Newport This Week

The Next Chapter for Banister House



Damage from powderpost beetles, a wood boring insect, was evident throughout the house. (Photo by Richard Perry)

Damage from powderpost beetles, a wood boring insect, was evident throughout the house. (Photo by Richard Perry)

Everyone who has ventured down Spring Street in the past year has noticed, especially with two stories of the white wall wrap exposed, the reconstruction work that is taking place at the John Banister House at the corner of Pelham Street.

When Banister, a wealthy merchant, built it in 1751, it was one of Newport’s most impressive residences. It then extended to what is now Mill Street, there was a large back garden and the entire property was surrounded by a wall made of bricks imported from Holland.

Except for a small addition at the back, which was installed at some unknown date, it looks much now as when it was built. The structure has the same gambrel roof, dormer and other windows, two chimneys, a central staircase, clapboard siding and a recessed doorway.

The large rooms were half-paneled, with the undecorated wood extending from the floor halfway to the ceiling. It must have been richly appointed, as Banister imported luxury goods and furnishings from Europe.

In fact, the recessed doorway was uncommon then, as evidenced by the lack of one at its near contemporary, Hunter House. Vernon House was extensively refurbished around the same time and it lacks such a doorway as well.

The doorway’s decorative features, the pilaster flanking Doric columns, are thought to have been added in the 1800s, but the placement of the windows around the door are from the original design.

The latest chapter for the John Banister House is an extensive rehabilitation project, undertaken by its newest owner, Richard Fairgrieve and his partner, Jim Lloyd. Both men have had careers in finance. Fairgrieve is the active, onsite partner, and he can often be seen working on the exterior. He grew up on Long Island and has worked in New York, London and Hong Kong. He has also owned a condo in Middletown for many years.

“This is a renovation project, not a restoration,” he said. “A house in need of serious attention.”

Aquidneck Consulting Engineers, LLC, was hired to survey the house and provide an existing condition report to city officials.

“There is a lot of damage to the structure, getting progressively worse from the roof to the firstfloor framing,” the report states. “ACE recommends repairing the roof, third floor and second floor framings abutting the chimneys, and wholesale replacement of the addition [at the back of the house] and the first-floor framing.”

In the same report, damage to the beams, joists and interior woodwork from powderpost beetles, a wood boring insect that with time can reduce any wooden building to sawdust, is noted. This infestation requires both treatment and replacement pieces.

The windows, which are not original, are being replaced. All the new windows, including the roundels, will have the same appearance as the older ones. Likewise, new cedar shingles are replacing the existing split oak shingles.

The brick chimneys are also being restored. The foundation, which is original, needed much work and has been repainted in the historic blue of the house.

The interior is being cleared out. The house had been chopped up into 14 rooms on three floors to accommodate guests. However, when built, the house was open and Fairgrieve said it is being restored to the original floor plan. The only departure from the dimensions of the 1751 design is that the partners will be keeping the addition on the back with its slanted roof. That area will be turned into a kitchen.

When finished, it will be a single family residence for the first time in decades.

Whether it is rented long or short term, Banister House will stand for generations, gracing Newport’s street scene as it has since 1751.

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