Admiral Fitzroy Inn

Admiral Fitzroy Inn is a historic inn at 398 Thames Street in Newport, Rhode Island, within the Newport Historic District. The property occupies a building constructed in 1854 and designed by architect Dudley Newton. Its name refers to Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy. The building is notable not only as a hospitality property but also for its institutional and architectural history. From 1854 through 1924, the building served as the Sisters of Mercy Convent associated with St. Mary's Church. During the same broad period it housed St. Mary's Academy, described in the reference material as Rhode Island's first private Catholic school. St. Mary's Church, located nearby, later became associated with the marriage of Jacqueline Bouvier and future United States President John F. Kennedy, although the inn itself was not the wedding venue. The building's present location is the result of a major preservation and relocation project. In 1986, the structure was dismantled and moved approximately two blocks from its original location on Spring Street to its current Thames Street site. The relocation preserved the historic building while adapting it for use as an inn. Its architectural character combines a principal Gothic style with secondary Italianate elements, as documented in historic-building and National Register materials. The inn provides eighteen guest rooms, several of which feature decorative hand-painted walls. Its reported guest facilities include a conference room, rooftop deck, small dining room, ocean views, and off-street parking. Antiques are displayed on the premises, including an original Admiral Fitzroy barometer in the lobby. These features position the property around historic character, Newport heritage, and small-scale lodging rather than around a large hotel chain or broad consumer product portfolio. Available reference material does not identify a founding proprietor, present owner, parent company, executives, financial results, formal loyalty program, or current official website. The building's construction date and its continuing operation as the Admiral Fitzroy Inn are documented, but the date on which the inn began operating under its present name is not established in the supplied sources.

The building associated with the Admiral Fitzroy Inn was designed by Dudley Newton and constructed in 1854 in Newport, Rhode Island. Its architectural composition is principally Gothic, with Italianate elements identified in historic-building documentation. The structure originally stood on Spring Street, approximately two blocks from its current Thames Street address. For much of its early history, the building was connected with Catholic education and religious life in Newport. From 1854 to 1924, it served as the Sisters of Mercy Convent for nuns affiliated with St. Mary's Church. It also housed St. Mary's Academy, identified in the supplied reference material as the first private Catholic school in Rhode Island. The nearby St. Mary's Church later gained wider historical recognition as the location of the wedding of Jacqueline Bouvier and John F. Kennedy. A significant preservation intervention took place in 1986, when the building was dismantled and transported from Spring Street to a new site on Thames Street. The move covered roughly two blocks and allowed the historic structure to be retained while supporting its later conversion or continued use as an inn. The property now operates as the Admiral Fitzroy Inn at 398 Thames Street, within the Newport Historic District. The inn's hospitality format is relatively intimate. Reference material describes eighteen rooms with decorative hand-painted walls, as well as a conference room, rooftop deck, small dining room, ocean views, and off-street parking. Antiques form part of the property's historic presentation; an original Admiral Fitzroy barometer is displayed in the lobby. No supplied source identifies the inn's ownership history, management team, corporate affiliation, precise opening date under the Admiral Fitzroy name, or financial performance. Accordingly, the documented history is centered on the building's construction, institutional use, relocation, architectural preservation, and present lodging role.

• 1986

  Relocation to Thames Street

  [1]Admiral Fitzroy Innen.wikipedia.org

  The building was dismantled and moved approximately two blocks from Spring Street to its present location at 398 Thames Street.

• 1924

  End of the documented convent and academy period

  [1]Admiral Fitzroy Innen.wikipedia.org

  The reference material identifies 1924 as the end of the period during which the building served the convent and academy.

• 1854

  Construction of the historic building

  [1]Admiral Fitzroy Innen.wikipedia.org

  Architect Dudley Newton designed and the building was constructed in Newport, Rhode Island. It later became the structure occupied by the Admiral Fitzroy Inn.

• 1854

  Beginning of convent and academy use

  [1]Admiral Fitzroy Innen.wikipedia.org

  The building began its long association with the Sisters of Mercy Convent and St. Mary's Academy, institutions connected with St. Mary's Church.

• Operation as the Admiral Fitzroy Inn

  [1]Admiral Fitzroy Innen.wikipedia.org

  Following its relocation, the historic building became the Admiral Fitzroy Inn, a small lodging property in Newport's historic district. The supplied sources do not establish the exact opening year under this name.

A historic, independently presented Newport lodging property emphasizing architectural character, local heritage, intimate scale, and proximity to the waterfront and Newport Historic District.

• Accommodation

  Guest rooms

  The inn offers eighteen guest rooms within a preserved historic building. Reference material highlights decorative hand-painted walls as a distinctive interior feature, making the rooms part of the property's heritage-oriented lodging experience rather than standardized chain accommodation.

• Meetings and events

  Conference room

  A conference room is listed among the inn's facilities. The supplied sources do not provide capacity, pricing, event packages, or a detailed description of its commercial use.

• Guest amenity

  Rooftop deck

  The rooftop deck is a guest amenity associated with the inn. It contributes to the property's historic and coastal setting, although the available material does not specify operating hours, furnishings, or event policies.

• Dining

  Small dining room

  The property includes a small dining room. The supplied references do not identify a restaurant concept, menu, service schedule, or whether dining is limited to registered guests.

• 1986

  Historic building relocation and adaptive reuseStrategy

  Background

  The 1854 building stood on Spring Street and required preservation through relocation before becoming the inn at its present Thames Street address.

  Action taken

  The structure was dismantled and moved approximately two blocks to 398 Thames Street, where it serves as the Admiral Fitzroy Inn.

  Aftermath

  The relocation retained the historic building and enabled its use as an intimate lodging property within the Newport Historic District.

  Source

1. 1Admiral Fitzroy Innen.wikipedia.org
2. 2National Register of Historic Places: Rhode Island, Newport Countynps.gov
3. 3Jacqueline Lee Bouvier and John Fitzgerald Kennedy Weddingjfklibrary.org