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The Kinney Bungalow was built 1899 by Francis S. Kinney, a tobacco and
real estate millionaire, in order to host parties,
especially following
polo matches. Its design is strongly influenced by East
Indian style, perhaps
a taste he acquired from his younger years as a sailor.
He and Abbot Kinney, his younger brother, had founded Kinney
Brothers Tobacco
Company, one of the leading cigarette manufacturers in the
late nineteenth
century.Eventually they merged their company with others
into the "tobacco
trust" organized by James Buchanan Duke (father of the late
Newport
heiress and socialite, Doris Duke). Before it was broken up
by government
anti-trust laws, the American Tobacco Company had more than
ninety percent
of the the U.S. market. Abbot Kinney had fallen in love with
Venice, Italy
in his youth, so he went on to found Venice, California as a
resort and
amusement center. Francis Kinney invested in real estate and
also got involved
in polo matches in Narragansett.
Following Kinney's death, the Kinney Bungalow was purchased
by the Chase/Ewing
family. It was the site of numerous dances, parties, and
celebrations.
Lucia Chase Ewing, co-founder of the American Ballet
Theater, brought the
troupe to Narragansett where the Bungalow served as their
summer rehearsal
site.
In 1991 the Bungalow, along with historic Sunset Farm, was
acquired by
the Town of Narragansett. The property (Kinney Bungalow and
Sunset Farm)
is managed by the Narragansett Land Conservancy Trust.
Following major
restoration work, Kinney Bungalow was opened to the public
in 2002.
Once again Kinney Bungalow is a favorite site for weddings,
birthday and
anniversary parties, lawn parties, dances, concerts, ice
cream socials,
ballet classes, public lectures, and happy gatherings for
many occasions. |
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Please call the Event Coordinator, Brandi Lacoste, at
401.788.0823 or via e-mail at kinneybungalow@gmail.com. |
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Kinney Bunalow is a member of the Culture Coalition
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The Culture Coalition is an arts and history
collaborative of Southern Rhode Island |
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| Mission Statement |
| The mission of the Culture Coalition is to draw on
southern Rhode Island's rich and diverse culture assets
in order to create a strong identity and establish the arts and history
as highly visible elements of the region's identity. |
The Culture Coalition:
- Courthouse Center for the Arts
- Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum
- Kinney Bungalow at Sunset Farm
- Smith's Castle Historic House Museum
- South County Museum -- A living history museum
- The Narragansett Towers
- The Museum of Primitive Art and Culture
- The Pettaquamscutt Historical Society
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