A Little History

The land where the stop & shop plaza is now, was once a place called
"The Ocean House". In the 1840s The Ocean House was the center of social
activity for local people as well as summer visitors. It was also the place
where people gathered for the Saturday night hop" (a soiree).

The Ocean House was the symbol of luxury with a 250-foot long corridor,
spacious rooms, all with high ceilings. The ballroom was two stories high.

Joseph B. Weaver, in 1844, built the first Ocean House, which was
destroyed by fire during the height of its second season. It had been so
successful during its brief existence that Admiral Weaver decided to build
another Ocean House during the winter of 1845.

According to Newport town records Weaver Avenue was once a street
with carriage houses for the Weaver Estate. Joseph B. Weaver's brother,
John G. Weaver owned the land where The Admiral Weaver Inn is today.
He built this house for his spinster sister, Susan to live in during the summer.

The house has a varied history of being a boarding house during the Second
World War, private family residences, and even a girl's dormitory for
Salve Regina. In October of 1971 this house was established as an inn in the
city of Newport called The Serenity House, a nonprofit organization.

The inn was renovated in 1992, and reestablished as a bed and breakfast to
the community. We purchased the home and business in 1995 and have
loved it ever since. Welcome to The Admiral Weaver Inn.

"THE PINEAPPLE"
Why are they all over Newport?

As early as 1650, just a few years after Newport was settled, local ships began sailing regularly to the
West Indies as part of the coastal trade through towns up and down the Atlantic coast. Many were
soon involved in the infamous and profitable triangle trade of rum, slaves, and molasses.

For over one hundred years, as sailing vessels returned to the New England seaport towns from their
voyage, first to Africa, then across to the Caribbean and then up the coast to home, they carried
many exotic goods. On board were spices, cocoa, colorful fabrics and dyes, tobacco, beautiful
mahogany, and many tropical fruits. Pineapples grown on the West Indian plantations kept well
during the ocean voyages. When eaten by the crew, it helped to prevent scurvy, a disease caused by
the lack of vitamin C.

Arriving in port, a merchant would mount a fresh pineapple on the pineapple post outside his door
as a sign of the completion of another successful venture announcing that the latest goods were
available within, and to invite all his friends and neighbors to share in his good fortune.

DID YOU KNOW? ... THAT NEWPORT...

- was the site of the first U.S. Post Office.
- was the site of the first free public school in the U.S. in 1640.
- was the first city to pass a traffic ordinance in 1687.
- has the oldest synagogue in the U.S. Touro Synagogue was built in 1759.
- operated the first ferry service in 1657 from Jamestown to Newport.
- has the oldest tavern in continuous use in the U.S. The White Horse Tavern was built in 1673.
- has the oldest bank building in the US
- had the first gas illuminated streetlights, installed in 1803.
- has the oldest newspaper in continuous operation in the US The Mercury first published in 1758.
- was home to the first admiral of the American navy.
- is home to the oldest US navy war college in the world, and the base is now accessible to the
public.
- was home to the first woman doctor in the US
- hosted the first circus in the country in 1774.
- was home to the first open golf tournament in 1895 at the Newport Country Club.
- was home to the first international polo match in 1886.
- was home to the first national lawn tennis championship in 1899 at the tennis hall of fame.
- was home of the first land grant for schools.
- was site of the first woman telephone operator.
- is the home of the oldest library in continuous use in the US The Redwood Library is currently
undergoing some expansion and renovations.
- was home of the first woman newspaper editor.
- was the site of the first public roller skating rink in the US It was right behind the Ocean House
Hotel, part of the Weaver Estate.
- hosted the first systematic advertised public lectures on anatomy and surgery given in America in
1752.
- was the site of the first automobile arrest in the country. In 1904 when the offender was charged
with driving 15 miles per hour.
- held the first notable celebration of George Washington's birthday, hosted by Count
DeRochambeau in 1791.
- was home to the first educated dental surgeon.
- Please No Smoking Indoors.
Feel free to smoke on the front porch, back deck or second floor front deck.
Please extinguish cigarettes in the ashtrays provided, the porches are made
of wood.

Seasonal Information:

Winter - The heat is automatically set to cool a few degrees at night
and turn on before breakfast. If you have any problems with the temperature,
please notify the innkeeper so it can be adjusted promptly.
If you need extra blankets, please check the room closet or in the hallways.

Summer - Please set the Air Conditioner on a low setting when you are
gone for the day. You can leave the windows open if you would like some fresh air
too.

The local channels available are:

ABC = channel 6 (=channel 2 in NY)
NBC= 10 (=4 in NYC)
CBS= 12 (=7 in NYC)
You can also try channels 25, 56, 38 or 44 for PBS and other local program.

Kitchen:

Feel free to use the refrigerator to store drinks, snacks and dinner
"doggybags". Grab a pitcher (on top of the fridge) for fresh, cool water from
the bubbler for your room. There is also an ice bucket on top of the frig too.
There are wine, champagne and rock glasses in the dining room china
cabinet for your use. There's also a can opener and cork screw available.

Parking:

If all the cars are parked perpendicular to the stone wall, then we can fit six
cars for all the rooms. You are also welcome to park out front, there is no
restricted street parking on Weaver Avenue. Feel free to use the back,
kitchen door the yellow key opens both doors.

Breakfast:

A full breakfast, cooked to order, is served from 8:30 to 10:00 am.
If you are an early riser, please let us know and we will try to be
accommodating to your needs.

Housekeeping:

The rooms are attended to after breakfast, so if we have overlooked
anything, please let us know over coffee.

Food

Sorry there are no kosher restaurants in Newport; however we do offer Glatt kosher meals for sale.

We hope your stay at our Kosher Bed and Breakfast at The Admiral Weaver Inn
is a fun, enjoyable, and a memorable one.

If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know. We
always say that you should learn something new everyday.

Please respect the preservation of the buildings, parks and waterfront
of this town.

We hope that you will tell all your friends and relatives about the inn,
and keep coming back.

The inn is open all year for those secret getaways, romantic winter
fires, spring flowers in bloom, or fall foliage. Newport is beautiful in the
winter. We'll keep the fireplace burning just for you.

Thank you for being a guest in our home.


Administration.