Calendar
Current Events
For more information regarding events, call 401-846-0813 weekdays or 401-841-8770.
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Daily, year-round, from 10AM to 5PM
The Museum of Newport History tells the story of Newport through important furniture, art, silver, documents, and artifacts of daily life, all from the Historical Society’s collections. Browse the Museum Shop and bring your NHS membership card for 20% discount. Brick Market, donation.
September 6, 2010, 11:30am
Newport’s Jewish History. On the Newport’s Jewish History Tour, stroll the neighborhood where Newport’s early Jewish settlers worked side by side with their neighbors. Hear stories about the founders of Touro Synagogue and learn about the legacy of religious freedom they left behind. $12 per person, $10 for NHS members. Reservations strongly recommended as space is limited to 20. Departs from the Museum & Shop at Brick Market. 401-841-8770
September 11, 2010, 2-6pm
The Museum & Shop at Brick Market will host a Fall Trunk Show with Newport designer Jessica Hagen-Hill, owner of Jessica Hagen Fine Art + Design. The show will feature Jessica’s handmade jewelry. Necklaces and bracelets will be showcased, each made by hand from semi-precious gemstones and crystal. Select pieces are vintage-inspired.
September 23, 2010, 6pm
Lecture. Kathryn Allamong Jacob, author of King of the Lobby, will discuss how Sam Ward, a colorful character with a Newport connection and brother to Julia Ward Howe, harnessed delicious food, fine wine and good conversation to become the most influential lobbyist of the Gilded Age. Colony House, Washington Square. $5 per person, $1 for NHS members. Reservations requested.
October 21, 2010, 6pm
Lecture. NHS, in collaboration with Salve Regina University, will host Gerald M. Carbone, author of Nathanael Greene. Without Rhode Island-born general Nathanael Greene there would be no United States of America, for without Greene America would have lost the Revolution. Despite Greene’s key role in the founding of the United States his story is now little known, even in his native state of Rhode Island. Salve Regina University’s Antone Academic Center in the DiStefano Lecture Hall. Admission is free. Donations welcome.
November 4, 2010, 6pm
Lecture: Suited for Sea: US Navy Enlisted Uniforms During the War of 1812. For years, many believed that seamen who served in the early American navy were free to dress as they chose with little regard for uniformity. But this is a myth. Senior officers, determined to shape public perception, imposed strict uniform requirements on the men under their command. New research by Matthew Brencklet reveals that the Navy had a sophisticated procurement system to provide sailors with affordable clothing, even during war. Colony House, Washington Square. $5 per person, $1 for NHS members. Reservations requested.
November 12 – December 17, 2010, 5pm
Celebrate the authentic history of winter holiday traditions on the Holiday Lantern Tour. Stroll Newport’s streets and hear stories detailing the diverse ways that colonial residents celebrated—or didn’t celebrate—the holiday season and visit the Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House’s first floor. $12 per person, $10 for NHS members, $5 for children ages 12 and under. Departs from the Museum & Shop at Brick Market, 127 Thames Street, Newport, RI. Reservations are strongly encouraged as space is limited. Additional tour dates may be added. 401-841-8770.
November 27, December 4, December 11, 2010 at 11:30am
During Keeping Warm in the Colonial Period, visit the c.1697 Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House with a guide wearing colonial costume. Hear about the house’s unique history and learn how 18th century residents made their way through the winter. Meet a historic interpreter portraying 18th century resident Polly Lyman who will discuss winter life in 1782. $15 per person, $10 for NHS members. Departs from the Museum & Shop at Brick Market, 127 Thames Street, Newport, RI. Reservations required. 401-841-8770.
December 1, 2010, 5-6pm
At the Holiday Open House at the Colony House on Washington Square, view the exhibit Handwritten History: Correspondence of Great Americans. The exhibit features large-scale reproductions of 11 letters and documents from the NHS collections all by or about famous individuals or events in American history. This is the last opportunity for the community to view the exhibit. Admission is free. Donations are welcome.
