Middletown, Rhode Island of the early 1700s painted quite the pastoral scene- it was almost entirely farmland, with small farm houses and barns sparsely dotting the landscape. This rural lifestyle was lived out of necessity by farmers, who used the nearby port town of Newport to ship their product. But some were drawn to Middletown out of sheer pleasure- one such man was George Berkeley.
History
George Berkeley was an Anglo-Irish philosopher and bishop who settled in Middletown, Rhode Island for a time. In 1725, he proposed to found a college in Bermuda, which would serve to educate natives and British colonists in liberal arts and sciences. George Berkeley envisioned grand opportunities in the New World, which was not yet corrupted by the sins of the old. He received support of this proposal from King George I and a promise of £20,000 from the British Parliament. The next leg of his journey would take him to the New World in 1729.
George Berkeley and his wife Anne arrived in Newport, Rhode Island on Thursday, January 23, 1729 and intended on staying there temporarily until the funds could be procured for the college in Bermuda. Berkeley’s status as a philosopher preceded him, particularly because he kept company with famed philosophers, writers, and thinkers such as Joseph Addison and Richard Steele. Accordingly, his arrival in Newport was a big deal for the townsfolk, especially for local intellectuals such as Abraham Redwood.
In February 1729, Berkeley purchased a 96 acre tract of land “out in the woods” (in today’s Middletown) that already had a small house on it. He enlarged this original building, added some architectural flair to it, and named it “Whitehall” in honor of the palace of English Kings. George furnished Whitehall with furniture brought over from England and a library of nearly 1000 books. Although he enjoyed the social life, which Newport undoubtedly had, he preferred the solitude of the (then) secluded countryside, which afforded him the time and space to write and think.
During their time at Whitehall, the Berkeley family welcomed their first son, Henry, and a daughter, Lucia, who died in infancy and was buried in the Trinity Church graveyard. George was occasionally invited by Reverend Honeyman to Newport’s Trinity Church to preach and he often welcomed visitors to his house for discussions, likely held in the large front room of Whitehall. These discussion groups focused on philosophy and literature and formed the Philosophical Society, which was the precursor to the Redwood Library.
After 2 1/2 years living at Whitehall, George learned that the funds for the intended college in Bermuda would never materialize. Despite the welcome they received and pastoral setting they loved, the Berkeley family packed up most of their belongings and returned to the British Isles in the summer of 1731; however, George left most of his books and his house to Yale College (some of his books were given to Harvard College as well). He would go on to serve as the Bishop of Cloyne, Ireland.
The Whitehall farmhouse became an Inn by the early 1740s (leased by Yale College) and was also rented to tenants throughout the years. During the British Army’s occupation of Newport from December 1776 – October 1779 during the American Revolutionary War, British officers were quartered in the house. The need for constant firewood to survive the harsh New England winters led to the landscape surrounding Whitehall to be stripped of all trees, which only added to the dreary situation of the occupied town.
The house was occupied for the next 100 years or so, until it fell into disrepair. For some time, the dilapidated structure was in such disarray that chickens and other vermin wandered about freely inside. Fortunately, the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America obtained the house in 1899 and made historic restorations in 1936. Since 1975, Whitehall has hosted scholars who live in residence for study.
Interesting Facts:
- After the Berkeley’s moved out of Whitehall, the farmhouse served as an inn, a tavern, a coffee house, and was leased to numerous farmers
- By the end of the 1800s, the Whitehall farmhouse was in complete disrepair and had pigs and chickens living on the ground floor (its difficult to imagine such a cherished historic home in such poor shape!)
- George Berkeley wrote Alciphron or The Minute Philosopher while living at Whitehall
- The line “westward the course of empire takes its way,” taken from a poem written by George Berkeley, was the inspiration for the University of California to name their city “Berkeley”
Our Visit & Recommendations
The Whitehall House Museum (311 Berkeley Avenue, Middletown, RI 02842) is open to the public from July 1 to August 31 each year, but can potentially be visited at other times if an appointment is made. The hours are usually from 1pm – 4pm on Tuesdays only (I recommend checking their website prior to planning a visit). There is technically no entrance fee; however, an admission donation of $5 is suggested. When tours are offered beyond just Tuesdays, the tour is often provided by resident scholars from Wednesday to Sunday, while Tuesday tours are usually given by museum docents. There is a parking lot across from Whitehall, but be mindful that it is located along a residential street.
It is easy to see why George Berkeley so loved Whitehall and the surrounding landscape. From the nearby meandering Maidford River, variation of vegetation, flowers, and trees, rolling farm fields, and proximity to the ocean, one could stand at the doorstep of Whitehall and experience all the beauty of nature. Even today, despite the modern build up of neighborhoods, roads, and power lines, you can steal a glimpse of what Berkeley’s experience was like in 1729. Simply stand on the grounds of Whitehall, breath in the fresh ocean air, listen to the multitude of birds chirping, and witness the exquisite scenes of nature in the fields behind the historic home.
The house tour consists of the first floor, which is comprised of four main rooms: a front parlor/sitting room, bedroom, dining room/kitchen, and a large entertaining room. Although there are no pieces originally owned by the Berkeley’s still in the house, it has been expertly furnished with period pieces.
If you are unable to actually tour the interior of the house (which may be difficult to schedule), you can still visit and walk the grounds. I recommend walking around towards the back of the house, which provides a better view of the structure’s unique architecture (note the hip roof). Once in the backyard, be sure to check out the old well and the pastoral views- I find it remarkable that despite the build-up around Whitehall, it still maintains some semblance of its original 96 acres.
