Stone Lea was built during the 19th century by McKim, Mead and White, a firm responsible for New York’s Vanderbilt Mansion and the Boston Public Library
BY V.L. HENDRICKSON
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Stone Lea was one of the first houses in the area to be recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, according to the listing.
LISTING OF THE DAY
Location: Narragansett, Rhode Island
Price: $6.495 million
The first thing one notices at Stone Lea in Narragansett is its expansive views of the Atlantic Ocean.
“From almost any room in the house, you can see the ocean,” said owner Guy Lancellotti, who has lived there with his wife, Stephanie, since 1995.
But the history of the home is just as impressive.
Built in 1884, it was designed by well-known architecture firm McKim, Mead and White. Stanford White, one of the principals, designed many decadent homes in the area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the firm is known for buildings like the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, New York; Columbia University and Pennsylvania Station in New York City; the Boston Public Library and many other buildings.
The Victorian, shingle-style home was designed for George V. Cresson of Philadelphia, the president of a manufacturing company. It’s 65-feet tall and just 75 feet from the ocean, Mr. Lancellotti said. Today, that isn’t possible because of building codes.
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“You can’t build as high as you want to or as close to the ocean as you want now,” he said.
The home is on Narragansett’s most eastern point, according to Mr. Lancellotti, on the rocky shore of Rhode Island. “It’s almost like the Maine coast,” he said.
This five-bedroom, eight-bathroom home has 8,882 square feet of living space on a two-and-a-half acre.
Stone Lea maintains much of its 19th-century charm, but is outfitted for modern living. A chef’s kitchen offers state-of-the-art appliances, plus climate-controlled wine storage.
A covered stone veranda faces the ocean, and is accessible from the ocean-side great room.
The manicured lawn reaches all the way to the water, according to the listing, plus there’s a pool and lounge area outside.
Over the years, the Lancellottis have completed several renovations, including the plumbing, electricity and the roof.
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Design pedigree
One of the home’s most distinctive features is its staircase, which is at the center of the house.
“Stanford White always did something a little different in each house; they are never quite the same,” Mr. Lancellotti said. Here, “he took one piece of wood and steamed and molded it to look like a grand piano. When you look up at it, it looks like the top of a grand piano.”
That wood makes up the outer railing of the staircase, and its piano-like curves can be seen from the ground floor.
The home has several other period elements, including 10 types of crown molding, pink granite quarried in Rhode Island, wainscoting and hardwood floors.
Stone Lea was one of the first houses in the area to be recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, according to the listing.
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Neighborhood notes
Known for its beaches and architecture, Narragansett is about a 30-minute drive from Providence and about three hours from New York City. The town, as well as nearby places like Narragansett Pier, Wickford, Jamestown and Newport, offers shopping and gourmet dining. It’s also close to the Point Judith Country Club and John H. Chafee National Wildlife Refuge.
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