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Newport Historic Preservation Commission recommends landmark designation for Southgate Thompson House
Summary
The commission voted unanimously July 15, 2026, to recommend that 24 East 3rd Street be designated a local historic landmark — to be called the Southgate Thompson House — citing cultural importance, association with the Southgate family and John T. Thompson, and notable Second Empire architecture.
The Newport Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously on July 15, 2026, to recommend that 24 East 3rd Street be designated a local historic landmark and forwarded to the Newport Board of Commissioners for two readings.
Historic preservation staff introduced nomination HP2600332 and told the commission the recommendation rests on three criteria in the Newport code of ordinances: the site’s value as a reminder of cultural and architectural heritage, its identification with persons significant to the city’s development, and its architectural quality and retained elements. “The Newport code of ordinances 32 0 7 5 is what gives the historic preservation commission the ability to rule on historic local landmark designations,” a staff member said during the presentation.
Staff summarized the property’s layered history: early 19th-century construction on the site, successive owners including members of the Southgate family, later ownership by the Knights of Columbus and lengthy use as a music and community venue. The staff presentation noted a frequently repeated local claim that prisoners of war helped build the house but said it had found no primary-source documentation for that assertion.
Public commenters urged protection. Edwin Vardaman, who identified himself as a Newport resident and local business co‑owner, asked the commission to “give it his most valuable protection that it possibly could have,” arguing the building contributes to neighborhood character and the local tax base. Morella Raleigh, who said she is the daughter of longtime owner Ross Raleigh and now runs the Southgate House Revival, described the property’s music‑venue legacy and said the designation would honor its cultural role: “I do believe that this is an important designation.”
Commission discussion focused on the site’s name and periods of significance. Commissioners settled on the name Southgate Thompson House for the record and agreed to treat architectural significance as primarily spanning 1814–1914 while acknowledging broader cultural significance through about 2025. Staff clarified that design review protections applied to exterior, publicly visible features within the architectural period.
A commissioner moved that the commission recommend landmark designation of 24 East 3rd Street to the Board of Commissioners, specifying the name Southgate Thompson House, architectural period of significance 1814–1914, and cultural significance 1814–2025. The motion noted the property’s long history as a civic gathering place, its association with the Southgate family and John T. Thompson, and remaining Second Empire features including a mansard roof, central tower and decorative window hoods.
The commission approved the recommendation by unanimous roll-call vote. Staff said the Board of Commissioners will take up the recommendation in two readings before voting on the designation. The meeting adjourned at 5:54 p.m.
The commission also updated the public about outreach for a proposed Monmouth Street overlay and scheduled a public hearing and COA review for July 29, where draft guidelines based on the Secretary of the Interior standards will be discussed.
