The Mysterious History of The Newport Tower
Location of The Newport Tower in Touro Park, on a hill overlooking Narragansett Bay
The Newport Tower
Nobody knows for sure where it came from or who built it or why, but right smack in the middle of Newport, Rhode Island, at the top of Mill Street, in Touro Park, stands an odd, circular stone structure known to locals as " The Old Stone Mill" and to the world as " The Newport Tower."
Most people think it was built as a grist mill, by the first colonial governor of Rhode Island, Benedict Arnold. (No, not that Benedict Arnold--his grandfather) Arnold owned the property on which the Newport Tower stands and mentions his " stone built grist wind mill "in his will-- so it makes sense that maybe The Newport Tower is the remains of Arnold's grist mill, built to grind corn for the growing town of Newport..
That has always been the prevailing theory, Circular windmills of similar construction were not unknown in the part of England Arnold came from. Some historians think The Newport Tower was modeled after the 17th century Chesterton Mill in Warwickshire, and radiocarbon dating seems to point to a 17th century origin as well.
However, there are some important ways in which the Newport Tower differs from most 17th century grist mills. The most puzzling thing is that clearly, there was once a loft or second storey to the Newport Tower and that up there, just above where the joists and floorboards would have been, is a fireplace built into the wall. A fireplace in a gristmill full of flammable grain and dust just does not make sense.
There is also some indication that the structure was already there when English colonists arrived on the scene and the town of Newport was founded. But,more importantly there are also a couple of much more excitingly romantic possibilities.
The Chesterton Windmill
The Chesterton Windmill in Warwickshire, England.may have served as a model for The Newport Tower. There are certain similarities but also several important differences between the two structures.
Excavations around the Newport Tower have yielded no items earlier than the 17th century and carbon dating also points to a 17th century origin. Nevertheless, the romance of Viking, Portuguese or even 15th century Chinese origin persists.
The Vikings Built It
Every school child in Newport when I was a kid, knew that the Vikings got to America long before Christopher Columbus because we had the "Old Stone Mill" to prove it. We learned about the Vikings in school and were carefully told about the Viking theory of the Newport Tower We also took field trips to the tower and read the famous Longfellow poem about an imaginary Viking warrior's skeleton in the Newport Tower (The Skeleton In Armor) Like the public at large, we found it all thrilling and much more exciting than the notion of a colonial grist mill.
The theory that the Old Stone Mill was built by Vikings and that Newport might have been the legendary Vinland of the Viking Sagas dates back to the 1830's when a Danish archeologist, Carl Christian Rafn, who was particularly interested in proving the validity of Norse presence in North America as outlined in the ancient Norse Sagas, posited that The Newport Tower was originally part of a Norse settlement on the East Coast of North America. He presented as evidence runic inscriptions he found in Massachusetts.
His ideas were not taken seriously by Anglo Saxon scholars at the time, but the academic community thought again when physical evidence of a Viking presence in North America confirmed Rafn's thinking. The discovery of Viking ruins at L'Anse Aux Meadows in Newfoundland,and the much disputed Kensington Runestone in Minnesota , as well as the discovery of what purports to be a runic inscription from the 1000's in the Newport Tower itself, have led to new interest in The mysterious structure and a second look at its possible origins.
Who Built The Newport Tower?
The Vikings may be the most popular contenders for builders of the Newport tower, but they are far from the only possibilities. In 1993, former submarine captain Gavin Menzies published a book called 1421: the year China discovered the world. in which he made a case for The Newport Tower having been built in 1421 by Chinese mariners. There is also the Portuguese theory, favored by historian Edmund Delabarre who theorized that the Newport Tower was constructed by Portuguese navigator Miguel Cort-Real who Delabarre thought Cort-Real was shipwrecked in the area while searching for his lost brother, Gaspar, in Narragansett Bay. The evidence for such a theory is flimsy at best, being based on the presence of octagonal rotundas in Portugal which bear some relationship to The Newport Tower. Local historian, Jim Egan, makes a logical and historically documented case for the Tower being the result of an aborted, now forgotten attempt by the English to colonize America fifty years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
Other investigators have proposed that The Newport Tower is an ancient astronomical observatory, or was built by the Knight's Templar who fled Europe for the Americas in 1398 under the leadership of Henry Sinclair It is said that a vast Templar treasure is buried somewhere in North America. But of all this, there is little proof.
In the meantime, suffice it to say that the jury is still very much out on who build the Newport Tower. It could have been the Vikings.. It probably wasn't the Chinese or the Portuguese. Whoever built it, it remains mysterious to me and a treasured icon of my childhood.