Past Events
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010 at 11:30AM
Walking tour The French in Newport. Learn about the French occupation of Newport and the role the French played during the American Revolution during this new tour. $12 per person, $10 for NHS members. Departs from the Museum & Shop at Brick Market, 127 Thames Street, Newport, RI. Reservations required as space is very limited. 401-841-8770
Friday – Sunday, August 13-15th
The Newport Antiques Show. Join us for the region’s premier Antiques Show with 41 deluxe dealers at St. George’s School. Preview party Friday night is $150, 6-9PM. Admission to the Show is $12, Saturday 10-6, Sunday 10-5. Booth talks and other events are scheduled. Call 401-846-0813 for more information.
Saturday, July 31, 2010, 11am to 1pm
Recruiting for the War of 1812. Meet a group of first person historic interpreters portraying an 1813 recruiting station to prepare for the War of 1812. Colony House on Washington Square. Admission costs $1 per person, $5 maximum for families and is free for Newport Historical Society members.
Saturday, July 31, 2010, 1-3 pm
Exhibit opening: Dressing Manifest Destiny. Men’s wear from the 19th century will be on display in the 7th Day Baptist Meeting House during an opening reception. Free for NHS members.
Saturday, July 3, 2010 at 3:00PM
Signing Their Lives Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence. Denise Kiernan and Joseph D’Agnese share stories about the men who risked their lives and livelihood to defy the King of England and sign the Declaration of Independence. Colony House on Washington Square, $5 per person, $1 for NHS members.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 11:30AM
Walking tour The French in Newport. Learn about the French occupation of Newport and the role the French played during the American Revolution during this new tour. $12 per person, $10 for NHS members. Departs from the Museum & Shop at Brick Market, 127 Thames Street, Newport, RI. Reservations required as space is very limited. 401-841-8770
Memorial Day, Monday May 31, 2010 at 11:30AM
Newport’s Jewish History. Stroll the neighborhood where Newport’s early Jewish settlers worked side by side with their neighbors. Hear stories about the founders of Touro Synagogue and learn about the legacy of religious freedom they left behind. $12 per person, $10 for NHS members. Reservations strongly recommended as space is very limited. Departs from the Museum & Shop at Brick Market. 401-841-8770
Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 11:30AM
Passing Strange: A Gilded Age Tale of Love and Deception Across the Color Line at the Colony House on Washington Square. Martha Sandweiss will discuss her book which tells the story of Clarence King, a Newport native, noted geologist and hobnobber in powerful circles. The Colony House on Washington Square, $5 per person, $1 for NHS members.
Friday May 14, 2010 at 3PM
Explore Newport’s Other Summer Colony through the lives of the 19th century writers, artists and intellectuals who summered in Newport. This tour through the Catherine Street and Old Beach Road neighborhoods lasts approximately 90 minutes. $12 per person, $10 for NHS members. Reservations requested. Departs from the Museum & Shop at Brick Market. 401-841-8770
Friday April 2, Friday April 9, Friday April 16 and Friday April 30, 10:30 AM.
Discover Colonial Newport history walking tour. Hear stories of revolution and ruin, struggles for liberty and remarkable entrepreneurship among Newport’s diverse people. Museum and Shop at Brick Market, admission.
Monday April 19 at 11am.
Klutz BuildaBook program at the Museum & Shop at Brick Market. Children ages six and up can create their very own book that tells their history. The event costs $12.95 plus tax, to purchase the craft kit, and $10.36 for NHS members. Reservations requested. 401 8418770
Wednesday April 21, 11am to 2pm.
Newport history hunt in and around Washington Square. This 20-question family-friendly hunt tracks colonial Newport sites and trivia. Maps are $3 per family and free for NHS members. Available at the Museum & Shop at Brick Market. The first five submissions with correct answers win prizes (one prize per family).
Thursday April 22, 11AM
Story time with a colonial costumed reader for children 4 and up at the Museum & Shop at Brick Market, 127 Thames Street. This program is free; reservations requested. 401 841-8770
Friday April 23, 11:30am.
Pirates and Scoundrels history walking tour. See where scoundrels lived, where pirates profited and where criminals were put on trial and punished. Find out why the colony of Rhode Island was sometimes known as “Rogue’s Island.” Brick Market Museum & Shop, admission.
