Gilbert Stuart Birthplace
Encyclopedia
The Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum is a small museum
located in Saunderstown
, Rhode Island
, USA
. On December 3, 1755, Gilbert Stuart
, a famous American portrait
ist of the 18th and 19th centuries, was born in the colonial-era house located on the property. The museum consists of the 1750 house in which Stuart was born, an operational snuff mill, an operational grist mill, a mill pond, streams, a fish ladder, nature trails, an herb garden, and a Welcome Center and gift shop.
The house on the property was built in 1751, and Gilbert Stuart lived there for five years. Stuart's father operated the family business in the basement of the house, where a water-powered snuff mill was located. His father, an immigrant from Scotland
, worked in the snuffmaking industry; he ground dried tobacco
leaves into snuff, a fine powder used widely in the colonial era. The original snuff mill located in the house was actually the first such mill in the American colonies; previously all mills had been located in Europe
, particularly in England
. When Stuart was seven-years-old, his family moved to Newport, Rhode Island
.
The house served as a private residence and a tavern
during the 18th Century, with the original snuff mill and water wheel being lost.
In 1930, the Birthplace was restored to its colonial state by Norman Isham
, and was opened to the public as a museum in 1931. Many of the house's original wood beams remained intact. It also retained its original four corner fireplaces, one in each room in the house. An English snuff mill built in the early 1730s was transported to the property during the restoration, and it is considered faithful in design to the original snuff mill. In addition, a new water wheel was built and attached to the side of the house, allowing the mill to operate by water power from Mattatuxet Brook.
An original colonial-era gristmill
was built in 1757 and owned by Benjamin Hammond. Although fitted with a water wheel, the mill remained inoperable until 2007, when a celebration entitled "Old Mill Day" welcomed the connection of the waterwheel to the mill's operating gears.
The site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965 and was added to the National Historic Register in 1966.
The Gilbert Stuart Birthplace operates guided tours of the birthplace and gristmill Thursday through Monday, and is open from May until October. The house is furnished with original colonial furnishings in every room, though no piece of furniture is original to the house. Each room is also fitted with reproductions of Gilbert Stuart's most famous works, including the famous Athenaeum Portrait of George Washington
(which is portrayed on the one-dollar bill
), The Skater, Dr. Hunter's Spaniels, John Jay
, and Catherine Brass Yates. Tours of the museum focus on the life and artwork of Gilbert Stuart, as well as descriptions of the colonial furnishings and objects.
. The grounds also feature an herb garden, a timber dam, and a boat dock from which rowboats can be rented for use on nearby Carr Pond.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
located in Saunderstown
Saunderstown, Rhode Island
Saunderstown is a small village and historic district in the towns of Narragansett and North Kingstown in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States....
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. On December 3, 1755, Gilbert Stuart
Gilbert Stuart
Gilbert Charles Stuart was an American painter from Rhode Island.Gilbert Stuart is widely considered to be one of America's foremost portraitists...
, a famous American portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
ist of the 18th and 19th centuries, was born in the colonial-era house located on the property. The museum consists of the 1750 house in which Stuart was born, an operational snuff mill, an operational grist mill, a mill pond, streams, a fish ladder, nature trails, an herb garden, and a Welcome Center and gift shop.
History
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, worked in the snuffmaking industry; he ground dried tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
leaves into snuff, a fine powder used widely in the colonial era. The original snuff mill located in the house was actually the first such mill in the American colonies; previously all mills had been located in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, particularly in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. When Stuart was seven-years-old, his family moved to 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...
.
The house served as a private residence and a tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
during the 18th Century, with the original snuff mill and water wheel being lost.
In 1930, the Birthplace was restored to its colonial state by Norman Isham
Norman Isham
Norman Morrison Isham was a prominent architectural historian, restorationist, author, and professor at Brown University and RISD.-Biography:...
, and was opened to the public as a museum in 1931. Many of the house's original wood beams remained intact. It also retained its original four corner fireplaces, one in each room in the house. An English snuff mill built in the early 1730s was transported to the property during the restoration, and it is considered faithful in design to the original snuff mill. In addition, a new water wheel was built and attached to the side of the house, allowing the mill to operate by water power from Mattatuxet Brook.
An original colonial-era gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
was built in 1757 and owned by Benjamin Hammond. Although fitted with a water wheel, the mill remained inoperable until 2007, when a celebration entitled "Old Mill Day" welcomed the connection of the waterwheel to the mill's operating gears.
The site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965 and was added to the National Historic Register in 1966.
Museum
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
(which is portrayed on the one-dollar bill
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
), The Skater, Dr. Hunter's Spaniels, John Jay
John Jay
John Jay was an American politician, statesman, revolutionary, diplomat, a Founding Father of the United States, and the first Chief Justice of the United States ....
, and Catherine Brass Yates. Tours of the museum focus on the life and artwork of Gilbert Stuart, as well as descriptions of the colonial furnishings and objects.
Junior docents
The Gilbert Stuart Birthplace operates a unique Junior Docent program, in which children and adolescents can volunteer to give interpretive tours of the museum dressed in colonial attire. The program is designed to teach children about history and the workings of a museum. Junior docents only conduct tours on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.Grounds
The Gilbert Stuart Birthplace is located on twenty-two acres of property. The museum features nature trails, which bring tourists to the site of an old colonial burial ground, the Benjamin Hammond cemetery, a scenic overlook of Carr Pond, and the foundation of a colonial fulling millFulling
Fulling or tucking or walking is a step in woolen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of cloth to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities, and making it thicker. The worker who does the job is a fuller, tucker, or walker...
. The grounds also feature an herb garden, a timber dam, and a boat dock from which rowboats can be rented for use on nearby Carr Pond.