It is often overlooked by visitors who come to Newport for the beautiful beaches, the fine dining and vibrant nightlife, or the history of the place as 19th century summer playground for the very rich. Dazzled by the " summer cottages" of the Vanderbilts and Astors, visitors don't always see the unassuming stone tower in Touro Park that just may be the most amazing and mysterious structure in town. If you go to Newport, be sure to stop by and have a look at it.
Interesting Scholarly Conclusions by JIm Egan
Additional Web Resources on The Newport Tower
- ONE New England - Mysteries of the Newport Tower – Still Unsolved
An excellent, well researched text gathering all relevant info and great photos to answer the question: Who built the Tower? - UnexplainedEarth: Newport's Mystery Tower
For over a century debate has raged over the identity of the builders of this structure. Speculation has ranged from the Norse to the Chinese to the Norwegians and Swedes. Most archeologists maintain that the tower was built in Colonial times and tha - Chronognostic Research Foundation - 1
Chronognostic Research Foundation. Who built the Newport Tower-- recent archeological investigation using new techniques - The Newport Tower
a wbsite prepared using spherical geometry and google earth to posit a new theory of who built the Newport Tower and why. - Newport Tower Radiocarbon Dates
Newport Tower Segment on History Channel Docu-drama
© 2012 Roberta Kyle
Comments
Further research into this subject reveals that the construction techniques and stucco plaster finish used both inside and out on the Newport Tower were consistently used in Europe and the Northern Isle's of Scotland as early as 1200 AD.
The location of the Tower and the fireplace, suggest that it was used as Navigational Marker (Lighthouse). Other land markers found, such as the Narragansett Rune Marker located across the bay (8 miles) of the same name suggest it was a major landmark for sailors and for a base of operations in the New World.
Interestingly enough, the Newport Tower closely resembles, the Dome of the Rock and Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, classic Knight of the Templar construction techniques. Also it resembles the 12th century Eynhallow Church in Orkney built in the 12th century.
The mystery revolves, as always, around $$$ (money). By censoring the truth that many, many land markers by other nations have been found all over the USA during its early construction, the less land needed to be purchased and treaties needed to be adhered too.
Think, Louisiana Purchase from France, the purchase on Long Island form the Montuak Indians, The first ever Treaty of Morocco from the Moors in 1798, the Purchase of Alaska form Russia and the list goes on and on . . .
I have to visit now.
As you may well know 'his story' is written by those that are the ruling elite of their respective countries, this is no different here in America.
While you may put little stock in the concept that the Portuguese could have created colonies here in North America long before Spain arrived on the scene there is much evidence that has been written out of our 'his story' that shows that this is indeed the case.
This is well written article and I enjoyed it however I would like to point out an avenue of research that has been systematically censored from our 'his story' and that is the influence the Moors had on developing America long before Columbus got here in 1492.
There presence here in America is reflected in the names of town/cities such as Memphis, TN and Cairo, IL. They are considered as being a great seafaring race with incredible liberalized politics and social structure, which lead to the Spanish Inquisition.
I submit to you that the historical expungement of the Moorish Empire (which coincidentally lasted from 711 A.D. to 1492 A.D.) didn't end with the Spanish Inquisition and was carried on here in America as well. Their intellectual influence lifted Europe out of the Dark Ages and into Renaissance.
All that being said two of the greatest achievements they brought to Europe and many other countries was the knowledge and architecture of building grain and paper mills (introduced in 1100 A.D.) these structures were round and resembled modern day silos, not unlike your mysterious Newport Tower.
As for the censorship of their great empire . . . well you don't want the slaves getting the notion that their ancestors once ruled the world and colonized America 700 year before Columbus did, now do ya.
Wow, thanks for this really great hub. I am one of those people who overlooked this site when visiting Newport. I will definitely check this out on my next visit. I really appreciate this fascinating info. All the best and I love your hubs.
I enjoyed the research and writing you did for this, very well done. Learned something interesting and found this article fun, great work. Voted up, interesting, and awesome :)
I love this and wanted to vote it up, but... where???
Anyway the video is illuminating me, although I loved the thought that Vikings may have built it, being of Norwegian heritage!
Thanks for the fun story- I have yet to visit your small state, though my husband has wonderful relatives there.
What a fascinating mystery and an interesting account of a piece of newport history.
Once again a great read and rated up. :)
Well, I think this is fascinating! Our own "stonehenge" in America. I love a good mystery and this tower has been and will keep everyone wondering for a long time. Somebody has certainly left their mark! I had no idea about his tower and I have been to Newport. Let us know if the mystery is ever untangled!
