This site is cosponsored by Newport's:
Anchor B&B ... Quiet, Comfortable B&B Near Harbor
Friends of the Waterfront
... Preserving Our Waterfront for the Public

Interesting Newport Walks/Drives:
Cliff Walk
Ten Mile Drive [Ocean Drive]
Newport Harbor Walk North
Newport Harbor Walk South

HARBOR WALK South

Main Harbor
... a Scenic, Historical Newport Waterfront Walk

       Harbor Walk South covers Newport's busy downtown waterfront area of the Main Harbor. Marinas, restaurants, and shops sit among historic waterfront activities. Almost anywhere along the harbor front provides great viewing for fireworks during the Fourth of July.

        Start Harbor Walk South at Perrotti Park, located at the corner of America’s Cup Avenue and Long Wharf. The waterfront park offers a scenic view of Newport’s moored sailboats, Goat Island, and Newport Yacht Club. The marine terminal provides access to the high speed ferry to Providence and is bordered on the south by Newport’s Harbormaster office. In the Harbormaster's building the second floor observation deck is open to the public and is a great observation platform for that special photo. Many cruise ships visit Newport during the season and their launches keep the area busy when the ships are in.

        An interesting walk option is to cross America’s Cup Avenue at Long Wharf and walk through the Brick Market Place shopping area to the historic Brick Market building. This three-story neoclassical building was constructed in 1762 by Peter Harrison (Touro Synagogue, Redwood Library) to serve as an open air farm produce market. In the 1790s the building was used for a hardware/novelty store and a theater on the second floor. By 1842 it became the location for the town hall. Currently it houses the Museum of Newport History; an excellent place to stop in for a more in depth look at Newport’s past.

        When leaving the museum make sure to take a look across Washington Square to see the Newport Colony House, another of Newport’s pre-Revolutionary treasures. The Colony House, built in 1739 by Richard Munday, is the second oldest capitol building in the United States. Although the state capitol today is located in Providence, the Colony House still retains much historical significance as it was from its balcony that the coronation of King George III and the Declaration of Independence was read. The Colony House is open to the public.

        After visiting the Museum of Newport History cross back over America’s Cup Avenue to Perrotti Park and continue to walk south alongside America’s Cup Avenue. While walking be sure to take a look to the left up the hill across Queen Anne’s Park at Trinity Church (distinctive for its tall white steeple rising above the rooftops of Newport) which was built in 1726 also by Richard Munday.

        The walk continues to Market Square, Bowens Wharf, and the old Ferry Landing site where you will see the Seaman's Institute and Aquidneck Lobster, one of the last commercial fishing businesses still running here in Newport. The Ferry was replaced of course by the Newport Bridge in 1969 and the Newport Harbor Marina and Hotel now stands on the ferry parking lot.

        The Seaman’s Church Institute has provided (since 1919), and continues to provide, services to boaters, those who work on the sea such as commercial fishermen. Public facilities include restrooms, showers, washers, and dryers. A small but great restaurant offers family style breakfast and lunch for visitors.

        Adjacent to Bowen’s Wharf on the south is Bannister’s Wharf which also contains many historic buildings converted to shops as well as numerous sailing services. Here is the real start of the marina and boating aspect of the Main Harbor. Just beyond Bannisters Wharf on the water is Old Port Marine, the main launch service for Newport Harbor with trips hourly across the harbor to Ft. Adams.

        One of the main attractions on the Newport Waterfront is the Newport Yachting Center built on one of the old ship building sites which was home to many of the America Cup teams. The Center produces a number of events during the year including the September boat show and the June Chowda Fest.

        Following America’s Cup Ave. further south, the walker next passes by the Newport Post Office on the east and the huge stone Perry Mill building located on Perry Mill Wharf. While you are here you might like to walk up the hill one block to see St. Mary's Church where President Kennedy was married. Perry Mill currently houses several shops, a bar, and the Newport Bay Club Hotel, and was built in 1835 by Alexander MacGregor (Fort Adams, Newport Armory) to be a textile mill. Although Perry Mill was intended to stimulate Newport’s failing economy in the early nineteenth century by producing printed cloth, it ultimately was unsuccessful and in 1947 used by General Electric Co. for its light manufacturing.

        The landmark bronze sculpture Wave with Two Feet is directly in front of Perry Mill and the feet are often dressed up with socks. Sculpted by local resident Kay Worden in 1983, her works currently can run as high as $100,000.

        At the Perry Mill building, the walk takes a slight right onto Thames Street. Shortly past Perry Mill and a block of shops on the right is Hammett’s wharf. Besides being lined with numerous shops, Hammett’s wharf is home to Newport’s famous Christies’ Restaurant which was established in 1945. Walking south along Thames once again there are more shops; reminiscent of Newport’s early commercial history. On the right just past Hammett’s wharf and just before the large stone Armory is the city owned, and public, Ann Street Pier at the end of Ann St. In colonial days much of this area was owned by Abraham Redwood.

        Ann Street Pier offers scenic views of Newport’s waterfront and a look at Cottrell’s Wharf which isn’t accessible to the public. Cottrell’s Wharf has a rich historic past as a shipyard building whaling ships, ships headed for the West Indies, yachts, and racing ships for the America’s Cup. Cottrell’s Wharf is now home to Newport Offshore Ltd. Shipyard. The armory was built in 1894 by William Gosling and used for military drills. The building was the official 1983 headquarters for the last America’s Cup races in Newport.

        Right past the Greek Church on Thames Street is the Francis Malbone House built in 1758 by Peter Harrison (Brick Market, Touro Synagogue). The house’s original owner was a wealthy merchant and slave trader. Subterranean passages were found in the cellar of the house that lead to the waterfront and some propose that these passages could have been used to smuggle dutiable goods into the house. The small house directly adjacent on the Malbone House property was designed in 1867 by Dudley Newton.

