Listed as a National Historic Landmark, the Hunter House is in Newport, Rhode Island.

Built in 1748, the original portion of the Hunter House was constructed for Colonial Deputy Governor Jonathan Nichols Jr. The property was sold in 1756 to Colonel Joseph Wanton Jr., who was a deputy governor of the colony and a merchant.

He enlarged the house, making it into a mansion with a large central hall. During the American Revolution, Wanton fled Newport due to his Loyalist ties, and his house was used as French headquarters when French forces occupied Newport in 1780.

After the war, the house was purchased by William Hunter, a United States Senator and President Andrew Jackson’s liaison to Brazil. The Hunter family sold the house in the 1860s, and it changed hands a variety of times until the mid 1940s.

In order to save the house and its interior, a small group of citizens, led by Katherine Warren, bought the house in 1945 and formed The Preservation Society of Newport County. The Society restored the house to the Col. Wanton era (1757-1779). It contains numerous arts, crafts and furniture from 18th century Newport.

Information from newportmansions.org. Visit the site for a virtual tour of the Hunter House.