Newport Tower

in 2014 on my way to outside Boston Mass for a project, I made sure to make a detour to stop here and see/photograph this historic structure. I found it very interesting, I just wish I had longer to check it out. Maybe I will go back if up in that part of the country

If you're walking Touro Park, you can't miss the Newport Tower. Pleasantly symmetrical, it towers tall at one end of the park. It's also known as the Old Stone Mill and used to be part of a 17-century windmill. Thus, it holds interest both to architects and historians. It's free to walk Touro Park, so be sure to check it out during your stroll!

Located in a little park between the mansions and the waterfront, parking can be a bit tough if you’re just stopping to see this during summer. Supposedly built by Vikings? Maybe, it’s fun to think and there are a number of other odd rune stones in the surrounding area (Dighton Rock for instance) Might just be an old grist mill or other structure but I’m not sure anyone really knows.

The winter solstice at 9:00 AM is when the sun shines through the window and illuminates the egg stone. Columbus was not the first European here.

This is the most important structure in Newport since there are many theories about this tower as early as Knight Templar to Norse to Chinese to Portuguese or simple observatory. This tower was once used as a windmill. This tower may be overlooking once Narragansett Bay.

Beautiful early settler stone structure. May be older than 1620 based on the construction. Before all the houses were built (1640-1940) there was most likely a clear view to the bay. Placard in park states it’s dedicated to “Channing” the man who established the Unitarian Church, which is located across the street from the stone tower. Other history says it was in Benedict Arnold’s back yard and part of his property, which is now the park. Park and stone tower are beautiful are located in a quiet section of Historic Newport on Pelham Street.

The Newport Tower is a nice little tower in the middle of a nice little park. At first glance it appears to to be a simple tower in a park, some claim that this tower has a much more complex history. There have been TV shows that have made the claim that the tower was built by the Knights Templar. This unsubstantiated, but if you are in Newport stop by and take a look this visit the quaint surrounding town.