Belmont’s Belcourt - Newport, RI

House Museum

Jun 3

Belcourt was a bachelor pad built for horse enthusiast Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont, with French and Gothic influences, designed by renowned Beaux Arts architect Richard Morris Hunt. The 44,000 square foot house was built with one bedroom and one bathroom and extensive stables and carriage area incorporated into the house’s ground level design. Inspired by Louis XIII’s hunting lodge at Versailles, Belcourt was a bachelor pad for Belmont and his horses. Belmont, who was “old money” elite, did not like the nouveau riche flaunting their newly acquired fortunes with ostentatious mansions along Bellevue Avenue. As a result, he had his mansion’s entrance on Ledge Road while the back of his mansion faced Bellevue Avenue. The house went through changes when Belmont fell in love and married his neighbor Alva Vanderbilt from Marble House down the road, in 1894. She took it upon herself to “civilize” the mansion, changing the ground floor horse and carriage spaces into a banquet hall, a library and other refined spaces that humans would enjoy.

After Alva died in Paris, in 1933, Belcourt was inherited by Oliver’s older brother Perry. Starting in 1940, Belcourt went through a series of owners with ideas of converting the mansion into a car museum, and even a permanent venue for the annual Newport Jazz Festival. There were two decades where Belcourt was not inhabited and the house suffered deterioration. In 1956, the Tinney family purchased the estate for $25,000. They stored their antique collections and restored and modified parts of the mansion while also using it as a residence.

Here is what caught my eye. I hope you enjoy!

Do you like the images posted?
Click here to explore the shop.

Pictured here is the orchestra box overlooking the huge ballroom with 35-foot vaulted ceilings. You see two of the four chandeliers that light the ballroom.

Some of the huge stained glass windows, in the monumental 35’ x 70’ Gothic-style ballroom, incorporate the Belmont coat of arms in the design.

The 13th century stained glass windows detail

The large regal fireplace, with an ornate relief of a castle on the mantlepiece, is the focal point at one end of the ballroom.

Spiral staircase to the orchestra box

The mansion was magnificent and somewhat eccentric with horse and carriage areas built into the ground floor. The piano, pictured here, is in one of the two former grand carriage entrances.

Here’s another view of the passage area which allowed Oliver to drive his coaches right into Belcourt.

This English-style Library contains a decorative fireplace that was designed by John Russell Pope.

In the Library, this pink chaise stands out against the dark carved oak paneling.

This bathroom was equipped with a bathtub that has an 1894 state of the art shower with multiple body jets.

Bathroom vanity

Decorative architectural detail

The ceiling detail in Belcourt Castle’s formal dining room

Belcourt is the third largest mansion in Newport, after The Breakers and Ochre Point.

Inscribed above the elaborate fireplace in Mr. Belmont’s bedroom, are the French words “sans crainte”. The translation for those words is “without fear” and that was how Oliver lived his life.

The carved detail of Mr. Belmont’s bed

The former Drawing Room, now called the Music Room by the new owner

The entrance to the Grand Hall

The east facade, originally the rear of the castle, facing Bellevue Avenue

The courtyard of the 60-room mansion with extensive stables incorporated in the design.

The main entrance from Bellevue Avenue

This is the second floor oval dining room with mirrored doors that can be raised to let in sunlight.

In November 2012, Carolyn Rafaelian, owner of Alex and Ani Jewelry Company, purchased the mansion and embarked on a multi-million dollar restoration and renovation project. Belcourt was opened for tours in the summer of 2014, and is used as an art gallery and event space.

You can also see blogs about other Newport Gilded Age Mansions like Marble House, The Elms, Rosecliff, The Breakers and Newport.

What you should know: