Chateau-sur-Mer (Newport, R.I.)

Biography

Chateau-Sur-Mer is a historic property located on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island. Composed of brick and Fall River granite, the house was originally built in 1851 as an Italianate villa for William Shepard Wetmore, a merchant trader. His son, George, former governor of Rhode Island and U.S. Senator, inherited the estate a decade later. Though the house has undergone a number of renovations over time, its reputation as a landmark of Victorian styling persists, displaying many design trends from the late 19th-century.

The Chateau-Sur-Mer was Newport’s first 19th-century mansion. Before its construction, Newport was known for understated wooden cottages. Chateau-Sur-Mer stood out, adding Newport’s first ballroom and incorporating European influences.

The former carriage house and stables for the Chateau-Sur-Mer estate were purchased by Salve Regina University in 1969. The university’s Facilities and Athletics departments occupied the building until 2004, when they were relocated. In 2007, endeavors to convert the building for academic use were completed, and it became known as Wetmore Hall. The hall is now part of the Antone Academic Center, housing studios, classrooms, laboratories, and offices for the visual arts, cultural, and historic preservation departments.

The main Chateau-Sur-Mer residence was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1968 and is now owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County, which purchased it in 1969. The house was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2006.