Deborah & William Hillyard
Deborah & William Hillyard
Deborah & William Hillyard
Deborah & William Hillyard
Deborah & William Hillyard
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Chateau-Sur-Mer
Completed in 1852 in granite, Chateau-sur-Mer was built for William Shepard Wetmore in the style of a French villa. George Peabody Wetmore inherited the house in 1862, and by the 1870s, he had remodeled it in the Second Empire style. The Wetmores were a New England family who decided to make Newport their home so, unlike most of the mansions, they lived in the house full time.
In 1885 George Wetmore became the Governor of Rhode Island, and by 1894 he was elected to the Senate where he served until 1913. He was involved with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, and a trustee of both the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale and the Peabody Education Fund. He died in 1921, and his wife, Edith, in 1927. The house passed to their daughters, Maude and Edith. When Edith Wetmore died in 1966, Chateau-sur-Mer was about to be auctioned and, probably, demolished, but was saved when the Preservation Society of Newport County bought it.
In 1885 George Wetmore became the Governor of Rhode Island, and by 1894 he was elected to the Senate where he served until 1913. He was involved with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, and a trustee of both the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale and the Peabody Education Fund. He died in 1921, and his wife, Edith, in 1927. The house passed to their daughters, Maude and Edith. When Edith Wetmore died in 1966, Chateau-sur-Mer was about to be auctioned and, probably, demolished, but was saved when the Preservation Society of Newport County bought it.
The tower, along with much of the exterior and roof, is under going renovation. Click to see both a before and after look at the tower to see what a splendid job the contractor is doing.
This is the Moon Gate with the Monkey Seat on top; so called as they would often chain a monkey to the seat at the top so that when a visitor arrived, the monkey would make a noise indicating their arrival. Rather cruel, and not terribly politically correct!
Vacations - Rhode Island - Newport Mansions
