The Naval War College Museum in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

, is one of 10 official American

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

s operated by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, under the direction of the

Naval History & Heritage Command The Naval History and Heritage Command, formerly the Naval Historical Center, is an Echelon II command responsible for the preservation, analysis, and dissemination of U.S. naval history and heritage located at the historic Washington Navy Yard. ...

and in co-operation with the

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associat ...

. It is located at Building 10, Luce Avenue,

Naval Station Newport The Naval Station Newport (NAVSTA Newport) is a United States Navy base located in the city of Newport and the town of Middletown, Rhode Island. Naval Station Newport is home to the Naval War College and the Naval Justice School. It once was th ...

. It is located in the building which first housed the Naval War College, a structure built in the early 19th century to house Newport's poor. The building is a contributing element to a

National Historic Landmark District National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

, along with

Luce Hall Luce Hall was the first purpose-built building for the U.S. Naval War College, founded at Newport, Rhode Island, in 1884. It is located at Building 1, Luce Avenue, Naval Station Newport. The building is named after Rear Admiral Stephen Luce. In ...

, the college's first purpose-built building, in recognition of the War College's historical significance.

History

The Naval War College established the Naval Museum in 1952, with the approval of the

Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a memb ...

to manage its

collections Collection or Collections may refer to: * Cash collection, the function of an accounts receivable department * Collection (church), money donated by the congregation during a church service * Collection agency, agency to collect cash * Collection ...

historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

artifacts. Since 1978, it has occupied its present quarters on

Coasters Harbor Island Coasters Harbor Island is a island in Narragansett Bay, Newport, Rhode Island. The island is home to the Naval War College (NWC), an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval wa ...

Narragansett Bay Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound covering , of which is in Rhode Island. The bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor and includes a small archipelago. Sma ...

. This building, now called Founders Hall, was originally built in 1819 as the Newport Poor Asylum. The city of Newport and the state of Rhode Island donated this property to the Navy for use as the Naval War College. The college's first president, Rear Admiral

Stephen B. Luce Stephen Bleecker Luce (March 25, 1827 – July 28, 1917) was a U.S. Navy admiral. He was the founder and first president of the Naval War College, between 1884 and 1886. Biography Born in Albany, New York, to Dr. Vinal Luce and Charlotte Bleecke ...

, formally dedicated the building to the Navy's use. The building became famous in the years 1886–1889, when the college's second president, Captain

Alfred Thayer Mahan Alfred Thayer Mahan (; September 27, 1840 – December 1, 1914) was a United States naval officer and historian, whom John Keegan called "the most important American strategist of the nineteenth century." His book '' The Influence of Sea Power ...

, first gave his lectures in this building that formed the basis for his famous book ''The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783'' (1890). Founders Hall and Luce Hall were designated a

in 1964, and listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1966.

Museum

Today, the Naval War College Museum uses this building to

display Display may refer to: Technology * Display device, output device for presenting information, including: ** Cathode ray tube, video display that provides a quality picture, but can be very heavy and deep ** Electronic visual display, output devi ...

exhibits on three themes: (a) the history of the Naval War College since 1884; (b) the history of naval activities in the

area since the colonial period; and (3) the history of the art and science of

naval warfare Naval warfare is combat in and on the sea, the ocean, or any other battlespace involving a major body of water such as a large lake or wide river. Mankind has fought battles on the sea for more than 3,000 years. Even in the interior of large la ...

since ancient times.

References

External links

Naval War College Museum
official website {{authority control 1952 establishments in Rhode Island University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island Infrastructure completed in 1884 Landmarks in Rhode Island Maritime museums in Rhode Island Military and war museums in Rhode Island Museums established in 1952 Museums in Newport, Rhode Island National Historic Landmarks in Rhode Island Naval War College United States Navy museums University museums in Rhode Island Naval History and Heritage Command National Register of Historic Places in Newport, Rhode Island Historic district contributing properties in Rhode Island

History

Museum

See also

References

External links