Rhode Island
A trip to Newport, R.I., inspired by HBO’s ‘The Gilded Age’ – The Boston Globe
![A trip to Newport, R.I., inspired by HBO’s ‘The Gilded Age’ – The Boston Globe A trip to Newport, R.I., inspired by HBO’s ‘The Gilded Age’ – The Boston Globe](https://bostonglobe-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/CkvBwCCDm_CVLrfvbT0PN0jTCco=/506x0/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/bostonglobe/WXSOEFR4N3DTKDDMA4IPA6WNAE.jpg)
Since its premiere in 2022, the cable giant’s original series, “The Gilded Age,” a drama focused on New York City’s 19th century elite, has brought renewed intrigue to the Ocean State’s “Gold Coast.”
“I think the show itself has put Newport back on this global sphere,” Cassandra Earle, communications director for Discover Newport, told the Globe. “We’ve had interest from people from across the globe coming to Newport because of this series.”
And for fans of the show, it’s easy to get up close with the glamour gracing their television screens.
The production has filmed scenes for its two seasons in the storied properties that line scenic Bellevue Avenue and other locations around the city that have long been museums open to the public. (The series will be back to film this fall, as HBO readies for Season 3, Earle confirmed.)
“[The series] brings … a nice light to the Gilded Age time period, which a lot of people were not familiar with and didn’t understand,” said Melanie Garcia, director of visitor experience for the Preservation Society of Newport County, which maintains the Newport Mansions. “And that’s what we’re all about here.”
So, are you thinking about a “Gilded Age” inspired trip to Newport? Here are a few ideas to consider when stepping back in time:
Exploring the grounds
The collection of historic properties known as the Newport Mansions spans six sites, including The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms, Chateau-sur-Mer, Kingscote, and the Green Animals Topiary Garden, all open to the public.
While self-led and guided tours are staple offerings regularly available to visitors, devoted fans of the HBO series may be most interested in the mansions’ show-specific tour.
On the popular “Inside ‘The Gilded Age’ Tour,” attendees are shown the rooms at four of the mansions where scenes of the show were filmed and get the “inside scoop on what it takes to host a major television production,” the website for the Newport Mansions boasts.
“I think definitely people who come on the tour have a passion for the show,” Garcia said. “They’ve been watching it, and they’re really excited to see places that it was filmed at. A lot of people really enjoy getting that behind the scenes information.”
Tickets a $200 each for Preservation Society members and $250 each for nonmembers to The Elms, Marble House, The Breakers, and Chateau-sur-Mer, where refreshments are served on the porch.
“It is kind of like a whirlwind tour,” Garcia said, adding ticket-holders receive guest passes to be able to return to the four properties at their own leisure.
Tickets are $200 each for Preservation Society members and $250 each for nonmembers. Those interested should act soon, as the tour is only offered select times throughout the year, and for now, the next string of tours are booking for Tuesdays and Fridays in September and spots are limited, Garcia said.
HBO fans looking to take in even more of the show’s setting may want to venture over to the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Bellevue Avenue, where some of the show’s scenes were filmed on the facility’s Horseshoe Court. There is no charge for the public to stroll the grounds, according to Megan Erbes, director of communications for the Hall of Fame.
Taking in tea time
For a sophisticated experience, consider taking in afternoon tea at the Chinese Tea House, located on the same property as the Marble House, the 1892 mansion William Vanderbilt built for his wife, Alva.
Through Sept. 2, afternoon tea and dining is offered on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and on Labor Day, before switching to only Saturdays and Sundays in September and October, according to the website.
Discover Newport, the city’s visitor center, also offers other suggestions for visitors craving the afternoon tea experience.
Getting around in style
![Newport Classic Car Co. offers visitors tours around Newport, R.I., in antique cars, such as the 1928 Studebaker convertible shown here.](https://bostonglobe-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/EUSOG2GMWE4XCPG2LO4RBKZJLM.jpeg?auth=1d727069ad96c26da164b48e01a6d2308dc332ac016e4c4a84d15ba8d3566799&width=1440)
While historians may note the Gilded Age technically ended before the first shots of World War I were fired in 1914, who would turn down a ride in a classic, 1920s car?
Take a drive back in time with Newport Classic Car Co., which offers various private group tours around Newport, including trips to the mansions, in authentic antique cars, such as a 1924 Studebaker convertible, starting at $45 per person.
“We stop in front of each home narrate it, tell you about it. And some of our packages do include admission,” owner Ken Hudson said. “It all depends on which one you do.”
Hudson also operates Newport Classic Yacht Co., which offers private sightseeing cruises on a 42-foot 1928 antique wooden commuter yacht, once owned by a wealthy family of Bostonians nearly a century ago.
“You do see mansions that are on the inner harbor that you will not see from the street side in the car,” Hudson said. “So it does also provide a little extra experience.”
Pricing for the boat charter begins at $400 and varies by cruise.
Staying at an historic inn
“Gilded Age” fans looking for an-around-the-clock immersive experience can also consider booking a two-night stay at the historic Castle Hill Inn on Ocean Avenue.
