Ross Cann

(Morningside c.1905) Newport’s architectural legacy is filled with names of famous Gilded Age architects and owners, but some of its more interesting houses have quieter stories. Morningside, on Gibbs Avenue, is one of them. It is a summer home whose owner was one of the great figures of American science education, and whose appearance has […]

In 2016, the staff at the Newport Restoration Foundation was becoming concerned about sea-level rise, as nearly half of the 80 or so Colonial-era properties they serve as caretakers were located in special flood hazard districts. To address the issue, and to bring experts from around the country to look at the problem, they organized the first u201cKeeping History Above […]

(Newport Restoration Foundation – Keeping History Above Water Conference) In April of 2016, the staff at the Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) were becoming concerned about sea level rise, as nearly half of the 80 or so Colonial-era properties they owned as caretakers were located in “Special Flood Hazard” districts. To address the issue, and to bring […]

(The John Banister House, 1930) The John Banister House: A Newport Landmark Restored There are few communities in America where the house of one of its 18th century founders is still largely intact more than 250 years after it was built, but Newport happens to be just such a place. The John Banister House, located […]

20th Annual Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards – 2026 (Photo: Ross Cann) Newport has a rich history visible through the charm of many of its beautifully designed historic buildings and homes. Responsibility for the majority of preservation and maintenance of these buildings falls to the people who presently inhabit the community. Newport’s culture and history […]

Newport Mansions Tour Map Ochre Point is a historic neighborhood located on Newport, Rhode Island’s southeast side, jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean along a series of cliffs. Along these cliffs the famed Cliff Walk was later created. The neighborhood largely developed its present character in the mid to late 19th century, as the southern […]

Newport Cliffwalk When people compare investments, they often line up real estate next to stocks, art, and gold as if they’re interchangeable slots in a portfolio, but this is an error. Real estate has a handful of characteristics — practical, financial, and even emotional — that set it apart from every other major asset class. […]

Before there were architects in America, there were archiu00adtect builders. These were men who developed drafting and building skills and applied them to the art and science of construction. Among the early creators of important architecture in the thriving Colonial-era community of Newport was Richard Munday. Born in 1685 and working beu00adtween roughly 1720 and 1739, this self-taught architect-builder left […]

(Trinity Church – Newport, RI) Before there were architects in America, there were the great Architect-Builders. These were men who had developed drafting and building skills simultaneously through their careers and were able to apply them to the art and science of construction. Among the early creators of important architecture in the thriving Colonial-era community […]

(The Breakers, Richard Morris Hunt – Site of multiple A4 Architecture projects) Proposed Section 106 Overhaul Could Reshape Preservation For nearly sixty years, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) has required federal agencies to weigh how their projects affect historic properties before moving forward, thereby giving state offices, and even ordinary residents […]

(Rough Point Newport, RI – Photographed by Julie Skarratt) The great mansions of Newport were designed to be imposing, grand, and spacious. But more than anything else, they were designed to allow their owners to entertain in a style that would impress their guests. This is certainly true of Rough Point Mansion, located at 680 […]

(Washington Street Newport, RI Permeable Driveway by A4 Architecture) Newport Proposes a New Stormwater Fee, Joining a Growing National Trend Newport, Rhode Island, is potentially moving toward a significant change in how it pays for managing rainwater runoff. The city’s Water Pollution Control Division is developing a dedicated stormwater fee that, unlike the current system, […]

(Alden Rd. Houses – Jamestown, RI) Although Newport and Jamestown, Rhode Island face one another across the Narragansett Bay, they are separated by far more than water. Although they have evolved together over time but have often gone in very different directions. Jamestown occupies Conanicut Island in the middle of Narragansett Bay, and for over […]

(Aerial View of Fort Adams During Newport Jazz Festival) The first Jazz Festival was conceived by Newport Socialite Elaine Lorillard in 1954, and a young Jazz impresario, George Wein, was hired to help run the program. Little did they know what a prominent international event this would become or that Wein would spend the next […]

(Seventh Day Baptist Meeting House – Newport, RI c.1890) Richard Munday was a Colonial-Era Architect-Builder who is famous for two noteworthy Newport structures: the Old Colony House and Trinity Church. He is also the author behind another structure that is now hidden from sight. Tucked behind the Newport Historical Society on Touro Street, the Seventh […]

Shield Street House Renovation by A4 Architecture The Unlikely Redemption of the Split-Level Ranch Architecture is not just designing soaring skyscrapers or magnificent mansions. Architects are tasked with trying to make the world a better place, one building at a time. Sometimes that means taking on the renovation of buildings that were designed during different […]

Marble House (Richard Morris Hunt, 1888 – 1892) Origins and Construction Marble House is one of Newport great Gilded Age monuments. Located at 596 Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island, Marble House, was commissioned by railroad heir William Kissam Vanderbilt as a 39th birthday present for his wife, Alva. The mansion was designed by society […]

Newport America’s Cup Avenue Aerial (1970) Few thoroughfares in Newport carry as much civic controversy in their pavement as America’s Cup Avenue. Named for the yacht races held in the city from 1930 until 1983, the boulevard was born not of maritime celebration but of the mid-century philosophy of urban renewal. This was an era […]

Hall Of Fame Open, Newport Casino The Newport Casino was one of the first places that lawn tennis was played following the invention of the sport invented and patented by Major Walter Clopton Windale in 1874. The sport took elements of Real Tennis but applied them to the standard lawn croquet courts that existed at […]

What does an Architect actually do? Much more than you might think. When most people picture an architect, they imagine someone loosely sketching out a building plan on a drafting table. In reality, the job is far more complex than that, and after more than thirty years of practice, I’ve come to think of architects […]