Mill Town Messenger | April 2023

Overview

The April 2023 Mill Town Messenger recounts Newport’s late-19th-century industrial and civic heritage through profiles of two prominent businessmen, Charles M. Emerson and Colonel Seth M. Richards, and the grand mansions they built. It details their careers, family lives, business ventures, and the architectural and social histories of The Gables and the Richards Mansion.

The newsletter also outlines Newport Historical Society activities, meeting times, membership information, volunteer “Special Interest Groups,” museum publications for sale, and requests help identifying historic postcard images.

You can read the online version of the newsletter here.

This quarterly newsletter is generally published in January, April, July and October.

Main Points

• Charles M. Emerson was a self-made businessman in Newport, starting as a store clerk before founding Peerless Manufacturing and Emerson Dry Goods Company, and became one of the town’s most influential citizens.
• The Gables, Emerson’s mansion, was built in 1898-1899, featured 29 rooms and elaborate details, and later passed through his family before being sold to the Newport Moose Lodge and then PC Connection.
• Colonel Seth M. Richards was born into a successful Newport family, partnered in Dexter Richards & Son, and managed the Sugar River Mills, which produced the well-known DRP flannel and maintained continuous operations despite industry challenges.
• Richards’ community roles included president of several banks and companies, railroad director, state legislator, and Republican party leader.
• Richards Mansion, built 1898-1901, was the largest and most elegant home on Newport’s Common, designed by Boston architect James T. Kelley in Colonial Revival style, with luxurious interiors and a ballroom on the third floor.
• The Richards Mansion was donated to the town in 1962 by Richards’ daughter, Mrs. Sidney Rollins, to serve as the Newport Library.
• Both Emerson and Richards exemplified different paths to prominence—Emerson as self-made, Richards through family legacy—with their mansions reflecting their achievements.
• Modern Newport continues to benefit from successful business families, though their contributions are now more often directed toward community support rather than grand residences.

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