Operating Schedule
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Visitor Info
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History of Newport and the Mansions
Founded in 1639, Newport was an important port city, a center of the slave trade, a fashionable resort and the summer home of the Gilded Age rich.
What was the Gilded Age?
The Gilded Age was a period of unprecedented change in America. Fortunes were spent on luxuries such as the lavish "summer cottages" of Newport.
Deep Dive into the Show
Learn about the people, places and events depicted in Julian Fellowes' popular historical drama series.
“Inside the Newport Mansions” Gilded Age Conversations
Noted historians and authors share their insights into all aspects of Gilded Age America in this monthly series of interviews with the Preservation Society.
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We invite you to become a member of the Preservation Society today. In addition to joining an active community of preservation supporters and advocates, members are offered unlimited access to all open houses.
About Us
Our mission is to protect, preserve, and present the best of Newport County's architectural heritage. Learn more about us and our work.
Wind Farm Federal Appeal: FAQs
The Preservation Society of Newport County is appealing federal agency approval of two massive wind farms off the Rhode Island coast.
Personal Photography on the Grounds
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Commercial Filming or Photography
Museum Rentals & Weddings
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The dining room seat furniture at Marble House has gilded-bronze structural elements and a cut velvet textile with metallic threads. The Conservation staff is in the process of stabilizing the very degraded textile.
The metallic threads are of particular interest. They are made of bundles of silk held together by a flat metal tape applied barber-pole style. The metal tape is about the same width as a grain of salt – quite small. It is clear that the metallic threads also make great saws – they probably began cutting themselves free of the silk warp as soon as people started sitting in the chairs. Part of the treatment is to secure these flyaway threads.
Cross-section microscopy and instrumental analysis reveals an interesting technology. The metal tape started out as thin copper wire, which then received a rather thick coating of silver. The threads look gold, so the silver was possibly gold-gilded using electroplating methods. At some point during the process, the round wire was rolled flat. There are miles of this particular material, and its manufacture and application to fibers deserves further study.
A small piece of the metallic thread was embedded in epoxy and polished. The cross-section at 200x (above) shows the silk ends and the structure of the metal. There is a pinkish metal core and a silver colored envelope. We expect the threads to look golden, but if there is gold present on the metal, it is too thin to be seen at this magnification.
These photomicrographs were taken by Jeff Moore, former Preservation Society Chief Conservator, using a Leica DMLM optical microscope. The instrument was made possible through a gift by the McBean Foundation.
Elemental analysis using a scanning electron microscope confirms the materials: copper, silver, and gold. The SEM is sensitive enough to pick the gold right up. The analysis was performed by Xian Zhang, Director of Analytical Services at Williamstown Art Conservation Center, of which the Preservation Society is a member institution.
Parking is free onsite at all properties except for Hunter House and The Breakers Stable & Carriage House, where street parking is available.
Answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.
Explore the 11 properties under the stewardship of the Preservation Society and open as historic house museums.
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