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SY Eon, 10-300 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERI6R

4 , July 969 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESINVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM

ype a!? entries - complete applicable sections

ST A t It

Rhode IslandCOUNTY:

NewportFOR NPS USE ONLY

ENTRY NUMDER DATE

LL.4AhiFiCOMMON: .

White Horse TavernAND/OR HISTORIC:. . -.

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- . STREET AND NUMBER:

* 26 Marlborough StreetCITY OR TOWN:

Newport .

.

. .

STATECODE COUNTY: . CODE

Rhode Island, 028b0 itJj Üewport 005CLASSIFICATION .

I-,CATEGORYCheck One

.OWNERSHIP

.

.STATUS ACCESSIBLETO THE PUBLIC

El District . XJ BuIlding

C] Site 0 Structure

C] Object

0 Public - IPublic Acquisition:

Privote . I El In Process

El Both El BeIng Considered

J Occupied

0 Unoccupied

El Preservation work

Yes:Restricted

El Unrestricted

. . .

in progress El No

RRESEN T USE check One or More as Appropriate .

fl Agricultural El Government El Park .-- El Transportation 0 Comments

IN Capnrncrcial El Industriol El Private Residence Other SpeciFy

.

Enlucntinnnl El Military El Religious

C] Entertainment 0 Museum El Scientific .

ng-pl are

-I - WNUR OF PROPERTY .. : - .

--*- .-.. . . . -

WI 15 NAMI- :

The Preiervation Society of Newport County- IS

!!:tTIII:rr ANtI NUMR :1,:

37 Touro Street .

I OWN: STATE, CODE

NewportOtATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION

. Rhode Island, 028b0 HTfl

COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS. ETC:

City HaflSTREET AND NUMBER:

BroadwayCITY OIl TOWN: STATE CODE

Newport : Rhode Island, 0281i0 bb

_______________________

1N0.5U.E::Sl:1H_tc

TITLE OF SURVEY:

American BuilctLngs SurveyDATE OF SURVEY: 1970.-.1971 Federol El State El County El LocalDEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS:

Library of CongressSTREET AND NUMBER:

.

IndependenceAvenue and1st-Street, 5. E.,CITY On TOWN: . STATE: CODE

Washington . District of Columbia 11

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‘ThESCRrnTIUN.__ ..- .

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1 Chnclror.o -

Excellent ‘Good C] Fair CI Deteriorated C] Ruins r:i UnxpqsedCONDITION -

______- _________________________

- ClIeck One check 0110

LX Altered C] Unaltered C] Moved [j Original Site

DESCRII3E TItE PRESENT AND ORIr,INAL if knnlvr; PHYSICAL APPEAIIANCE

The White Horse Tavern is a large-scale, five-bay-wide, two-and-one-half story claphoardedbuilding capped by a gambrel roof. It is seton a stone foundation, ahuttinr the sidewalk at the corner of Farewelland Marlborough Streets, and faces east. Probably built heCore 1673as only a two-room, two-story house with a large pilastered hr’Jak chimney, it was expandedacross the rear to its present five-room plan before 1750, when it probably also recived its present roof-form. Thebuilding was further altered after the Revolution.

The centered main entrance on Farewell Street and the side enLtrance on Marlborough Street are similar in design. Each has a six-panel door surmnunted by a transom and enframed by flat pilasters whichsupport an entablature and pediment. The 18th-century windows werealtered iii the restoration of the 1950’s; they now have twelve-over-eight double-hung sashwith molded sills and caps. No evidence of thescvunteenth-centurywindows and their proportions has remained. Aspresently restored, the size and the shape of the windows have beenchangedfrom the narrow nine-over-nine dimensions common to early -

eighteenth-centuryRhode Island building and belong to no style appro- zpriate to this building. A two-story shingled eli, ttsalt..hoIt in form,adjoins the rear at the north-west corner.

Much of the seventeenth-centurycharacter os the interior is stillintact in the original eastern halfof the building. Most of the heavy C

timber framing throughout this two-room, two-story section is exposed, nrevealing chamfered summer-beams andgirts; and chamfering was appliedto the corner-posts in the south-east rOom oh the second- floor. Al- -

though now encasedby panelling, diagonal bracing in the north-westroom of the secondfloor remains in place. The summer-beamsin thenorth-east room on the first floor and in the south-east chamber on thesecond floor run perpendicular to the fireplace; those in the south-east room and in the north-east chamberrun naralliel to the fireplace.

Although it3 exposed pilastered top is a restoration, the originalcentral chimney remains in place, as do brick fireplaces of very largedimensions in each room. The cun-ed walls and coves above are characteristic of early brick fireplace -‘àonstruction in Rhode Island: thosein this building are ospecially good examples. The triple-run windingstaircase butted against thechimney in the cramped front hall is a replacement, installed in the l95Ots. It is designedwith sawn, S-shapedhalusters and a closed, nanefled string-course.

