One of the coolest things about our spring stay in Newport, Rhode Island, was the neighborhood in which we stayed. Full of historical homes, there were also informational signs about several of the properties, which meant we just had to type it in.

Here are the deets on the John Tillinghast House.

“Built around 1758, this fine Georgian house was the home of John Tillinghast (1690-1777), a representative to the RI General Assembly in 1744 and 1749, a wealthy merchant and ship owner who became heavily involved in privateering.

During the American Revolution, General Nathaniel Greene was quartered in this house. Greene was born to a Quaker family in what is now Warwick, RI, but because of his interest in military affairs, the Quaker meeting to which he belonged disowned him. After several decisive victories against the British in the Carolinas, Green was named Commander of the Southern Army, second in command to General Washington.

Two of his well-known aides visited Greene while he resided at this house. One of Lithuanian General Thaddeus Kosciuszko, an engineer who designed fortifications for the Delaware River and West Point. Another was Inspector General of the Continental Army, German-born Friedrich von Steuben. This house reveals the international nature of the War for Independence, which saw French forces joining with the Americans and German mercenaries fighting with the British.

The Tillinghast house has been enlarged several times, and the original doorway has been replaced by an entry porch known as a portico. Nevertheless, the grandeur and symmetry of this high-style Georgian mansion is still very much evident.”