Newport's 1741 Georgian statehouse, a Revolutionary-era hospital where phantom soldiers are reported at the windows
Washington Square, Newport, RI 02840
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Managed by the Newport Historical Society; tours and programs are offered seasonally. Confirm admission and schedule with the society.
Access
Limited Access
Historic Georgian building on a public square, with stairs to the upper chamber
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1741 · Fourth-oldest U.S. statehouse · Revolutionary War hospital and barracks · Richard Munday Georgian architecture
The Old Colony House was designed by architect Richard Munday, who had earlier built Newport's Trinity Church, and was completed in 1741 after several years of construction. It stood at the center of Newport's civic life as a colonial and early-state statehouse and is the fourth-oldest statehouse still standing in the United States.
During the American Revolution the British occupied Newport from 1776 to 1779 and used the building as barracks for their troops. After the British withdrawal and the arrival of French allied forces under Rochambeau in 1780, the Colony House was pressed into service as a hospital for French soldiers, a role it continued to fill through the remainder of the war as thousands of troops passed through the city.
The building later hosted state government functions before Rhode Island consolidated its capital in Providence. It was designated a National Historic Landmark and is owned by the State of Rhode Island and managed by the Newport Historical Society, which opens it for tours and programs.
Sources
The Old Colony House appears on Newport's ghost-tour routes, where guides connect its haunted reputation to the years it served as a wartime hospital and barracks. The recurring report is of pale soldier faces seen at the upper windows after dark, looking out over Washington Square.
These accounts are the work of tour storytelling and visitor anecdote, framing the building's documented Revolutionary War history rather than recording any formal paranormal investigation. The hospital years, when wounded and sick French soldiers were treated inside the statehouse, supply the narrative behind the figures at the glass.
No named individual is attached to the apparitions, and the Newport Historical Society presents the building through its history rather than its ghost stories. Visitors can see the exterior at any hour from the public square, while the interior is open through the society's scheduled tours and programs. The window sightings remain firmly in the realm of folklore, the kind of story a centuries-old building with a wartime past tends to gather.
Notable Entities
The Newport Historical Society opens the Old Colony House for tours, living-history events, and educational programs on a seasonal schedule. Check the society's site for dates and admission, or view the exterior from Washington Square anytime.
View the Georgian brick facade from Washington Square. Ghost-tour accounts describe phantom faces appearing at the upper windows late at night.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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