NRF promotes and invests in the architectural heritage of the Newport community, the traditional building trades, and Doris Duke’s fine and decorative arts collections, for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of all.
As a leader in the preservation of early American architecture, NRF supports research and education in areas directly related to its collections and issues of critical concern to the field of historic preservation.
Visit Doris Duke’s art-filled mansion and enjoy panoramic ocean views from the extensive grounds. Open late March to November.
The Vernon House is a site for expansive story-telling, contemporary dialogue, and preservation trades skill-building.
Newport Restoration Foundation holds one of the largest collections of period architecture owned by a single organization anywhere in the United States.
Celebrate excellence in historic preservation efforts within the City of Newport, Rhode Island.
Live amidst history by renting one of our many historic properties.
Protected by bays of privet hedges, Doris filled the flower gardens with annuals brought from Duke Farms each May and used these beds as a cutting garden to supply fresh flowers to the house. Drawing inspiration from historic plant lists, the flower gardens have been reinterpreted to include a painterly mix of woody shrubs, perennials, and bulbs.
Each garden bed has a distinct character. At the east end, limelight hydrangeas in the knot garden bring elegance to the shady corner. The middle bay features rows of peonies a hedge of catmint, and many varieties of Doris Duke's beloved dahlias. The west bed includes modern additions such as star of Persia, allium, corn poppy, and a banana tree.
The rose arbor is planted with American Pillar rose, which blooms in early July. The arbor terminates with a statue of Cyparissus, added by Doris Duke in 1962.