The 1874 inn, initially built as one of Newport’s “summer cottages,” offers a special package inspired by the HBO series that includes daily breakfast and afternoon tea, a “tasting-menu” experience for two at Aurelia at Castle Hill, two mansion tickets, and access to a self-guided audio tour of Newport’s Cliff Walk, among other perks. Pricing starts at $1,300 per night.
Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.
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Rhode Island
Everything Rhode Island H.S. football: Here is your one-stop shop for the 2024 preseason
![Everything Rhode Island H.S. football: Here is your one-stop shop for the 2024 preseason Everything Rhode Island H.S. football: Here is your one-stop shop for the 2024 preseason](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/08/16/NPRJ/74826055007-lwr-32961.jpg?auto=webp&crop=5011,2820,x0,y260&format=pjpg&width=1200)
We don’t want you to miss any high school football preseason news.
Each story, player, coach and everything in-between deserves its own spotlight, so we put together this page that neatly wraps every football story posted this preseason. Dive into every feature you missed, or reread the ones you enjoyed, because Week 1 is nearly here.
We will keep this page updated as more news comes about, so bookmarking for future reference isn’t a bad idea.
Now onto the stories!
Rhode Island high school football preseason news
⚫ Rhode Island H.S. football schedules? Week-by-week slates for every team in the state
⚫ RIIL rolling out new RPI-based plan in the fall. Here’s why it doesn’t do enough
⚫ Cranston East hopes alum James Cook can turn around its struggling football program
⚫ Legendary Aquidneck Island football coach Arthur Bell dies at 63 after long cancer battle
⚫ High school football scheduling taking on a whole new look; what’s going on
⚫ Why Nae’shaun Montgomery chose Florida wasn’t a surprise. His path from RI to Gainesville was.
Preseason coverage
⚫ The 2024 Providence Journal Preseason All-State Football Team offense
⚫ The 2024 Providence Journal Preseason All-State Football Team Defense and Special Teams
⚫ The 2024 Rhode Island HS football fan’s choice for preseason player of the year
⚫ Vote! What is the best Rhode Island high school football rivalry? You decide
⚫ Excited for Week 1 of high school football? Here’s five opening weekend games to watch
Players to watch
⚫ Top 10 players up next
⚫ Quarterbacks
⚫ Running backs (coming soon)
⚫ Receivers and tight ends (coming soon)
Divisional previews
⚫ Division I (coming soon)
⚫ Division II (coming soon)
⚫ Division III (coming soon)
⚫ Division IV (coming soon)
Rhode Island
Taylor Swift’s Rhode Island Mansion: Here’s Everything You Need to Know
![Taylor Swift’s Rhode Island Mansion: Here’s Everything You Need to Know Taylor Swift’s Rhode Island Mansion: Here’s Everything You Need to Know](https://media.architecturaldigest.com/photos/66cd04e59599cc5372b3cd18/16:9/w_1280,c_limit/GettyImages-1281493821.jpg)
The stars aligned (or more accurately, assembled) at Taylor Swift’s Rhode Island home over the weekend. Swift, who finished the European leg of her Eras tour last week, was seen at her famous Watch Hill mansion—which inspired a song on her album Folklore—for the first time this summer. Alongside her was her boyfriend, NFL player Travis Kelce, who wrapped up the Kansas City Chiefs preseason games last week. It also happened to be the birthday of It Ends With Us star (and longtime friend of Swift) Blake Lively on Sunday, making a perfect storm for one of the “Cruel Summer” singer’s legendary celebrity-packed parties at the beachside home—a rarity in recent years. Lively and her husband, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds, were spotted on the premises with their children in tow. Also seen in paparazzi snaps were Jason and Kylie Kelce; Gigi Hadid with boyfriend Bradley Cooper and his seven-year-old daughter; and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany Mahomes. The gathering appears to have been fairly lowkey, and none of the attendees have publicly posted photos of it (perhaps owing in part to the backlash that has followed Lively as of late?).
This stands in stark contrast to a decade ago, when Swift’s Fourth of July parties at the residence were iconic star-studded affairs, attended by (and appearing in the Instagram feeds of) Lively, Hadid, Lena Dunham, Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield, the Haim sisters, the Jonas brothers, Karlie Kloss, Tom Hiddleston in an “I ♥ T.S.” tank top, Cara Delevingne, and the rest of the pop star’s rotating circle of A-list friends, often pictured waving sparklers or synchronously jumping in red, white, and blue swimwear on the “Fortnight” singer’s 5.23-acre property. The tradition began in 2013, shortly after Swift bought the 12,000-square-foot home for $17.75 million, and ended after summer 2016—until a comparatively stripped-down reprise last year.
As chef Joshua Weissman welcomes AD into his Austin home in the latest episode of Open Door, he jokes that he doesn’t actually live in a kitchen.
