About Us

Great Houses connect people to a nation’s heritage and open windows to another age.

The Preservation Society of Newport County is a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect, preserve, and present an exceptional collection of house museums and landscapes in one of the most historically intact cities in America.

We hold in public trust the Newport Mansions which are an integral part of the living fabric of Newport, Rhode Island. These sites exemplify three centuries of the finest achievements in American architecture, decorative arts, and landscape design spanning the Colonial era to the Gilded Age.

Through our historic properties, educational programs, and related activities we engage the public in the story of America’s vibrant cultural heritage.

We seek to inspire and promote an appreciation of the value of preservation to enrich the lives of people everywhere.

Our 11 historic properties and landscapes – seven of which are National Historic Landmarks – trace America’s architectural and social development from the Colonial era through the Gilded Age. In keeping with its mission, the Society strives to offer its members and the public a comprehensive view of each property’s architecture, interiors, landscapes and social history.

The Society is headquartered in a three-story Romanesque Revival mansion at 424 Bellevue Avenue, constructed in 1888 as a summer residence for William H. Osgood of New York. Its last private owner was Herbert Claiborne Pell, former U.S. Ambassador to Portugal and Hungary. After several incarnations as a school building, the property was purchased in 1992 by the Preservation Society, which conducted an extensive restoration and renovation of the building for use as its administrative headquarters.