        Speaking of smuggling, this part of the waterfront was home to many fishing boats in the early half of the last century. During prohibition, Newport was a major port for Canadian and Scotch wiskey that arrived in fishing boats daily.

        Continuing south on Thames St. is Brown and Howard’s Wharf. The Brown and Howard firm thrived in Newport as coal, wood, and ice dealers on the waterfront. Brown and Howard used the wharf as a coal yard from the early 1870s until the late 1960s. Today the building is used for Brown and Howard Ice Co.

        Just past Brown and Howard’s Wharf on the left side of Thames St. is the Samuel Whitehorne House. This federal style house was built in 1811 for Captain Whitehorne, a weathly triangle trader [molasses, rum, slaves]. Although merchant Whitehorne was involved in numerous business ventures including shipping, a distillery, a bank, and an iron foundry, he ultimately went bankrupt before the house was completed possibly hinting at the state of the economy in Newport at the time. Today the Whitehorne House is a museum run by the Newport Restoration Foundation that contains numerous priceless pieces of Townsend and Goddard furniture, antique rugs, and silver crafted by Newport silversmiths.

        Further down Thames Street on the right is Lee’s Wharf (also known as West Young Street Wharf). Lee’s Wharf is home to Williams and Manchester Shipyard since 1901. This shipyard was the scene of a lot of yachting activity during America’s Cup. Returning to Thames and heading south the Walk next passes the Henry Hunter/John G. Whitehorne house (built before 1756) on the left. The house is located on land owned by a rum distiller before the American Revolution. One of Newport's colonial industrial accidents involved a multi thousand gallon tank of molasses which collapsed and killed a half dozen people.

        Soon the walk encounters West Howard’s Wharf on the right side of Thames. This wharf is home to the Aquidneck Mill building (formerly Newport Steam Mill) that is currently inhabited by the International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS). The three-story stone portion of Aquidneck Mill was built in 1831 to be a textile factory. When Richmond Manufacturing Co. acquired the property in the 1860s, it added the three-story brick portion onto the existing mill. In 1892 Newport Illuminating Co. purchased the building, and it continued to be used for the electricity/lighting industry until it was acquired for use by the IYRS.

        Past Spring Wharf and West Extension Street is Waite’s Wharf. The wharf, in existence before 1850, once again illustrates Newport’s commercial, industrious history as it is home to an oil supply company and a glass blowing factory.

        The last of the wharves visited by the Walk is Coddington’s Wharf. Although almost entirely residential with a few local shops, Coddington Wharf was once home to Coddington Mill. The mill, following in the fate of cotton goods mills such as Perry and Aquidneck mills, was completely destroyed by fire in 1860. Only a small portion of the two-story stone/brick building remains and has since been converted into a residence. But through out the area are interesting achitectual buildings.

        Walk west along Coddington Wharf St. through a little park and out to the water. In 1999 this "pocket" park was restored by the condo residents working with Friends of the Waterfront.

        Once you arrive at the sea wall turning to the left is a gravel path [a public right of way] that runs in front of the Coddington Wharf timeshares and runs along the water to meet up with the brick paver walk at King Park.

        King Park is a great place to walk, picnic, and enjoy a truly scenic and panoramic view of Newport’s waterfront. One of the first little league fields in America was established here. In April 2004, a local benefactor, Mrs. Hamiliton, commissioned and completed a brick path along the shore for the Harbor Walk. At that time much of the sea wall was also repaired.

        Shortly past the park’s band stand is a statue of French General Rochambeau. The statue is supposedly pointing towards the victory at Yorktown and marks the spot where the French army left Newport in 1781 to join General Washington on the Hudson River for the battle of Yorktown.

        Further west is Stone Pier to walk out on. This substantially built pier was used for the America's Cup Races when they resumed here after WWII. Hurricanes destroyed the wooden structures and they were never rebuilt. Currently there is a public dinghy dock at the end.

        Adjacent to the park is the Ida Lewis lighthouse, now the home of the Ida Lewis Yacht Club. The lighthouse is named for Ida Lewis, a female lighthouse keeper who was responsible for saving numerous drowning swimmers and sailors. President Grant made a special trip to visit Ida in 1869, and Ida received the national recognition as a result of her heroism in 1881.

Index:
Harbor Walk North [The Point]
Harbor Walk South [Main Harbor]
Click Here for a Nice Printable Map of Newport Harbor from Citimaps.com©
North Trust Historical Marker Sign Dedication
King Park Path Dedication
Earth Day Action at Coddington Wharf Park
Harbor Walk Aerial Photo
Cliff Walk
Ten Mile Drive [Ocean Drive]
Newport Harbor Walk Home Page

Friends of the Waterfront, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not for profit, public interest group with a mission to:

Protect public access to the water;

Preserve historical uses and rights of way, and

Help foster the development of the waterfront in ways that maximize public access.
Friends of the Waterfront web sites include:

CliffWalk.com,

NewportHarborWalk.com,

TenMileDrive.com, and

NewportWaterfront.org.
We are always looking for volunteer help with our mission tasks. Contact the President
NewportHarborWalk.com v.6.1.2004 copyright ©, Friends of the Waterfront, Inc., PO Box 932, Newport, RI 02840
Web Master Vic Farmer, WebGhosts, Editorial Credits to Liz Mathinos, Amity Mack, Dave Wixted, and Vic Farmer. Map credit to Linnea Amtson
This Newport Harbor Walk web site is still under construction. We welcome information or photos anyone would like to share with Newport's Friends of the Waterfront for possible inclusion into this site. Contact Vic Farmer