colors for fabrics, paints, and wallpapers. History was seen as a treasure chest where designers could take inspiration from every period from ancient Egypt, China and Turkey to the Middle Ages and 18th century France. The moral and social reformers of Victorian times wanted to improve society and they had their influence on art and architecture. Gothic style cottages were popular in the 1830s and 40s as fitting houses for Christian ladies and gentleman. Italianate houses, inspired by simple towered farmhouses of Northern Italy, were considered appropriate for those of culture and learning. By the 1860s, the glamour of France had overtaken America, and especially Newport, and the Second Empire-style house with its signature mansard roof became the dwelling of choice.
Chateau sur Mer is a textbook of Victorian design in Newport.
| Original Builder: |
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Mr. William Shepard Wetmore |
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| Architects: |
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Seth Bradford, later remodeled by Richard Morris Hunt and John Russell Pope |
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| Construction dates: |
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1851 - 1852 |
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| Materials: |
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Load-bearing brick and Fall River granite | It began as an Italianate house built for the retired China Trade merchant William Shepard Wetmore. The simple, rough-hewn granite walls, heavy brackets supporting the roof line, and the dominant central tower are typical features of the Italianate villa, meant to resemble the fortified farmhouses of Italy. William's son, George Peabody Wetmore, inherited Chateau sur Mer and engaged architect Richard Morris Hunt to remodel the house during the 1870s. As the first American to attend the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, Hunt brought the latest in French taste to the Wetmore project. He transformed Chateau sur Mer into a palatial Second Empire French chateau with a new mansard roof. This roof type was revived in the 1850s when Emperor Napoleon III was rebuilding Paris. Scores of buildings along the new boulevards of Paris sported these mansard roofs. Hunt was bringing the latest fashion to Chateau sur Mer.
Chateau sur Mer survives as a rare example of Victorian design. With the advent of modernism in the 20th century, the exotic decoration and massive stone walls seemed to be a brooding behemoth of another age. Fortunately, the house was saved due to the vision of the founders and supporters of the Preservation Society. Today, Chateau sur Mer preserves the architecture and atmosphere of the 19th century.
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French Rennaissance-style tower inspired by chateaux of Loire Valley. |
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Mansard Roof: This high-pitched roof type was developed in 17th century France by architect Francois Mansart and revived in Paris in the 1850s. |
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Acroterion - or Honeysuckle: Used on the roof lines in ancient Greek temples |
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Rosettes: A detail taken from ancient Greek and Roman temple decoration. |
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Heavy brackets |
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X-shaped railings modeled after ancient Greek and Roman balustrades |
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Factory-made plate glass windows |
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Wooden Roof Covering in imitation of a fabric awning - one of the few surviving details from the original house. |
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Rough-hewn walls of Fall River granite. |
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Central Tower |
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Port-cochere in Neo-Grec style: These square fluted columns topped by round discs are reminiscent of ancent Egyptian temple architecture. Neo-Grec decoration was a combination of ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman motifs which became popular in Paris in the 1840s and spread to the rest of Europe, Britain and the U.S. | |
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