Gilbert Stuart Birthplace
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Gilbert Stuart Birthplace
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Front elevation of house, date unknown
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| Location | 815 Gilbert Stuart Road, Saunderstown, RI |
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| Nearest city | Newport |
| Coordinates | 41°31′14″N 71°26′37″W / 41.52056°N 71.44361°WCoordinates: 41°31′14″N 71°26′37″W / 41.52056°N 71.44361°W |
| Built | 1751 |
| NRHP Reference # | 66000004 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 21, 1965 |
The Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum is located in Saunderstown, Rhode Island, US. Gilbert Stuart was born on December 3, 1755 in the colonial-era house located on the property, becoming a famous American portraitist of the 18th and 19th centuries. The museum consists of the 1750 house in which Stuart was born, an operational snuff mill, an operational grist mill, a mill pond, streams, a fish ladder, nature trails, an herb garden, and a handicapped-accessible welcome center and art gallery.
The house on the property was built in 1751, and Gilbert Stuart lived there for six years. Stuart's father operated the family business in the basement of the house, where a water-powered snuff mill was located. His father was an immigrant from Scotland who worked in the snuffmaking industry; he ground dried tobacco leaves into snuff, a fine powder used widely in the colonial era. The original snuff mill located in the house was actually the first such mill in the American colonies; all mills had previously been located in Europe, particularly in England. When Stuart was six years old, his family moved to Newport, Rhode Island.
The house served as a private residence and a tavern during the 18th century, with the original snuff mill and water wheel being lost.
In 1930, the Birthplace was restored to its colonial state by Norman Isham, and was opened to the public as a museum in 1931. Many of the house's original wood beams remained intact. It also retained its original four corner fireplaces, one in each room in the house. An English snuff mill built in the early 1730s was transported to the property during the restoration, and it is considered faithful in design to the original snuff mill. In addition, a new water wheel was built and attached to the side of the house, allowing the mill to operate by water power from Mattatuxet Brook.
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