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Newport Casino: then and now

About 1900 vs 2008 · Newport, RI

Newport Casino, 2008Newport Casino, About 1900
NowThen
Then, About 1900A colored postcard of a grassy court surrounded by shingled buildings with balconies.Photo: Detroit Publishing Company (NYPL scan) · Public domain · Source · resized, cropped
Today, 2008The shingled front with green trim, striped awnings and small shops, seen from across the street.Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source · resized

The story

James Gordon Bennett Jr. had the Newport Casino built between 1879 and 1881 as a social club. The architects were McKim, Mead & White, and it opened in July 1880. It is a leading example of the Shingle style.

It was the site of the first U.S. lawn tennis championships, and the Tennis Hall of Fame has been here since 1954.

The Casino was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

Did you know? The Newport Casino hosted the first U.S. lawn tennis championships.
Historians argue about this. Many people hear 'casino' and picture slot machines. Wikipedia says this was a social club that opened in 1880.

Fact or tall tale?

Sources

More: Look for historic photos at the Library of Congress

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More in Newport

Next: Old Stone Mill. Written from the cited sources, not yet walked on site unless noted.