Harbor House Project Development

Church Community Housing Corporation (CCHC) was successful in providing new or renovated housing to low income individuals, families and seniors in the Newport, RI area. Beginning in the late 1980’s Adé Bethune began to explore the option of developing an ‘intentional community’ for active seniors. A large plat of land with buildings suffering from “deferred maintenance” at Washington and Battery Streets seemed an ideal location for such a project. In the 1840’s the property was purchased by John Auchincloss, a New York businessman. He built a summer home for his family overlooking the sea. In 1907 the Auchincloss Estate and two other parcels combined earlier and known as the “Bay Bank” are joined by Agnes C. Storer and Marie Cisneros and deeded to the St. Regis Corporation of France and New York. At this time, the property included the estate house, barn, carriage and other buildings. The St. Regis Corporation or the Religious of the Cenacle established a small convent and retreat center at the address of 21 Battery Street, Newport, RI. In 1914 the Cenacle undertook a building project and added the St. Francis Guest House, Nuns’ Annex, the Cenacle Chapel and Chaplain’s Cottage to the property. Under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1935-1939 the seafront portion of the property is taken by eminent domain and used to build a waterfront Esplanade to extend Washington Street to the Naval Hospital. In 1955 the Corpus Christi Carmel Sisters from Trinidad purchase the property from St. Regis. The Carmel Sisters still used the site as an educational retreat center. After several years the property is abandoned to the City of Newport. In 1986 the City of Newport designates the property as John Martins Park. In 1996 the property was purchased by Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation.