Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum

Tours start on the hour and take about one hour or so. Admission cost is $ 10.00 or $ 5.00 if you get the OSLRI pass from a library that offers it such as Narragansett or N. Kingstown.
The tour included the house in which Stuart was born and the two mills– one for grinding corn and one for grinding snuff. The docent Dave explained a great deal about the history of the property and the life and paintings of Gilbert Stuart.
The great news is that this property now has a climate controlled gallery. There were many portraits by Gilbert Stuart on display that are privately owned, so this was a unique chance to see them. Stuart paintings such asPortrait of Sarah Anne Peise and Mrs. William Rotch really show Staurt’s skills as a portraitist. Paintings by other famous artists such as Bierstadt, Edward Bannister, Charles Bird King, William Trost Richards, Edward Darch Lewis, Kensett (Paradise Rocks) etc. were also on display.
After the indoor tours I went on a twenty minute trail walk. It was dry and well marked, although keeping an eye out for tree roots and wearing sneakers is recommended. The scenic overlook at Carr Pond was very beautiful but the most breathtaking thing was when a deer suddenly leapt out of the brush a few hundred yards ahead of me. There were also a couple of cute little chipmunks and many birds as they have out several feeders on the property. It was a great way to spend a couple of hours exploring RI history, seeing some art and hiking!

Historical place, lovely setting, and an enjoyable tour. The museum features a working mill, as well as the GS birth place (yes, the house — and the room). The mill, a dam, and a fish ladder are not what you would expect — but they’re there, they’re historical, and they come with the tour. I’ve seen some other places, but it is nice to see them restored and available for viewing on the tour.
The docent/​guide was very knowledgeable, and is dedicated to the ongoing preservation. Three students (ranging from ~10 to 14 yrs old) in period costumes were on premises, and each told a story for part of the tour. It was heartening to see each tell their stories with pride (and to see them doing something besides playing video games!). At many museums like this, the docents can whitewash the stories of the honoree — like they did no wrong. The docent stuck to history & fact so far as we knew (Stuart painted a lot, at least in part because he had money problems — he had 8+ kids and liked the good life too!); I appreciate this candor.
As to Emily’s comment, I have been on the tour, and see how much care they put into it, and how it would be difficult to join mid-​tour. Our tour was 11 people, and we couldn’t have squeezed many more into the tiny rooms. With one docent shepherding a tour around the grounds (and with three students to watch), and a nervous young person alone as the cashier in the gift shop, I can see how this would lead to the situation she described. I suggest you do the detour and spring for the $ 10, it’s less than the cost of a movie and much more meaningful.

We were super excited to go to the Gilbert Stewart Museum, so much so that we’d planned to give a nice donation in honor of my late father in law. When we arrived we were advised the next tour was at 3:00. We didn’t really want to wait for the tour we simply wanted to view the «gallery.» So we paid the price of a tour for two adults and made our way into the gallery. As we viewed the art (none of which is an authenticated Stuart piece) a woman whom I assumed works with the museum kept quite an eye on us which made us very uncomfortable. We certainly didn’t come to pull the great American art heist but to view the work of an artist who meant a lot to my FIL. I found the entire experience to be very unwelcoming and awkward and needless to say we were so taken aback we just wanted to get out of there and did not make the donation. I will send something in the mail but it will be far less than we originally intended to give. This is a lovely setting but the museum is a glorified gift shop. If you work at a non profit you should make your patrons feel comfortable not police them out of your facility. Very bad form on this woman’s part. I hope she isn’t involved in fundraising for the museum. Please learn some manners and represent this wonderful American artist with dignity instead of suspicion, snobbery and rudeness.

This is a nice little museum that’s off the beaten path. I didn’t realize that Gilbert Stuart was from RI, so that was interesting. It’s a quick visit, as they didn’t seem to have a lot of information on him and more information on how people lived during the period. Glad I stopped in, as I live in RI, but I don’t think I’d make a specific trip to come here.

Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum is a great little piece of American history right here in lil Rhody. The grounds are simple and not too large, easily done in an hour’s time. «Museum» is a bit of an overstatement however, it’s more like a little house with period artifacts. This isn’t the Met or the Louvre by any stretch of the imagination and you won’t be needing to take a lunch break mid tour.
Visit in the spring and you might be lucky enough to see the herring run in the stream near by or up the fish ladder toward the back of the property. A few times a year, you can see the grist mill up and running as well.
Give a call before visiting to confirm hours and facilities are bare minimum, no food concessions but there are picnic tables available if you bring a bag lunch.

You have
seen
his art
You have seen the work of Gilbert Stuart but chances are you didn’t know the artist. If you live in Rhode Island you probably know the name but might not be sure exactly who he was. Gilbert Stuart is one of those people that is famous but in a very quiet way.
Gilbert was a portrait artist that painted over 1,000 different people. He did the first 6 presidents as well as several famous portraits of George Washington. In fact his most famous work is the unfinished portrait of George Washington that is on the one dollar bill. The picture is also hanging in many schools across the country. I remember seeing it in virtually every classroom and wonder why it was never finished.
Turned out the Gilbert kept it unfinished so he could use it to make other copies of the president and then sell them. He made about a 100 bucks a copy, not bad for the time and even though he always intented to finish the original he just never got around to it by the time he died at the age of 72.
Gilbert only lived at his birthplace for a short time before his family moved to more affluent Newport across the bay. However his birth home is still a pretty cool place. His family had the first snuff mill in the colonies and also ground corn for the local farmers. The house and mill are wonderfully restored and in beautiful condition and you get to see what a house and mill built in 1750 looked like when they were new.
The tour is a bit pricey at seven bucks but the money goes to a great cause. A docent will take you around and explain the house, the grounds. all the reproduction paintings in the home, and how the snuff and grist mill worked. And everything you could possibly want to know about Gilbert Stuart.
A fun and education tour and great way to spend 7 bucks. The Gilbert family was part of colonial history and fortunately some folks were insightful enough to restore and open this great house to the public. Most people might not know who Gilbert Stuart was but they see his art every time they open their wallets.