42 Prospect Avenue
Newport, Rhode Island · Est. 1876
Architectural Style
Queen Anne
Historic Name
The Edward W. & Clara Thorne House
Known Occupants
6 Families · Since 1874
Introduction
The house at 42 Prospect Avenue was built in 1876 for Edward W. Thorne, a New York textile merchant who chose the Kay Street neighborhood over the grander Bellevue Avenue estates. He belonged to Newport's professional class, and Prospect Avenue suited him perfectly.
Architect Dudley Newton delivered an exuberant Queen Anne composition: asymmetrical facade, fishscale shingles, wraparound porch with turned spindles, and sunburst ornament in the gable peaks. It was confident and cheerful, a product of Centennial-year optimism.
Clara Thorne made the house a neighborhood social center. Her literary salons drew writers and intellectuals, and she helped establish the Newport Hospital Ladies' Auxiliary.
Their daughter Margaret inherited in 1904 and kept the house for forty-four years. She resisted selling during Newport's decline, turning down the Navy during World War II and developers afterward.
When the Kay Street Historic District was established in 1974, the house was recognized as one of the neighborhood's best-preserved Queen Anne dwellings.
Property Details
Year Built
1876
Queen Anne
Lot Size
0.34 acres
Assessor 42-117-0
Registry ID
NPT.814
Historical Commission
Condition
Good
Single Family Residence
Setting · Kay Street - Catherine Street
Tree-lined block in the Kay Street neighborhood, a residential enclave of Queen Anne, Stick, and Colonial Revival dwellings developed in the 1870s-1880s for Newport's professional class.
Architecture
A two-and-a-half-story wood frame dwelling in the Queen Anne style. The asymmetrical facade features a projecting two-story bay capped in fishscale shingles, a wraparound porch with turned spindle columns, and sunburst ornament in the gable peaks. Windows are a mix of one-over-one sash and fixed art glass in the stair hall. A tall interior chimney rises from the center ridge.
Building Materials
Foundation
Granite block
Walls
Wood clapboard & decorative shingle
Roof
Slate (original), asphalt replacement
Alterations: Kitchen ell expanded ca. 1920; third-floor dormers added ca. 1905
Changes Over Time
Original construction
Queen Anne dwelling with wraparound porch, projecting bay, fishscale shingles, and slate roof.
Dormers added
Two gabled dormers added to the front roof slope, matching existing ornament.
Kitchen ell expanded
Rear ell enlarged for modern kitchen with plumbing and gas range.
Exterior restoration
Porch columns, brackets, and bargeboard restored. Repainted in period three-color scheme.
Ownership Timeline
Edward W. Thorne
New York textile merchant. Built the house in 1876. City Council member and founding member of the Newport Reading Room.
Clara Bowen Thorne
Known for hosting literary salons. Helped establish the Newport Hospital Ladies' Auxiliary.
Margaret Thorne Aldrich
Married into the Aldrich political family. Added dormers ca. 1905. Resisted selling during Newport's mid-century decline.
Richard Aldrich Jr.
Summer residence. Expanded the kitchen ell.
George & Helen Carpenter
Year-round residents. Helped establish the Kay Street Historic District in 1974.
Prospect Avenue Realty Trust
Rental property. Essential maintenance only.
Notable People
Builder of the house
Edward W. Thorne (1838 - 1901)
A New York textile merchant who chose Newport's Kay Street neighborhood over the grander Bellevue Avenue estates. City Council member and founding member of the Newport Reading Room.
Literary hostess
Clara Bowen Thorne (1842 - 1904)
Known for hosting literary salons that drew writers and intellectuals, including Henry James. Helped establish the Newport Hospital Ladies' Auxiliary.
Long-term family steward
Margaret Thorne Aldrich (1870 - 1948)
Married into the Aldrich political family. Kept the house for forty-four years, resisting the Navy during WWII and developers afterward.
Area History
The Kay Street neighborhood sits between Bellevue Avenue and the harbor. Unlike the grand estates of the Vanderbilts and Astors, this was the quarter of Newport's doctors, merchants, and naval officers.
Prospect Avenue was laid out in 1874 by the Newport Land Trust. Queen Anne, Stick, and Shingle Style houses rose side by side, many by architects George Champlin Mason and Dudley Newton.
Listed as a historic district in 1974, the neighborhood is now considered one of the most intact Victorian residential enclaves in New England.
Land Use Over Time
Easton family farmland used for grazing, with views over the harbor.
Newport Land Trust subdivided the hillside. Edward Thorne purchased Lot 17 in 1874.
Thorne and Aldrich families occupied the house as a primary and then summer residence.
Year-round single-family residence. Contributing structure in the Kay Street Historic District.
Historic Maps
Hopkins Atlas of Newport
Lot 17 labeled 'E. W. Thorne' with house footprint depicted.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map
Wood frame construction noted, two-and-a-half stories, slate roof.
Additional Maps Referenced
Richards Standard Atlas
Property labeled 'M. Thorne.' Added dormers reflected in footprint.
Sanborn Map (Updated)
Expanded kitchen ell shown. Owner listed as 'Aldrich Estate.'
Historic Photos
View from Prospect Ave, ca. 1890
The wraparound porch, ca. 1905
South elevation and garden, ca. 1910
Prospect Ave streetscape, ca. 1920
Front entrance detail, ca. 1935
After restoration, 2003
Notable Events
12
August 1876
“Mr. Thorne's handsome new residence on Prospect Avenue is nearing completion.”
Newport Mercury
3
June 1889
“Mrs. Thorne's literary salon drew a distinguished gathering, including Mr. Henry James.”
Newport Daily News
22
July 1942
“Mrs. Aldrich declined Navy offers to quarter officers in Prospect Avenue homes.”
Newport Daily News
8
March 2004
“The Thorne-Aldrich House has been beautifully restored to its Victorian-era appearance.”
Newport Daily News
Deed & Land Records
Newport Land Trust to Edward W. Thorne. Lot 17, 0.34 acres.
Estate of Edward W. Thorne to Clara B. Thorne.
Estate of Clara B. Thorne to Margaret Thorne Aldrich.
Estate of Margaret Thorne Aldrich to Richard Aldrich Jr.
Richard Aldrich Jr. to George and Helen Carpenter.
Helen Carpenter to Prospect Avenue Realty Trust.
Trust to current owners.
Sources
- 01Newport Land Evidence: NLD 52:319, NLD 78:442, NLD 84:115, NLD 127:88, NLD 198:331, NLD 412:207, NLD 588:44
- 02Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps: Newport, 1893 and 1921
- 03Hopkins Atlas of Newport (1876)
- 04Richards Standard Atlas of Newport County (1907)
- 05Newport Mercury and Newport Daily News, various editions 1870-2010
- 06Downing & Scully, The Architectural Heritage of Newport, Rhode Island (1952)
- 07Kay Street Historic District nomination, National Register (1974)
Prepared 2025