Real Estate Envy: Clingstone

If you've been reading my blog long, you'll know that I am a proud Rhode Islander who is always eager to share my love for my hometown. I relish the opportunity when a friend says that they're going to Newport-do I have any recommendations?

It's hard to describe the feeling I get when I've returned home from all parts of the country. My hometown, Newport, is accessible only by bridges on all sides. Crossing them is a conflicting mix of exhilaration and calm; excited to be home and instantly feeling grounded.

If you approach Newport from the West you'll inevitably pass Clingstone on your south side. This 10,000 square foot manse is a contradiction of the luxury of privacy and the inconvenience of isolation. It is built on a rock in the middle of Narragansett bay, roughly 100 years ago by J.S.  Lovering Wharton. Total cost of construction in 1905 was $36,982.99.

Boston architect Henry Wood, a distant cousin of the original owner, bought the decades-vacant  Clingstone in 1961 for $3,600.  

Each Memorial Day, the Wood family hosts a "work weekend"  to take care of the estate, which needs constant care given its location in the middle of the bay. A throng of family members and Clingstone fans tend to the needs of a 23-room building with 63 windows.

I noticed the shingling done INSIDE the house. This has to be due to how caustic the salt air is to paint, metal, etc. There's NO escaping beach spray, especially when you're in the middle of the bay. 

Being a decor snob, my first reactions to the interior of Clingstone were those of disappointment. Thinking clearly, there has to be limitations on what you can import onto an island. Everything must be transported by boat onto the island and must withstand the test of time and salt air. It's no wonder that the owners take a bare-bones approach to their decor. 

I thought this was hilarious. 

I

All photos above by Erik Jacobs for the NYT

 via m-Altruism

Check out the solar panels and windmill. Clingstone runs independently on its own generator and is completely sustainable. The solar panels heat the water for the house, which the windmill provides electricity. It also boasts composting toilets. 

www.galenfrysinger.com

I've included these shots so you can get a feel for how isolated Clingstone is from the mainland. It is sandwiched in between Jamestown Island and Aquidneck Island (which houses Newport, Middletown, and Porstmouth), and is South of the Newport Bridge. There are no grocery or retail stores on Jamestown, therefore the inhabitants must go onto the mainland to the West or go East to Newport. 

It may be isolated, but I'm sure that nothing beats sunrise and sunset in this house.

Just one last glimpse of Summer for us before it's sweater season! Enjoy today!

***UPDATE: Clingstone can be rented during the Summer for $7500 per week!***