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.
18 Dennison Street
The Baptist Meeting House was originally a two-story, one-room structure with a partial second floor level. During the building’s second phase, ca. 1710, a bay was added to the depth of the frame on the first floor and covered with a saltbox-style roof. In the building’s third phase, which took place in the mid-eighteenth century, the building became two full stories with a gable roof.
When NRF bought the building in 1974, it was intended for the building to be restored to the early meetinghouse configuration and moved to the burying ground near Edward Street. The location was not feasible, and the building was reassembled on Dennison Street. Restoration took place in 1975 and restored the building to its mid-eighteenth century configuration.