Richard Morris Hunt, Rendering for East Elevation of William K. and Alva Vanderbilt’s Marble House, c. 1888. Courtesy The Hunt Collection in AIA/AAF Collection, Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

A Closer Look at Richard Morris Hunt
Thursday, September 25, 2025, 6-7pm
Pre-lecture reception at 5pm
Live at Rosecliff and via Zoom (ticketed)

The Preservation Society of Newport County is pleased to present an in-person and virtual lecture in conjunction with their newest exhibition, Richard Morris Hunt: In a New Light. In the modern era, Richard Morris Hunt is often considered an idea. His name is used as an adjective: a Hunt building, a Hunt design, and so on. This simplification of his contributions to architectural history negates the revolutionary actions he took to reform our nation’s relationship with buildings.

As a young man living and studying in Paris, Hunt had a front-row seat to Georges-Eugène Haussmann’s redesign of the city and witnessed its metamorphosis from a medieval town to a Beaux-Arts capital. He worked as a supervising architect on the unification of the Louvre project, under his mentor Hector-Martin Lefuel. His cultural appreciation was further refined during his extensive travels across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. At last he was prepared to return to America and bring his vision to reality.

Join Chief Curator Leslie Jones to learn more about America’s premier Gilded Age architect and discover not only what Hunt made, but what—and who—made Hunt.

A pre-lecture reception will begin at 5pm and the exhibition will be open for viewing before and after the lecture.

To learn more and purchase tickets, click here.