Elms
one of the Newport "cottages"
early morning at the entrance
The Elms was the summer residence of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Julius Berwind of Philadelphia and New York. Mr. Berwind made his fortune in the Pennsylvania coal industry. In 1898, the Berwinds engaged Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer to design a house modeled after the mid-18th century French chateau d'Asnieres (c.1750) outside Paris. Construction of The Elms was completed in 1901 at a cost reported at approximately $1.4 million.
The interiors and furnishings were designed by Allard and Sons of Paris and were the setting for the Berwinds' collection of Renaissance ceramics, 18th century French and Venetian paintings, and Oriental jades.
on the roof
roof statues
The elaborate Classical Revival gardens on the grounds were developed between
1907 and 1914. They include terraces displaying marble and bronze sculpture, a
park of fine specimen trees and a lavish lower garden featuring marble
pavilions, fountains, a sunken garden and carriage house and garage. These
gardens were recently restored.
the covered service entrance
1914 Victoria Landau Renault which
Julias Berwind owned while at the Elms
(Photo courtesy of Don Bierstock, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, who is the current
owner)
The Garden
Mrs. Berwind died in 1922, and Mr. Berwind invited his sister, Julia, to become
his hostess at his New York and Newport houses. Mr. Berwind died in 1936 and
Miss Julia continued to summer at The Elms until her death in 1961, at which
time the house and most of its contents were sold at public auction. The
Preservation Society of Newport County purchased The Elms in 1962 and opened the
house to the public. In 1996, The Elms was designated a National Historic
Landmark.
