Upon its completion in 1741, The Old Colony House, at the head of Washington Square in Newport, served as the seat of Rhode Island's government until the current Rhode Island State House in Providence was completed in 1904. Benedict Arnold was elected as the first governor. The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations received its royal charter in 1663.
They also meet in the oldest synagogue in the U.S., Touro Synagogue. This group eventually came to be known as Congregation Jeshuat Israel, and is the second-oldest Jewish congregation in the United States. Fleeing the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal, they were not allowed to settle elsewhere. In 1658, a group of Jews was welcomed to settle in Newport. Many of the first colonists in Newport became Baptists, and the second Baptist congregation in Rhode Island was formed in 1640 under the leadership of John Clarke. Newport eventually grew to be the largest of the four original settlements that later became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, including Providence Plantations and Shawomett. They separated within a year of that settling Portsmouth, so Coddington and the others began the settlement of Newport on the southern side of the island. Many of these people were part of the settlement at Portsmouth, along with Anne Hutchinson and her followers. Its eight founders and first officers were Nicholas Easton, William Coddington, John Clarke, John Coggeshall, William Brenton, Jeremy Clark, Thomas Hazard, and Henry Bull.
Newport was founded in 1639 on Aquidneck Island, another name given to Rhode Island. Īn 1818 painting of Newport reportedly painted by a Hessian artist The population is 25,163 as of the 2020 census. It was known for being the location of the " Summer White Houses" during the administrations of presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. The city is the county seat of Newport County, which has no governmental functions other than court administrative and sheriff corrections boundaries. It was a major 18th-century port city and boasts many buildings from the Colonial era. It is also the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport, which houses the United States Naval War College, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, and an important Navy training center. Open tournaments in both tennis and golf, as well as every challenge to the America's Cup between 19. It is known as a New England summer resort and is famous for its historic mansions and its rich sailing history. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately 33 miles (53 km) southeast of Providence, 20 miles (32 km) south of Fall River, Massachusetts, 74 miles (119 km) south of Boston, and 180 miles (290 km) northeast of New York City. Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island.