5 Touro Park West

Newport, Rhode Island

Built in 1864, for Daniel M. Edgar (1816-1884) and his wife, Julia Lorillard (1821-1907). Daniel was the younger brother of "The Commodore" who built Sunnyside on Old Beach Road. Daniel and Julia's summer home, designed by Newport's pre-eminent architect of that period, George Champlin Mason Sr., is also sometimes referred to as the "Catharine Lorillard Wolfe House". They sold the house in 1872 to Mrs Edgar's cousin, Catharine - Julia's father, Jacob Lorillard, was the brother of Catharine's grandfather, Pierre Lorillard II. Catharine lived here up until 1883 when she built a decidedly larger mansion that she named Vinland after becoming fascinated with the tale that Vikings had settled in North America a thousand years ago - that as of 2021 modern science has revealed to be true. No. 5 was given its Federal makeover in 1949....

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This house is best associated with...

Daniel McC. Edgar

Daniel M. Edgar, of 862 Broadway, New York City & Newport, Rhode Island

1816-1884

Julia (Lorillard) Edgar

Mrs Julia (Lorillard) Edgar

1821-1907

Catharine Lorillard Wolfe

Catharine Lorillard Wolfe, of 13 Madison Avenue: "Not Interested in Matrimony"

1828-1887

Cornelius Curran Moore

Cornelius C. Moore, of Newport, Rhode Island

1884-1970

The original house was typically Victorian and featured a broad veranda from which to enjoy the sea breeze. In 1948, it was purchased by lifelong Newporter Cornelius C. Moore who over the course of the next two years remodelled the exterior to give it its Federal appearance. His well-known collection of 18th Century American (and notably Newport) silver was kept here until it was sold at Sotheby's Auction House in 1986. For some years up until 2017, No. 5 was a bed-and-breakfast known as the Touro Park Inn where the "Portrait Room" displayed memorabilia that belonged to that most famous yet tragic Gilded couple, Elizabeth Drexel and Harry "King" Lehr. Today, it is a private home.