History & Architecture
Rough Point was originally built for Frederick W. Vanderbilt, sixth son of William H. Vanderbilt. When it was commissioned in 1887, Rough Point was the largest house that the Newport summer colony had yet seen, replacing two wood-frame houses at the extreme southeast end of Bellevue Avenue. The house was designed in what has been described as the English manorial style, built with the intent of evoking the feel of an English country home.
Vanderbilt eventually sold Rough Point to William B. Leeds in 1906. Leeds died in 1910, leaving Rough Point to his wife who sold it to James B. Duke in 1922. After purchasing the estate, Mr. Duke implemented massive rebuilding and renovations. These changes included a new wing at the northeast end of the house and a smaller wing on the seaward façade that included a solarium on the first floor and a large bedroom above for his daughter Doris. The renovations were completed in 1924. Duke passed away one year later, leaving the home and a substantial fortune to 12-year-old Doris.
Throughout her teenage years, Doris spent her summers at Rough Point until 1935 when she married. Doris’s mother Nanaline continued to spend her summers at Rough Point until 1938. Mrs. Duke’s visits became less frequent following a major hurricane and with the advent of World War II. In the early 1950s, Mrs. Duke took up permanent residence in New York City and emptied Rough Point of all its furnishings.
In the late 1950s, Doris Duke once again became a frequent visitor to Newport and turned her attention to refurnishing Rough Point. In 1958 and 1959 she began purchasing art and antiques for the house and combined these new pieces with family treasures. Rough Point was reopened in 1962 and, over the years, became one of her favorite residences. She lived there from May through November most years and continued to collect items for the house during her wide-ranging travels.
Upon her death in 1993, Doris bequeathed the estate to the Newport Restoration Foundation with the directive that it be opened to the public as a museum. It opened for tours in 2000.
