Newport Tower (1673-77) - Newport Historic District - Newport, Rhode Island - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

"The Newport Tower is commonly considered to have been a windmill built in the mid-17th century.

The Newport Tower is located in Touro Park, at the top of Mill Street, surrounded by a historical residential neighborhood on the hill above the waterfront tourist district. Eighteenth-century paintings show that the hill itself once furnished a view of the harbor and would have been visible to passing mariners in Narragansett Bay,[1] but recent tree growth now obscures the view.

The Newport Tower is not exactly circular. From southeast to northwest the diameter reportedly measures 22 feet 2 inches (6.76 m), but when measured from east to west, the diameter lengthens to 23 feet 3 inches (7.09 m),[2] although curiously, 19th century measurements of the interior gave an east-west dimension of 18 feet 4 inches (5.59 m), which was slightly shorter than the north-south measurement of 19 feet 9 inches (6.02 m),[3][4] suggesting that the discrepancies may be due to the unevenness of the rubble masonry. The tower has a height of 28 feet (8.5 m) and an exterior width of 24 feet (7.3 m). At one time the sides were coated with a smooth coating of white plaster, the remains of which can still be seen clinging to the outer walls. It is supported by eight cylindrical columns that form stone arches, two of which are slightly broader than the other six. Above the arches and inside the tower is evidence of a floor that once supported an interior chamber. The walls are approximately 3 feet (0.91 m) thick, and the diameter of the inner chamber is approximately 18 feet (5.5 m). The chamber has four windows on what used to be the main floor, and three very small ones at the upper level. Almost (but not quite directly) opposite the west window is a fireplace backed with grey stone and flanked by nooks.

The tower is located at the upper end of the plot behind the now-demolished mansion built by Benedict Arnold, the first colonial governor of Rhode Island, who moved from Pawtuxet to Newport in 1651[7] (not to be confused with his great-grandson, General Benedict Arnold of the American Revolutionary War.) In 1677 Arnold mentions "my stone built Wind Mill" in his will: the site for his then-new burying-ground, which survives to this day, is between this mill and his mansion.

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Name of Historic District (as listed on the NRHP): Newport Historic District Link to nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com page with the Historic District: [Web Link] Address: Touro Park Corner of Bellevue Avenue and Mill Street Newport, Rhode Island, USA How did you determine the building to be a contributing structure?: Narrative found on the internet (Link provided below) Optional link to narrative or database: [Web Link] NRHP Historic District Waymark (Optional): Not listed

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