![](https://media.architecturaldigest.com/photos/660339428dce4a2165fd77ec/1:1/pass/AD_ADO_09_040_OPEN_DOOR_JOSHUA_WEISSMANN_PL2_032624_v02_WITH_COLOR.00_00_03_11.Still002.png)
Known as High Watch, Holiday House, or Harkness House, the white colonial-style dwelling was built in 1929 at the highest point of Watch Hill, overlooking the Block Island Sound. The property reportedly features 700 feet of beach frontage, eight bedrooms, ten bathrooms, lots of balconies, and a huge swimming pool.
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![](https://media.architecturaldigest.com/photos/5d8919b4a8aab30008abac21/1:1/pass/ad-pro.jpg)
In 1948, oil heir William Harkness bought the home for $80,000—about $1.04 million, adjusted for inflation. After he died in 1954, the deed went to his wife, Rebekah Harkness—the protagonist of Swift’s 2020 song, “The Last Great American Dynasty.” Following her husband’s death, Rebekah reportedly put in eight kitchens and 21 bathrooms, and was known for throwing wild parties with her self-proclaimed “Bitch Pack” that drew criticism from the neighbors. “Flew in all her Bitch Pack friends from the city / Filled the pool with champagne and swam with the big names,” Swift croons, drawing direct parallels between herself and the late heiress. Of the gap between her and Harkness’s ownership of the property, she sings that “Holiday House sat quietly on that beach / Free of women with madness, their men and bad habits / And then it was bought by me.” After too long a break, we’re glad to see the legendary dwelling back in the spotlight.
Rhode Island
Taylor Swift hosts star-studded party at Rhode Island mansion amid Eras Tour break
![Taylor Swift hosts star-studded party at Rhode Island mansion amid Eras Tour break Taylor Swift hosts star-studded party at Rhode Island mansion amid Eras Tour break](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/08/25/21/newFile.jpg?quality=75&width=1200&auto=webp)
Taylor Swift is taking a well-deserved break from her Eras Tour at her beachside mansion in Rhode Island, and she’s brought some famous faces with her.
The Grammy-winning singer, 34, closed out the European leg of her record-breaking Eras Tour on August 20 with a string of concerts at Wembley Stadium in London. Now, Swift is ringing in the start of her two-month break from tour by spending some quality time with friends.
The “Anti-Hero” singer and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, reunited on Saturday, August 24 at Swift’s home in Watch Hill, according to photos obtained by TMZ. It marked the first time the couple, who have been dating since summer 2023, was seen together since Kelce attended her Eras Tour show in Germany last month.
![Taylor Swift hosts party at Rhode Island mansion amid Eras Tour break](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/08/25/21/newFile.jpg)
Both Swift and Kelce have been navigating their busy schedules, as Kelce recently returned to Kansas City, Missouri, to train with his football team ahead of the NFL season. Meanwhile, Swift will resume her Eras Tour in October in North America.
Swift’s close pals Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds also arrived at the pop star’s beach house on Saturday. Lively and Reynolds, who have been married since 2012, were photographed kissing in Rhode Island, just one day before the It Ends with Us star’s 37th birthday. Lively has recently become the subject of much criticism for the “tone-deaf” approach to the It Ends with Us press tour, considering that it is an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book about domestic violence and abuse.
In fact, several other A-listers seem to be spending their weekend getaway at Swift’s Rhode Island mansion. Bradley Cooper was reportedly joined by his six-year-old daughter, Lea, according to the Daily Mail. It’s likely the actor has grown close to Swift since he began dating the “Shake It Off” singer’s friend, supermodel Gigi Hadid, in October 2023. He was previously spotted with Hadid at one of Swift’s Eras Tour concerts in France last May, and the couple reportedly went on a joint vacation with Swift and Kelce in April.
Kelce’s teammate Patrick Mahomes, his wife Brittany Mahomes, and their three-year-old daughter Sterling were spotted at Swift’s Rhode Island beach home as well, People reported. The sighting comes after Brittany, 28, received backlash for liking an Instagram post from former US president Donald Trump. It didn’t take long for some fans to even question how the “like” could negatively impact her friendship with Swift, who has publicly condemned Trump.
However, the wife of the Chiefs quarterback responded to critics on August 23 with a post shared to her Instagram Story, which read: “I mean honestly, to be a hater as an adult you have to have some deep-rooted issues you refuse to heal from childhood. There’s no reason your brain is fully developed and you hate to see others doing well.”
Also in attendance at Swift’s Rhode Island home were Kelce’s older brother and his sister-in-law, Jason and Kylie Kelce.
In 2013, Swift purchased the $17m beachside home, nicknamed “Holiday House,” in Watch Hill – an affluent coastal neighborhood in the southwestern town of Westerly, Rhode Island. The mansion quickly became famous for being the site of Swift’s annual Fourth of July parties.
The house sits on five acres with 11,000 square feet, boasting eight bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, and its own private beach. The Colonial-style mansion also features a swimming pool overlooking the ocean. Swift once gushed over her beach house – and the socialite who once lived there, Rebekah Harkness – in the track “The Last Great American Dynasty” off her 2020 album, Folklore.
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