Rough Point

In 1889, Frederick W Vanderbilt built Rough Point in the tradition of English manorial estates on a rocky piece of land jutting out into the ocean. Later purchased by the tobacco baron, James B Duke, the mansion fell into the hands of Duke’s only daughter, Doris (aged 13 years). She left the estate to the Newport Restoration Society upon her death. While the splendor of the grounds alone is worth the price of admission, Rough Point also houses much of Doris Duke’s impressive art holdings, including medieval tapestries, furniture owned by French emperors, Ming Dynasty ceramics, and paintings by Renoir and Van Dyck. These and other extraordinary objects formed the backdrop of Duke’s daily life and remain as they were at the time of her death. Particularly interesting is a glassed-in sunroom containing just about the only pedestrian furniture (the couch appears to be from a department store). This room simultaneously cleanses your visual palette while at the same time reminding you how extravagant everything else is. Also on hand are mannequins wearing some of Duke’s eight decades of bizarro clothing. Purchase tickets to Rough Point at Newport’s visitor center or online. As parking is limited at Rough Point, many visit the estate using the courtesy shuttle from the visitor center.