In 1925, a 13-year-old girl who built sandcastles on Newport beaches and who barely tolerated sitting still in fancy dresses inherited $80 million. In the course of her life, she grew that fortune to over a billion dollars, traveled the world and ammassed countless art treasures, and became the benefactor of artists, medical researchers, and charites that support the environment and work to prevent child abuse. In a way, Doris Duke never stopped being that 13-year-old girl.

		Rough Point, Doris Duke's mansion in Newport was one of her two constant residences. She lived in the 39,000 square foot Bellevue Avenue mansion from May to December of most years along with her dogs and camels. Camels? Yes, they came as part of a bargain for an airplane she wanted to buy. While the dogs were allowed to roam throughout Rough Point's 105 rooms and jump on her 300-year-old sofas, the camels were restricted to the back yard overlooking the water. Only once were they allowed inside, using the solarium as shelter from a hurricane. The dogs, often disorderly, broke china that Doris herself chose to repair. The solitary nature of the project and the complex puzzles and challenge appealed to her. She took classes on repairing ceramics throughout her life, and some of the pieces she repaired are still proudly displayed in Rough Point. In her life, she married and divorced twice, and her only child died soon after birth, perhaps explaining why she named her camels "Princess" and "Baby". So denied the legacy of a family, she turned her wealth toward preserving the past and bettering the world. She worked at restoring and preserving houses. Though she didn't wield hammer and nails herself, she founded the Newport Restoration Foundation in 1968 with the purpose of saving more than 84 colonial buildings in Newport's "Point" and "Historic Hill" sections. Her will stipulated that the Rough Point mansion be dedicated as a museum. Inside Rough Point, which was originally built for Fredrick W. Vanderbilt in 1887, visitors can see her art treasures -- largely tapestries, ceramics, and portrait art, but also including antique furniture and jewelry. Huge Persian and Indian carpets cover the floors, candillers of rough-cut natural crystal hang above, and everywhere there are hung paintings by masters like Gainsborough, Van Dyck, and Renoir. Perhaps one of the most intersting things is that among her opulance there is a simplicity. Her bedroom's furniture is covered with cunningly crafted mother-of-pearl, but the white eyelet drapes on her four-poster bed came from J.C. Penny's. She had homes around the world, but spent most of her time in the two she grew up in. She loved jazz music and frequently made anominous gifts to starving musicians. And while the ballroom of Rough Point is bigger than most single-family houses, she entertained just one or two couples at a time, primarily at dinner. During her life, Doris kept high fences and barbed wire around her estate. She even built a bridge to move Cliff Walk farther from the house.That sense of intimacy and seclusion is maintained now that Rough Point is a museum -- there is no parking lot for the estate, visitors have to purchase tickets and catch a shuttle from the Newport Visitors Information Center and tours are limited to 12 people at a time. A new climate-controlled gallery displays rotating exhibits, the first of which was a collection of her family's jewelry -- diamonds and rubies and emeralds from exotic places. Plan on visiting the home of an heiress, where, among the priceless art treasures sits little trophies Doris won while making sandcastles on Newport beaches.
Buy This Art Print At AllPosters.com

The hour-long tours of Rough Point run Tuesday through Saturday, every 20 minutes from 10 to 3:30. Tickets are $25 online at www.newportrestoration.org or at the Newport Visitor Information Center at 23 America's Cup Avenue, Newport. This article produced with material from the Newport Restoration Foundation and Nancy Leonardo. Visit the Newport Restoration Foundation at http://www.newportrestoration.org

About the author, Paul Pence: Not a life-long Rhode Islander, Paul got to Rhode Island as fast as he could. He has 25 years of writing experience and numerous publication credits including the Providence Journal, the East Greenwich Magazine, Weissmann Travel Reports, Travel Lady Magazine, Jackhammer, Your Skin and Sun, TravelNotes, TexWoman, and many others.

- Paul Pence -

Readers Comments About This Page:

Be the first!
Add Your Comment!