Yarnall Gives Lecture on Newport Architecture

By: Caroline McKay
Posted In: News

A gold chandelier hangs over rows of seats packed with Salve Regina University students and members of the Newport community. The excitement fills the air as papers rustle and the locals chat.

In America’s oldest library there are tall, olive green wooden shelves that line the walls holding hundreds of ancient leather bound books, preserved gently with ribbons holding the delicate bindings together. A 278 year-old rare mahogany Claggett clock gilded with foliage sits modestly in the corner of the large room.

On Feb. 9, 2006 the clock chimed within America’s first library, The Newport Redwood, demanding silence, setting the tone of the architectural lecture as James L. Yarnall approached the podium. Yarnall’s lecture, “Georgian Sweet Georgian,” is an in depth view of modern Newport architecture that has been transformed from Palladian, a popular British style, brought to America by King George III, to a Postmodern style seen today.

With a huge projection screen by his side, Yarnall began with the brief history of Newport architecture. Some of the most well-known buildings in Newport are influenced by the Palladian, Wrenian, and Boroque styles that had once dominated the area. The most prominent is the Palladian style that was a favorite of George III.

This British style mixed with new modern design, called post-modern can be seen in the Newport Post Office, Rodger’s High School, Newport Grand, Staples, Christmas Tree Shop, and some local banks. “Sometimes it gets indigestible,” said Yarnall.

Yarnall focused on one of the more popular landmarks in the area, The Newport Grand. Originally, the building was one of the largest gyms and recreational spots with fantastic murals that sprawled the entire lengths of the walls. The art jumps off the walls with vibrant pictures of people playing sports from soccer to basketball.

Today it is a casino that draws in many customers with its strange outer fa