So much intrigue. I have ever heard of the Newport Tower. Now that I have, I find it quite interesting and the video with JIm Egan made the subject even more interesting. Thank you for sharing story. up and across including funny, because I found it funny that they had to resort to secrecy and code in the attempt to accomplish their goal.
A 'vote up' hub. Very well written, beautifully formatted. This gives us the interesting history of a neglected architectural structure.Good.Keep it up!
It is always fun to speculate when there are very few facts available.
Sorry for being boring, robie ... it's the amateur archeologist in me ;)
I just couldn't see how a radiocarbon dating of the 17th century could fit in with the Viking thing or even the Templars about whom I know quite a lot.
I love romance as much as anyone (see my hubs on mistresses in history!) but I find the actually truth of some things is much more interesting.
It is a great building and the mystery surrounding it is fascinating ... so maybe we shouldn't let the truth get in the way of a good story ... lol.
(Note to self: stop being a boring old fart).
Great yarn, robie2, and you've stirred up lots of really interesting speculation.
My money is on a mill as the Vikings were last active around the 11th century (1000's) and they did not usually build in stone.
A link to The Templars is a real flight of fancy as they were active from around 1119 onwards and had their hands full in the Holy Land until they were massacred.
Sorry to rain on your parade, robie, m'dear ... (I'm boring, I know!)
Very cool. Never heard of this before. A great mystery!
What a wonderful read, Robie! For all the times I'd been in Newport, I'd never seen the Newport Tower, let alone heard of it. Like most visitors, I let the opulence of the summer cottages guide my itinerary and stoke my imagination.
I've been watching the Ancient Aliens series and have been struck by how much knowledge humans had that was eventually lost and then "discovered" later. Clearly, the origin of the tower was once known but became lost, and now it's time to discover it anew. That's pretty exciting. I think I'm in the "Vikings once removed" camp for now. :)
As always, a wonderful article full of information well worth absorbing.
Roberta, have you ever thought about writing this as part of a review for travel websited like trip advisor? Very well written and great pictures! Rhode Island looks pretty interesting through your words. Voted up!
Dry your eyes, Robie2!
Just did a little research (inspired by the knowledge that Britian is just about the most invaded island in history) and found out that, according to some recent genetic studies:
"They find that around 50 percent of northwest English men once descended from Viking patrilines."
So there you go, half of us are Vikings anyway. So English architecture is just Viking architecture once removed, looked at in a certain light. :)
This website might interest you (I have no personal connection with this site, just found it whilst exploring)
Hi, I would be great if it was Viking wouldn't it? It looks to me like something we would have built over here in England maybe back in the 16th Century. It may well have been built in a slightly different shape for some reason, but it does look familiar, but what a fascinating place!
Hi Robie2, what a great read, thank you so much!
I'm sorry to be a damp squib but my money is on the boring 17th Century Gristmill just because there is evidence for that. Also, I did a little research because I was curious about the assumption that fireplaces in mills just doesn't make sense. I found this reference to Wheatly Mill in Oxfordshire, England:
'The octagonal shape of this 18th Century tower mill is distinctly unusual, there are only two or three such towers in the UK. The tower has three storeys. There are two fireplaces on the ground floor (some mills only had one, and others none at all) and a properly framed staircase leads to the 'stone floor', i.e. the first floor where the mill stones are set.'
Clearly the implication is that, yes, it was reasonable to have a fireplace, or even two, in a mill back then. I guess it was before the current health and safety regulations really kicked in!
Evenso, I'm delighted to 'suspend disbelief' for the sake of a good read such as this was. A great hub, beautifully written - and even though I had decided pretty fast what I thought about the mill, I was still totally intrigued by the rest of it. That, I guess, is a sign of what a good writer you are. Thanks!
Fascinating!
Fascinating! I'd have to go with diogenes's opinion. The Newport Tower DOES look to be from a period when the Vikings were roaming the seas in search of maidens to deflower and settlements to pillage. ;D
Oh sooooooo cool! I want to go see it now. I did catch that History Channel special on it awhile back. There's nothing cooler than a good mystery. I almost don't want it to get figured out (not soon anyway). Great hub! Thank you.
Just by eyeballing the Tower from photos, I would say it looks around 12th Century. based on lots of structures and ruins in Britain from that period. The Vikings over here built very little to my knowledge, they were too bust pillaging and deflowering our maidens. A mystery all right.
Bob
I love historical mysteries. They're the best! Great Hub - thanks!
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