Just in time for the Christmas season, The Preservation Society of Newport County has opened its newly-expanded store at The Breakers, the flagship of its collection of historic Newport Mansions. Located in the basement of the 1895 mansion, the expansion of the store also opens to the public for the first time several historic areas of the building that have never been seen before.

The store now occupies five rooms which originally constituted kitchen staff work areas, including the staff dining room, pantry and refrigerator room. The historic spaces have been cleaned up and restored, and now provide the backdrop for displays of china, books, decorative arts, jewelry and other gift items and souvenirs.

The new store expands the Society's retail space at The Breakers from 975 square feet to 2,000 square feet. "We have bigger and better displays, and can offer better customer service because there is more space and better lighting," said Preservation Society CEO and Executive Director Trudy Coxe.

"The additional space has allowed us to expand the product line that we offer to the more than 300,000 people who visit The Breakers every year," added Educational Sales Manager Laura Murphy. "Overall, it makes for a much more enjoyable shopping environment."

Among the featured products in the store are Christmas ornaments created exclusively for the Newport Mansions by Rhode Island-based Gloria Duchin, Inc. and Newport's Angela Moore. The store now also offers more clothing items, including evening jackets, scarves, designer purses and more.

The Newport Mansions Store at The Breakers is one of seven retail outlets operated by the Preservation Society. Additional stores are located at Rosecliff, The Elms, Marble House and Green Animals Topiary Garden, as well as a free-standing store on Bannister's Wharf and a kiosk at the Newport Visitors Center.

The Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island is a non-profit educational organization accredited by the American Association of Museums and dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area's historic architecture, landscapes and decorative arts. Its 11 historic properties—five of them National Historic Landmarks—span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive]