Bellevue Avenue Historic District

Bellevue Avenue Historic District stretches from Memorial Boulevard to Bailey's Beach and includes stately residences with elaborately crafted architectural elements along a tree-lined route. The continuous arrangement of estates forms one of the densest concentrations of buildings from the gilded age period on the american east coast.

Wealthy families erected summer homes along this route from the 1830s onward and led to a densification of construction in later decades. Recognition as a national historic landmark occurred in 1976 and honored the architectural importance of this period layer.

Around the grace of newport's former high society developed gardens and pathways as expressions of late 19th century social conventions and the design of private estates. Visitors recognize this culture today through views of wrought iron gates and the design of driveways.

Some of the former estates now operate as museums and allow tours through interior spaces throughout the year. Walking along the avenue itself offers glimpses of facades and forecourts at many points.

Wide brick sidewalks line the route and form a continuous surface that was conceived during the original layout to separate pedestrians from the roadway. This paving was partly restored following original patterns and still shows the construction techniques of the era.