Old Colony House

See America's fourth oldest historic statehouse.

The Old Colony House is a two-and-a-half-story brick building featuring Georgian architecture. It has been around since 1739 and became a meeting place for the colonial legislature in the colonial era. This place is also known as the Old State House or Newport Colony House. The State Legislature alternated its sessions between this building and the Rhode Island State House in Providence from 1776 to the early 20th-century. This is one of the best-preserved surviving Georgian public buildings in the United States, dating back to the colonial era, and has been on the list of National Historic Landmarks since 1960.

Along with being a meeting place, the Old Colony House was also used as a hospital, barracks, and courthouse. Both George Washington and Dwight Eisenhower were guests in the building, and Steven Spielberg even filmed a movie at this location. Today, the Old Colony House is a museum that visitors can tour. Be sure to look at the painting of George Washington done by Gilbert Stuart on the second floor. You can book a tour of the Colony House here. If you love history and are visiting Newport, Rhode Island, add the Old Colony House to your itinerary.