Ochre Court Mansion, Newport, RI

Ochre Court was completed in 1891 for the Goelet family. Although not as well known today as the Astors or Vanderbilts, the Goelets were the second-largest land owners in New York and traced their wealth back to Peter Goelet, an iron merchant during the revolution. Like anyone who was anyone in the late 19th century, they escaped the hot city summers to a 'cottage' in Newport.   Ochre Court is named for the color of the cliffs it sits atop, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The architect, Richard Morris Hunt, designed the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty and some of America's most famous mansions – including Marble House, Belcourt Castle and The Breakers in Newport, and Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.   Only one generation of Goelets spent time at the mansion. The next generation gifted it to the Diocese of Providence, which turned it over to the Sisters of Mercy in 1947 to house a school. The school later became Salve Regina University. Today Ochre Court houses administrative offices and event space.

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