Our adventure continues with a stop in Newport, Rhode Island. Newport is known for the summer mansions of the fabulously wealthy. This is where the Vanderbilts, coal barons, oil barons, and other titans of industry played. As a seaport, the navy is also a major contributor to the history of the city.
Founded in 1639, Newport is home to the largest collection of colonial homes in the US. Walking about the city we saw home after home built before Lewis and Clark started preparing for their epic journey.
By the early 1970’s, Newport was a navy town, with a bad reputation. No self respecting parent would let his daughter out after dark. With up to 50 naval vessels in port at any one time, describing Newport as a bit raunchy would not be an overstatement. When Nixon pulled the navy, except for the naval war college, locals thought the town would die. But as so often happens, when some folks are given lemons, they make lemonade. The beautiful location and cheap housing prices combined to save the city.
We passed on visiting any of the mansions now open to the public, preferring to wander on our own. We did visit Trinity Episcopal Church. The parish dates from 1698. The current church building was built in 1726. If you have visited the Old Church, in Boston, you can visualize, Trinity in Newport. At Trinity, the pews are in boxes, like cubbies in a large office. Parishioners bought their pew to help with the cost of the building. The shapes, sizes and decor of each pew box reflects the taste of the owners. The members gave their pews to the church during WW II, ending a long tradition. Yet, members of the parish, as in most churches, are partial to a particular pew and may squirm a bit if a stranger joins them.
Now we are heading out of the harbor, continuing our journey north. Tomorrow is a day at sea, then Halifax.
