The Elms

The Elms is the mansion for people who want the whole house, not just the parlors. Built in 1901 for the Philadelphia coal magnate Edward Julius Berwind, it was designed by Horace Trumbauer and modeled on an eighteenth-century French chateau near Paris. The proportions are elegant rather than overwhelming, with a limestone façade, a restrained interior and a ballroom suited to formal entertaining, and the setting is a handsome landscape of terraces, sunken gardens and mature trees. The Elms is run by the Preservation Society of Newport County and is best known for its tours that go below and behind the main floors. Visitors can learn how a household of staff operated the boilers, kitchens and laundries that made a seasonal mansion function, and how the Berwinds used technology and domestic labor to host a long social season. That perspective makes the house one of the best at explaining what a Gilded Age summer cottage actually was.

The grounds deserve as much time as the interior. The formal gardens, laid out in the French and Italian traditions, include sunken lawns, fountains, a carriage drive and a collection of specimen trees that make the Elms one of the most pleasant places in Newport simply to walk. In late spring and summer the planting is at its best, and the long views down the terraces are a good way to slow the pace after busier houses.

Compared with the Breakers and Marble House, the Elms is a quieter, more intimate visit, and a good choice for travelers who want a deeper look at how the house worked. The audio guide covers the principal rooms, and specialized tours, which vary by season, explore the servants' quarters, the basement and the roof. Check the Preservation Society's schedule for current offerings, because the choice of tours changes through the year, and timed entry is common.

A ticket for the Elms is available as a single-house admission, which makes it easy to slot into a day that also includes the Cliff Walk, Bellevue Avenue shops or a harbor lunch. The house is about a ten-minute drive from the harbor and close to other Bellevue Avenue properties, so it pairs naturally with Rosecliff or Marble House if you want a multi-house day.

Allow about ninety minutes for the interior and another thirty for the gardens, wear comfortable shoes, and expect restrictions on large bags. If you have time for only one house beyond the Breakers, the Elms is a strong second choice.

The service-area tours are the reason many repeat visitors return to the Elms. Seeing the coal-fired boilers, the kitchens and the staff corridors reveals how a house of this size really functioned, with dozens of workers keeping lights burning, food on the table and fires lit. The experience pairs well with the Breakers, where the family rooms are the focus, because together they show both halves of the system.

Reserve specialty tours early in the season, wear sturdy shoes for steps and uneven floors, and remember that some areas are only open to guided groups. Spring and early summer show the garden beds and flowering trees at their best, and autumn color makes the terraces glow.