George Noble Jones was a wealthy southern plantation owner who owned the El Destino Plantation

El Destino Plantation

El Destino Plantation was a large cotton plantation of located in western Jefferson County and eastern Leon County, Florida, USA established by John Nuttall in 1828.-Location:...

 and Chemonie Plantation

Chemonie Plantation

Chemonie Plantation was a medium sized cotton plantation of in northern Leon County, Florida, USA established by Hector Braden.-Location:Chemonie Plantion was situated on two separate tracts of land. The first tract was located between Centerville Road and the Monticello Road occupying a large...

. In 1839 he hired English architect, Richard Upjohn

Richard Upjohn

Richard Upjohn was an English-born architect who emigrated to the United States and became most famous for his Gothic Revival churches. He was partially responsible for launching the movement to such popularity in the United States. Upjohn also did extensive work in and helped to popularize the...

, to build Kingscote

Kingscote (mansion)

Kingscote is a Gothic Revival house museum in Newport, Rhode Island built in 1839. Kingscote was one of the first summer "cottages" constructed in Newport...

 one of the earliest summer "cottages" on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...

. Kingscote, a classic Gothic Revival building, is now a National Historic Landmark.

George Noble Jones was born in 1811 to Noble Wimberly Jones and Sarah (Fenwick) Jones, families with a long colonial heritage. His ancestor, Noble Jones, established Wormsloe Plantation near Savannah, Georgia. On May 18, 1840, George Noble Jones married Mary Savage Nuttall and purchased Chemonie as well as the Nuttall's El Destino Plantation. G. N. Jones was one of the first members of the elite gentlemen's club, the Newport Reading Room

Newport Reading Room

The Newport Reading Room , founded in 1854, is a gentlemen's club located on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. Its primary building features an actual book reading room...

. Jones died in 1876