40 Newton Avenue
(1883-1884) – A large, 2-1/2 story, stone and wood-frame
Shingle Style dwelling with a flared hipped-gale roof, gable and hip-roofed wings to the west, and a glazed veranda facing the ocean. The house, designed for George V. Cresson of Philadelphia by McKim, Mead and White, was listed in American Country Houses of the Gilded Age. This publication notes that the original price of the house was $26,000, and that George V. Cresson was the president of a huge firm which he founded in 1859 to manufacture ropes, wheels, pulleys and drive shafts to transmit power.
Various members of the Cresson family used Stone Lea as their summer residence until 1911, when the property was sold. In later years, the Newberry’s, major stockholders of Packard Motor Car Company, purchased Stone Lea and summered here. As one of the first homes in Narragansett to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was recognized for its historical and architectural importance.
Special Features
Oceanfront estate with ocean views of Jamestown, Newport, Sakonnet Point and beyond. Included in this seascape is ocean-going traffic such as sailboats, lobster fishermen, trawlers, and ocean-going commerce on Narragansett Bay. Built on two plus acres, this is a premier location on the coast and allows for a magnificent view of a beautiful coastline.
The staircase is especially noteworthy and is a signature architectural element of Stanford White’s designs. Note the “grand piano” shaping of the first landing of the staircase. The view from this landing up the coastline is breathtaking.
The house was significantly altered in the 1940’s, and the present owners, Dr. Guy Lancellotti and Mrs. Stephanie Lancellotti, are in the process of restoring it to its original façade to the degree possible. The property sustained storm damage during Superstorm Sandy in 2012, and the needed repairs are being conducted in accordance with the house’s historical significance.