Outdoor Architectural Tour of Hearthside
Get outside and enjoy some fresh air while admiring the beauty of Lincoln's historic Hearthside House. This inaugural exterior tour is led by volunteer guides as they showcase interesting facts about this imposing and most unique stone house along the Great Road. Learn the history behind Hearthside's unusual architecture and the details about its construction. Look at evidence in the stonework for secrets hidden for centuries. Also included are stories about some of the former owners over the past 200 years, including Stephen Hopkins Smith, who was a builder of the Blackstone Canal and an avid horticulturist. This tour covers many aspects about the house that are not included during the regular museum tours.
Tours are offered only by advance registration in order comply with state restrictions and to help maintain capacity limits. The reservation-only tours will be held at 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. No more than six guests will be included in each of the hourly tour groups to allow for required physical distancing. Face masks also must be worn. Hand sanitizers will be available to visitors. The museum gift shop will be open at the conclusion of each tour, however, there will be no entry into the museum at this time.
Built in 1810, Hearthside is considered one of the finest examples of early 19th century, Federal-style architecture in Rhode Island. While the house design is quite simple, there are some exceptional elements built into its design, including the striking cut-stone facade, full-height front porch, and the most unusual ogee-curved gabled roof, accented by circular attic windows, as well as a portico entrance that replicates the curved roof design. In fact, the design was so unique that it was selected as the model for the Rhode Island Building at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.
Hearthside will re-open for inside museum tours featuring the Toys from the Attic antique toy exhibit when the state has lifted restrictions for all museums to open later this summer.
Tour price is $12 per person; members of Friends of Hearthside are free.
We are happy to welcome visitors back to Hearthside during Phase II of Rhode Island's re-opening plan that includes the grounds of historic sites. We want everyone to be safe during their time with us, and therefore have developed a set of guidelines for our tours. This includes:
- Limiting the number of visitors to just 6 in each of the hourly tour groups.
- Admission is only through advance registration. This will control the numbers at any one time and stagger them throughout the afternoon. It will also provide contact information should tracking be necessary later on.
- All guests must wear face masks.
- Visitors will be reminded to practice physical distancing of 6 ft. throughout the tour.
- Hand sanitizers will be available upon arrival and for visiting gift shop.
- Be advised that bathroom facilities will NOT be available during this time.