So, if following along with my blog you probably know by now I love visiting the mansions in Newport. Chateau-sur-Mer is the most unique Newport mansion to visit. The mansion is a Victorian Age house on the famous Bellevue Avenue. It was the first big mansion to be built before the Vanderbilt and the other wealthy families moved to Newport for their summers. Unlike most of the big estates in Newport at the time, Chateau-sur-Mer was used as the year-long home of the Wetmore family. If you are interested in visiting the mansion, guided tours are available every thirty minutes.
A brief history of Chateau-sur-Mer
Initially, the construction of Chateau-sur-Mer was completed in 1852. It was commissioned to be built by the wealthy businessman William Shepard Wetmore. Wetmore made his fortune in the China trade and lived in the house with his wife and three children.
Then, in 1871 the architect Richard Morris Hunt was commissioned by George Peabody Wetmore( William’s son) to do renovations and additions to the house. The renovation was completed in 1880. In 1966 George’s last daughter died, and in 1969 The Preservation Society of Newport County bought Chateau-sur-Mer.
The Castle by The Sea
The outside of this house looks like something out of a spooky movie. But, I think that is part of the appeal of visiting this mansion. I feel like it could be haunted. Who knows. Some might consider the estate to be dark and dreary compared to the other mansions in Newport. But, it is important to remember that this mansion was built way before the style of those other mansions became popular.
When you enter the house, you can notice the dark wood that is throughout the house. The whole house doesn’t have much light. I think for preservation purposes, they don’t have any bright lights throughout the house to preserve the items in the house. But, I would love to see the whole house lite up with lights so I could see everything more clearly.
The Layout of the House
Chateau-sur-Mer is a three-story house. Compared to the bigger mansions( The Breakers, The Elms, Marble House, and Rosecliff), this mansion is smaller. On tour, you only view the first and second floor. I think the third floor is where the servants lived.
The stairway to the upper floors have beautiful stain glass windows, and at the bottom, the stairwell is a bronze figure. Underneath the stairs, there is a painting depicting the tree of life.
First Floor
You have the sitting room, the library, the ballroom, and dining room. The library was an exciting place as it has most of the original books that were there in the old days. There is a ‘secret’ door built in to look like a bookcase which I thought was cool. Most of the woodwork and carving were done in Italy and then shipped to Chateau-sur-Mer.
Ballroom
The ballroom was decorated in a French-style with the furniture and the bright yellow tapestries. I remember the tour guide mentioned how the mirrors in the ballroom were unique for the time they were added to the house since they were the biggest mirrors in a Newport mansion.
The Dining Room
If you are a fan of architecture and woodwork, you would love the dining room. The wallpaper is made from Florian leather. Then, you have the fantastic carving work on the fireplace and on the shelves hold all the steel-kitchen wear.
Second Floor Bedrooms
Each bedroom is filledwith amazing interiors from the furnishing to the wallpaper. I think most rooms in the home have a more masculine touch due to the dark colors and furnishing, and not as feminine as the other mansions in Newport.
Weeping European Beech Tree
I thought the giant tree outside the house was very beautiful.
Visiting Chateau-sur-Mer
As I mentioned at the beginning, Chateau-sur-Mer only does guided tours of the house and doesn’t have an audio guide. They do their tours every 30 minutes, and they fill up fast during the summer season. So, if you like to visit come earlier in the day. For more information on visiting visit https://www.newportmansions.org/plan-a-visit/operating-schedule
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