Ocean Lawn, one of Newport’s most notable estates, was sold on January 27, 2017. This marks the third sale by Melanie Delman, President, Lila Delman Real Estate International, of a major Newport oceanfront mansion in the past 18 months, according to Rhode Island Statewide MLS.*
The buyers, Alexis DeJoria and her father, John Paul DeJoria, the co-founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems and Patrón Tequila, commented, “My father and I invested in this property so all of our family can enjoy it. We appreciate the estate’s rich history and plan on retaining its Gilded Age grandeur.”
The Queen Anne-style home, constructed c.1889 by legendary architects Peabody & Stearns, is surrounded by park-like grounds designed by acclaimed landscape architects Innocenti & Webel. The property consists of a 13-bedroom manor house, a playhouse, pool, and beautiful gardens overlooking the Atlantic. The estate is prominently sited on Newport’s legendary Cliff Walk.
“Ocean Lawn is a special Newport estate with an iconic social history within a private oceanfront compound. Built during the Gilded Age and famously owned by the Firestone family, it is a truly an American story, past and present,” said Melanie Delman. “I am honored to have been involved in listing and selling this wonderful property over the past twenty years.”
Betty Parke Firestone was known as the best-dressed woman in America in the 1950s. Mrs. Firestone added a ball gown closet and custom French entry gates to Ocean Lawn, among other improvements. The residence also features his-and- hers libraries, with hers exquisitely paneled in 18th century English pine, created by a woodcarver who lived in the house for two years while working to complete the room. It was said that formal teas in the English gardens and black-tie affairs were common occurrences during the Firestones’ tutelage.
Prominent guests, including Bob Hope and former Army Chief of Staff Gen. William C. Westmoreland, frequented the Ocean Lawn estate.
