During the Gilded Age, wealthy Americans came to Newport to conquer society or be sanctioned by it, as it was the ne plus ultra for the fashionable set. In 1874, when Alexander Agassiz purchased Castle Hill and built his summer home here, the Queen of Newport society was Mrs. August Belmont née Caroline Slidell Perry.
Newport’s grandest homes, including the Agassiz mansion at Castle Hill, were built as summer “cottages”. Luckily for us, this did not mean that their construction was in any way flimsy or unable to be hospitable in winter. For example, the exterior walls of The Elms mansion, pictured in the snow, are three feet thick! Not
Let’s face it. November gets a bad rap. Granted, it’s not overly festive, it’s dark out a good deal of the time, it’s too early for skiing — a transitional month for sure! In Newport, however, its golden and fiery beauty, lack of crowds, ocean mitigated mild temperatures and persistent lushness, make it a fabulous
Early autumn is one of the most beautiful times of year in Rhode Island. The days are often warm, with a cool breeze and cozy nights. The humidity of summer has moved on, along with many of the crowds, and those who remain are making the most of the nice weather and quieter surrounds. Local
Two weeks ago, employees of Castle Hill lost one of their own, James “Cornbread” Crookes. Cornbread joined the Inn straight out of Newport’s Rogers High School in the summer of 1980 and was a member of our culinary team for almost 40 years. He trained a succession of executive chefs over the years, including Newport
The charm of the Castle Hill Inn is due in large part to its historic structures – the Agassiz mansion, Castle Hill Light and the Chalet – combined with its seaside setting. Guests who enjoy this elixir of New England charm will surely enjoy the Cliff Walk, on the eastern end of the peninsula that
Since every day is ‘Earth Day’ in my book, I’d like to take a moment to highlight some of the efforts we are making in the Castle Hill Culinary Garden to be environmentally friendly and use sustainable techniques. Castle Hill Inn has been implementing new “green” strategies each year. I am happy to be a
Newport is the sailing capital of the world and there is no better place to be a spectator to the action than the Lawn at Castle Hill Inn. People often say that coming to the Lawn is like entering a movie set due to the sumptuous setting and the stunning and picturesque background. Now cue
Remember the greenhouse image from the June blog post? Well, just look at how the garden has grown! From June to July is one of the biggest growth spurts in the Culinary Garden. Many of the plants have doubled in size and beds are looking full! July is the month of Hydrangeas blooming, Nasturtiums spilling
This season we have introduced sleek new touring bikes from Martone Cycling Co. for our houseguests to enjoy, complimentary, of course. Designed as a fashionable urban bicycle, they are also perfect for exploring the nooks and crannies of the Ocean Drive. Our horticulturist Leita and I took them out for a spin and were pleasantly