Opening into the rear of the original south-easternrooms, atriple-run winding staircase with turned halusters and a panelled string-course; this is an original stair probably dating from the pre-1750 en-largwent of the house. The rear rooms added at that time have beenaltered to accommodatemodern restaurant facilities.

See Continuation Sheet.

/

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Form 1O-300o - UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR - STATE

July 1969 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE - Rhode Island

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES COUNTY

- .-- INVENTORY . NOMINATION FORM

NewportFOR NPS USE ONLY -

- - Continuation SheetENTRY NUMBER DATE

Nun,!,,, all entries

7. Description. - -

- In the 1950’s restoration, however, an unfortunate mistake wasmade in the treatment of the window openings and their sash, changingthe size and shape from the narrower 9-over’-9 proportions connon toearly eighteenth-century Rhode Island building. Early photographsshow*indows of the correct form whioh had, of course, In their turn replacedthe seventeenth-centurywindows. -

- - -

- - - - -

-

-

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- -

- -

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- - -

- -- - -

Gpo gol.oez

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* .:- LGNIcANcE: -----:- ::-fl - - -- -:--!-:-c -

- 1-- PERIOD ClInch Otto or Morn an ApprofIrIflIO - - - -

- : - C] Pre.Columblon C] 16th Century - XI 18th Century 0 20th Century

- 1 C] 15th Century - 17th Century - - C] 19th Century - - -

- -- SPEC ‘FtC 04 TItISI If Applicable and KnownfJ 1673, C. 1730-1750

AREA!

SIGNIFICANCE Check One or More as ApproprIal

- -- Abor gina1 D Education J Political 0 Urban Planning

- C] PrehistorIc o EngIneering C] Rehgion/PhI. C] Other SpecIfy

- 0 Historic C] Industry losophy -

-: - - 0 Agriculture 0 Invention C] Science- -

- ArchItecture 0 Londcope 0 ScuIpture -- - --

o Art Architecture -0 Social/Human,

o Commerc. 0 LIterature Itorton- - - -

- 0 Communications C] Military o Theoter --

- 0 Conservation C] Music 0 Transportation

________________________

STATEMENT OF SIGNtFtcANCE

-

Probably built before 1673, the White Horse Tavern is the oldest- tavern still in operation in America. Acquired in. 1673 by William- -

Mayes, a famous local pirate, it first served as a private residence, - -

- -

-but soon became an inn. Nay-es himself had been granted aliquor licenseas early as 1687. - The house came afterwards into the Nichols family by0 marriage, and the sign of the White Horse was first hung by Jonathan

- Nichols, who owned the tavern in 1730.-I- -

U - The tavern served as a center of local affairs -throughout theearly years of Newport. The Town Council met here, as did the colony’s -

-General Assembly--accordingto tradition--while Richard Munday’s Colony-- House 1739 was under conãtruction. So important was the tavernts

role in public affairs that it was thought ttnt perhaps the Colony -

House should be built facing it.-- - - - - - -

- - -

- :-* -- The White Horse Tavern is of great architectural significance.

- Although it was enlarged to its present dimensions in the mid-eighteenth- ILl century, its original esction is one of the earliest structures pre-

tLi served in the -state. The early interior character of this building has Yin -- been restored and is-well maintained, and the structure still serves.the

public as a tavern. ‘ ‘‘ 4

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- -- ‘ I.. -

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------*--

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LATITUDE

Degrees Minutes0 .

Seconds.

LONGITUDE

Degrees Minutes Seconds0 I

0

0 * - a

000E

CODE

CODE

0R

CORNER

LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDIN ATES

DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY

LA TI TUDE AND LONGITUDE

DEFINING TNE CENTER POINTCDORDINA TES

OF A PROPERTYOF LESS THAN TEN ACRES

LATITUDE

Dc rees Minutes Seèondsfib 29 .29.26-N

STATE:

LONGI TUDE

- NW

NE

SE

SW°

APPROXIMATE

-*

ACREAGE

. 0

OF NOMINATED

I

PROPERTY: Less than one acre

STA Ttfl

Degrees71 a

Minutes Seconds18 *53.72-W

hIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES

CODE COUNTY

STATE:

COUNTY:

STATE: -

C DU N T Y:

CODE

CODE

-. I :MoH -- ±_i*Y - - - -.i! - 4 -L-, - * : } -

Downing, Antoinotte F., and Scully, Vincent J., Jr.: The Architectural-

- Heritage of Newport Rhode Island 16h0-1915.Cambridge, Massachusetts,I92, pp. 11, 17, 117, 165, 175, i9l. - - -

