A Time of Change for Belcourt Castle

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Feb 4th 2006 at 3:01PM

One of Newport, Rhode Island's most famous homes, Belcourt Castle may be in for a transition. The Newport Daily News reports on this "summer cottage" designed by Richard Morris Hunt. The owner, Donald Tinney died last month, leaving his widow as the sole owner. Mrs. Tinney has vowed to preserve the home, a 65-room, 19th century castle that has been open for years for tours and private events. The couple had battled a long time to keep the home, waging a legal battle against a handyman that Ruth Tinney, Donald's mother, had adopted after her husband's death. The home was almost sold to Peter de Savary, the English businessman who developed Carnegie Abbey in Portsmouth last November but the deal fell through. The castle does not currently have tax-emept status but there are plans to offer membership in the Tinney family's Royal Arts Foundation to community members. The castle recently reopened for tours.

Tags: belcourt castle, BelcourtCastle, home tours, luxury, newport, real estate