NEWPORT, R.I. — Long before Newport became known for its Gilded Age mansions, sailing culture and coastal charm, the City-by-the-Sea was already making history.
For more than three centuries, Newport and the surrounding Aquidneck Island area have been the site of remarkable American milestones — from the nation’s first ferry service and oldest tavern to the first U.S. Open in golf and even the country’s first automobile arrest.
Here’s a look at many of the historic “firsts” connected to Newport and its neighboring communities.
Colonial and Early American Firsts
1657: Newport operated what is widely considered the first ferry service in the United States, connecting communities across Narragansett Bay.
1673: The White Horse Tavern was built and remains the oldest tavern building in continuous use in the United States.
1687: Newport passed what historians regard as the first traffic ordinance in the country, regulating horse-drawn carts in the busy colonial port.
1699: The Great Friends Meeting House, commonly known as the Quaker Meeting House, was constructed and remains Rhode Island’s oldest house of worship.
1716: At the northern end of Aquidneck Island in Portsmouth, a schoolhouse was built that today stands as the oldest surviving schoolhouse in the United States.
1741: The Newport Artillery Company was chartered and remains the oldest military unit in continuous service under its original charter in the United States.
1745: The Redwood Library & Athenaeum was established, becoming the oldest circulating library in continuous use in the United States.
1750: Newport became the site of the first duplex house in America, built at 57 Farewell Street.
1758: The Newport Mercury newspaper was founded and became the oldest continuously operating newspaper in the United States until its closure in 2024.
1759: Touro Synagogue was built, becoming the oldest synagogue in the United States.
Revolutionary-Era Milestones
1774: Newport hosted what historians widely consider the first circus performance in the United States.
May 4, 1776: Rhode Island’s colonial legislature, meeting in Newport, became the first of the thirteen colonies to declare independence from England, two months before the Declaration of Independence.
1781: Newport hosted one of the earliest recorded celebrations of George Washington’s birthday, organized by French General Count de Rochambeau during the Revolutionary War.
Innovation, Transportation and Technology
1803: Newport installed the first gas-illuminated streetlights in the United States along Pelham Street.
1819: BankNewport was founded and remains the oldest mutual savings bank in the United States.
1866: Newport became the site of the first photograph taken by electric light.
1866: The city also opened the first public roller skating rink in the United States, located inside the Atlantic House hotel.
1895: Newport hosted the first automobile race in the United States.
1904: Newport recorded the first automobile arrest in the country, when a driver was charged with speeding at 15 miles per hour.
Early 1900s: Newport served as the site of the first airplane passenger line in the United States, operating between Newport and New York City.
Military and Maritime History
1884: Newport became home to the U.S. Naval War College, the nation’s oldest institution dedicated to advanced naval education and strategy.
1930–1983: Newport hosted the America’s Cup, the oldest trophy in international sport, turning the city into the center of the global sailing world for more than half a century.
Birthplace of Major American Sports
Newport also holds a unique place in the history of several major sports.
1854: The New York Yacht Club held its first regatta in Newport Harbor, launching what became the oldest sailing regatta in the United States.
1886: Newport hosted the first International Polo Match.
1895: Newport Country Club hosted both the first U.S. Amateur Championship and the first U.S. Open in golf.
1881: Newport hosted the first U.S. National Lawn Tennis Championships, the tournament that eventually evolved into today’s U.S. Open tennis tournament.
1995–1996: Newport hosted the first two ESPN X Games, bringing extreme sports to the city’s waterfront.
Historic Figures and Landmarks
1857–1911: Ida Lewis, widely considered America’s first female lighthouse keeper, operated the Lime Rock Light and became famous for her daring rescues of sailors in distress. Her heroism drew visits from President Ulysses S. Grant and Vice President Schuyler Colfax.
Newport is also home to several unique historical distinctions:
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Trinity Church contains the only three-tiered wineglass pulpit still in its original location in the United States.
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The Newport Historical Society houses one of the oldest typewriters in America.
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Newport has more colonial homes still in use than any other location in the United States.
Together, these milestones illustrate how Newport has repeatedly played a surprisingly large role in shaping American history.
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