Kingscote was owned by George Nobel Jones, and then several generations of the King family (who obviously gave it the name). The home was built in 1841 but substantially enlarged in the 1880s for the Kings. The original house was designed by Richard Upjohn, and the addition was by McKim, Mead, and White.
Kingscote is large and impressive, but not so much that it’s impossible to imagine yourself living here. The first-floor rooms are very dark, decorated in a busy Victorian style. The King family was Victorian in the extreme. They collected tons and stuff and displayed it everywhere! Unlike at many other Newport homes, the family’s collections, including their Hudson River School paintings, are still with the house. The second floor is lighter in tone than the first floor, still busy but quite cheerful.
By far, the house’s highlight is the dining room, which was designed by Stanford White. It has detailed woodwork with chrysanthemum details, a cork ceiling, and early Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass. The house is Gothic Revival in design, and I love the way the pointed arch motif was worked into so many little details of the house, such as chair backs and door panels.
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