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___________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________

tIll’

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_____________________ ___ _____________________ ___

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_____________________________________________________________ __________ _________ _____________________________________________ _________

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_______________________ _____________________ ______________________________________________

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______________________________

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___________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________

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I I $1 I-- -. - * - - -- -: - s-H, -jjH;y-1 ----ç ;.4;-*i

COUNTY: -

CODE

FoRM PREPAPED BYNAME AND TITLE:

- Antoinette F. Downing, Chairman, Clifford M. Renshaw, III, ConsultantoIIIAOI ZA lION

Rhode Island Historical Preservation-CoimnissionDATE

-- :July2,.197l

S VII It It I AND NUMI1LtP:

State House, 90 Smith Street - --- * *. * --

CODE

Ctrv CII TOWN

Providence - r t - --

E2.,TAT-E -LIAISON OFFICER CEPTIFICAIION

STATE

Rhode Island, 02903-

- .

çqDE

hit

As the designated State Liaison Officer for the No

tional Ilistoric Preservotion Act of 1966 Public Law

89.665, 1 hereby nominnte this property for inclusion

ir, the Notional Register ond certify thnt It has been

evnIIIoIed according to the criteria and procerhires set

forth by the National Park Service. The recommended

level of significance of this nomination is:

- National C] State C] Local C]

I hereby certify that this property is included In the

National Register. - I-

Name

Chief, Office of Archeology and flistoric Preservation

Date

Title -- - - -

ATTEST:

Date - Date

Keeper of The National Regisfer -

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STATE

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Rhode Island

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTYPOrt

PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY

Typeall entries - attach to or enclosewith photographENTRY NUMBER DATE

Z

o C0MM0N:Whjte Horse Tavern- AND/OR HISTORIC:

I- LOCA1IONTREET AND NUMBER:o 26 Marlborough Street

CITY OR TOWN:

NewportSTATE: CODE COUNTY CODE

Rhode Island bh Newport 005JHOTORErERENCE

- ‘HOTO CREDIT: Clifford M. Renshaw, IIIDATE OF PHOTO: 197]..

LU IEGATIVE FILED AT: Rhode Island Historical Preservation Commission,State House,- 90 Smith Street, Providence, Rhodelsland,02903

. ..

DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION. ETC.

Exterior from the south-east.

_c.____.___ . --. -

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STATE

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Rhode Island

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES COUNiYt

PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM FORNPS USE ONLY

Typeall entries - attach to or enclosewith photographENTRY NUMBER DATE

Z ,NAMEo COMMON: White Horse Tavern- AND/OR HISTORIC:

..-

:*--..: -:---*- . .I-. -. .. . ..... .. -.-. -c... .-::-x-- ...... ,c. -. xc:..... Q. c.,-... :. -.-- .-.- -c. cc’....

o STREET AND NUMBER:

26 Marlborough StreetCITY OR TOWN:

NewportSTATE: CODE COUNTY: CODE

- Rhode Island hb Newport . °°z-- ‘HOTO CREDIT: John Hopf

ATEOFPHOTO c. 1971LU EGATIVE FILED All John Hopf 10 Rod Cross Terrace,u.i ...

Neort. Ihode Island 0?tiIO .. .., ..

ôNTW1CA1iONDESCRIBE VIEW. DIRECTION. ETC.

North-west end of present dining-room in south part of the house,showing stairway pro-dating the house’s XVIII-Century enlargement.

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GEOGRAPHIc COORDINATESLatitude: 41 29’ 29.26" N

c.26 J Longitude: 71 18’ 53.7211 W

50 / . . 68

L. /

[ 66

1,

27

[NAME:

COMMON:

,.., ,:.:.:.,......c.: :- - .-.

White Horse tavernAND/OR HISTORIC:

.-.-.-..-.c..,: -.------ - .--....- -.,

STREET AND NUM BER:

26 Marlborough StreetCITY OR TOWN:

NewportSTATE: CODE COUNTY: CODE

Rhode Island - [14 Newport 00MAP REFERENCE

SOUR C E: U. S. Geological Survey

JCALE: 1: 21L,000DATE: 1%?

RE.GULREMENTS :-c-c.-. .<. ..c. :....:.c:-....c..-::.c:c..c:c:.:cc..:: :/-:c -:.-, .-:/c. . cc

TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS

1. Property broundaries where required.

2. North arrow.

3. LatItude and longitude referenc..

Form !O.301 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STATED.c. 1968 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Rhode Is].and

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES COUNTY

NewportPROPERTY MAP FORM FOR NI’S USE ONLY

Type all entries - attach to or enclosewith map ENTRY NUMBER DATE

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