Governor Henry Lippitt House

The Governor Henry Lippitt House is a historic house museum at 199 Hope Street on the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island. A National Historic Landmark, it is one of the finest Italianate mansion houses in the state, and considered one of the best-preserved examples of Victorian-era houses in the United States.[3] It is notable for its association with Henry Lippitt (1818–91), a wealthy textile magnate who was the 33rd Governor of Rhode Island. The house is owned by Preserve Rhode Island, and is open to the public for tours seasonally or by appointment.

Governor Henry Lippitt House
The house grounds blanketed in snow.
Governor Henry Lippitt House is located in Rhode Island
Governor Henry Lippitt House
Governor Henry Lippitt House is located in the United States
Governor Henry Lippitt House
LocationProvidence, Rhode Island
Coordinates41°49′41″N 71°23′52″W
Built1862
ArchitectChilds, Henry
Architectural styleItalianate
Part ofHope-Power-Cooke Streets Historic District (ID73000070)
NRHP reference No.72000043
Significant dates
Added to NRHPNovember 27, 1972[1]
Designated NHLMay 11, 1976[2]
Designated CPJanuary 12, 1973

Description

The Lippitt House is a large three-story brick structure, resting on a brownstone foundation, and topped by a roof that is hipped except for a projecting gable at the front (western) elevation. A two-story wing projects to the rear (east) of the house. The corners of the building are quoined in brownstone, and there are brownstone belt courses between the first and second floors. The main entry is sheltered by a semicircular porch supported by fluted and cabled Corinthian columns. The porch has an elaborately decorated roof line, as does the main roof and the porte-cochère on the north side.[4]

The interior is in a remarkable state of preservation. The public rooms in particular exhibit a wide variety of materials and are richly decorated with wallpaper, woodwork, plasterwork, and stenciling. Original gas lighting fixtures are still present, but have been converted to electricity. Stained glass windows adorn the stair landings.[4]

The house is the finest of a group of mansion houses built along Hope Street by wealthy Providence businessmen and politicians, which are now a part of the Hope-Power-Cooke Streets Historic District.

History
Henry Lippitt

The house was built in 1865 by Governor Henry Lippitt and was loosely based upon a design by Russell Warren.[5] Lippitt descendants lived in the house until the 1970s.[3]

The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976. In 1981, the Lippitt family donated it to Preserve Rhode Island, which maintains the house as a Victorian period historic house museum.

150th anniversary

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of Lippitt House, the museum held a series of exhibits and events in 2015.[3] The first of these was an outdoor exhibit of six brushed aluminum sculptures by artist Aaron Pexa.[3] The sculptures, viewable on the front lawn of the mansion, were colorful silhouettes which represent domestic workers who worked for Henry Lippitt.[3]

  • 1886 engraving
    1886 engraving
  • Autumn 2005
    Autumn 2005
  • Front elevation of house in 2008
    Front elevation of house in 2008

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. "Governor Henry Lippitt House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on March 13, 2007. Retrieved June 29, 2008.
  3. Hill, John (May 13, 2015). "Lawn sculptures mark Victorian house's 150th anniversary of Lippitt House". The Providence Journal. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  4. "NHL nomination for Governor Henry Lippitt House". National Park Service.
  5. Cogswell, Elizabeth Agee (Winter 1982). "The Henry Lippitt House of Providence, Rhode Island". Winterthur Portfolio. 17 (4): 207. JSTOR 1180849.
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