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.
Tour Doris Duke’s art-filled mansion and enjoy panoramic ocean views from the extensive grounds, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Open late March to November.
Experience the only museum in the world specializing in 18th-century Newport furniture and related decorative arts. Open late May to October.
Explore 40 acres of open space, a tribute to the agrarian heritage of Aquidneck Island. The site is open daily from dawn to dusk for public enjoyment.
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.
Help us to continue a lived-in legacy by becoming a Restoration Partner today.
3 Cozzens Court
The Swansea House is a rural, one-and-a-half-story building with a central chimney and a gable roof. Built c. 1731, it is typical of the Narragansett Basin and has a fair amount of original fabric on the interior, including mantles, moldings, and doors. The house originally stood in Swansea, Massachusetts and was purchased by the Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) in 1977. It was disassembled and put in storage until 1981-82 when NRF re-assembled and restored the house on the Cozzens Court site.
This house was one of a number of buildings scheduled for demolition and offered to the NRF in a last-minute hope of its being rescued. This in part explains the lack of history on the house, as even the names associated with it are lost.
It is difficult to assimilate houses from off Aquidneck Island on which the city of Newport is located. They have different style influences than those found in Newport or its environs. During the late 1960s and 1970s, however, saving and preserving a structure was of prime importance to those dedicated to preservation. NRF did not seek these buildings. Quite the opposite was the norm. Those individuals intent on seeing certain buildings saved sought out NRF as the best available resource for quick and effective action.
Photo before restoration.