Friday, April 23, 1PM
Colonial crafts. Children can learn first hand about colonial clothing and fashion and create their very own colonial inspired craft to take home: a young lady’s cap or a young gentleman’s tricorn hat. $3 per child, $1 per child for NHS members and takes place at the Colony House.
Thursday, April 29, 2010, 6PM
Scrimshaw of Rhode Island. Stuart M. Frank, Ph.D., Senior Curator of the New Bedford Whaling Museum, will discuss the unique nature of scrimshaw of Rhode Island including pieces that are in the collections of the Newport Historical Society. The program will conclude with appraisal by Dr. Frank and two members of his Scrimshaw Forensics Laboratory® team. Attendees are encouraged to bring articles from their own collections for review. Colony House, admission.
Saturday, May 1, 2010 at 11:30am
Women in Colonial Newport history walking tour. Investigate the many entrepreneurial women who once walked Newport’s historic streets. Departs from the Museum & Shop at Brick Market, and costs $12 per person, $10 for NHS members.
Thursday, May 6, 2010 6PM
Chocolate in Colonial Newport. Rhode Island was a chocolate center of the American colonies. Rabbi Deborah Prinz will discuss cacao in the colonial period and the pioneering role that Jewish merchants played in the trade, retail and production of chocolate. Colony House, admission.
Saturday May 8th 4pm to 7pm
The Newport Historical Society will host a trunk show the evening before Mother’s Day with Newport designer Jessica Hagen-Hill, owner of Jessica Hagen Fine Art + Design. Museum & Shop at Brick Market.
Thursday, April 8, 2010 from 2-4pm
How to Apply to Hereditary Societies: The Application Process Revealed
A library workshop that details the application process and membership in patriotic and hereditary organizations such as the Sons / Daughters of the American Revolution, The Society of Colonial Dames / Colonial Wars and the Society of Mayflower Descendants. Reservations required, Admission $25 per person, $15 for Newport Historical Society members, 82 Touro Street.
Thursday March 18th and Thursday March 25th
Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House tour. Step inside the c.1697 Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House, the oldest museum house in Newport, and step back in time. A costumed guide will discuss the house’s unique history and share stories about its inhabitants. The tour will be offered on Thursday March 18th and Thursday March 25th. at 11:30 and lasts approximately 30 minutes. It costs $5 per person, $3 for children under the age of twelve, and is free for NHS members. All tours depart from the Museum & Shop at Brick Market, 127 Thames Street, Newport, RI. Reservations recommended as space is limited. To make reservations call: 401-871-8770.
Friday March 19th and Friday March 26th
Pirates and Scoundrels history walking tour. On the Pirates and Scoundrels history walking tour, see where scoundrels lived, where pirates profited and where criminals were put on trial and punished. Find out why this colony was sometimes known as “Rogue’s Island.” This tour will be offered on Friday March 19th and Friday March 26th at 11:30am. It lasts approximately 75 minutes and costs $12 per person, $10 for NHS members. All tours depart from the Museum & Shop at Brick Market, 127 Thames Street, Newport, RI. Reservations recommended as space is limited. To make reservations call: 401-871-8770.
February 12 – 21, 2010
The Newport Historical Society participates in Newport’s Winter Festival 2010! For a full schedule of all winterfest activities in the historic downtown of Newport, including a map, click here.
Saturday, February 20, 2010, 3PM
From Adam Lambert’s spikes to Amy Winehouse’s piled-high beehive, today’s fashionable hairstyles may seem new and unique, but many are actually rooted in history. In this lecture, author Maureen Taylor (Fashionable Folks: Hairstyles 1840-1900) uses old photographs to show how hairstyles and facial hair changed throughout the 19th century. Admission $5 a person, $4 with the Newport Winter Festival button, and $1 for NHS members. Colony House, admission.
January 27, 2010, 6PM
Fashioning Her World: A Shopkeeping Widow in 18th Century Newport. Thousands of excavated artifact fragments and documentary evidence from merchant and court records provide an intimate perspective on the Pratt household’s material world and daily activities. Colony House, donation.
