Newport in Newport County, Rhode Island — The American Northeast (New England)
International Tennis Hall of Fame
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Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 16, 2017
1. Newport Casino / International Tennis Hall of Fame Marker
You are standing at the entrance to the Newport Casino, a National Historic Landmark that now houses the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
The Casino was built in 1880 as a social club for Newport's wealthy summer residents. The name of the property, The Casino, is not indicative of gambling. Actually, it was derived from the Italian casina or "little house." The Newport Casino was designed by McKim, Mead & White and represented the first work by the famous trio. It is one of the finest examples of American Shingle Style Architecture.
In 1881, the Newport Casino hosted the first men's United States National Lawn Tennis Association tournament. In 1915 that tournament was moved to New York, and we now know this tournament as the US Open. Today the site remains a highly active tennis facility, with courts open to the public daily and as the host facility of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, the only ATP World Tour event in New England.
Jimmy Van Alen founded the Hall of Fame this property in 1954. Today, just over 240 great champions and leaders from 21 nations have come to Newport to receive tennis' highest honor induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Please come in to tour the grounds and visit our museum.
Topics and series. This historical marker
this page online
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 41° 28.966′ N, 71° 18.504′ W. Marker was in Newport, Rhode Island, in Newport County. It was on Bellevue Avenue south of Memorial Boulevard West (Rhode Island Route 138A), on the right when traveling north. Marker is located at the International Tennis Hall of Fame main entrance. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 194 Bellevue Avenue, Newport RI 02840, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was on Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay. It was also in the American Northeast and in New England. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: A different marker also named International Tennis Hall of Fame (here, next to this marker); The Newport Caino & Its Neighors: Commercial Development (a few steps from this marker); Christopher Columbus (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Bellevue Ave. at John St. (about 500 feet away); Kingscote & Its Neighbors: Newport Cottage Boom & Bust
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 16, 2017
2. Newport Casino / International Tennis Hall of Fame Entrance (wide view; marker at right)
More about this marker. Marker is mounted at eye level, directly on the subject building, on the right side of main entrance.
Regarding International Tennis Hall of Fame. National Historic Landmark (1987)
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has been replaced with the linked marker. There are differences in inscriptions.
Also see . . .
1. The Newport Casino.
Despite what its name implies, the Newport Casino is not, and never was, a gambling facility. However, the beautiful propertys history does have its roots in a story about a bet. The setting was Newport, Rhode Island, August 1879. Per legend, James Gordon Bennett, Jr., the influential publisher of the New York Herald and a summer resident of Newport, reputedly bet his polo partner, Captain Henry Augustus Candy, a retired officer of the Queens 9th Royal Lancers and skillful British polo player to ride his horse onto the front porch of the exclusive
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 16, 2017
3. Newport Casino (main courtyard & tennis court; wide view)
2. Newport Casino.
Built in 1880, it was designated a National Historic Landmark on February 27, 1987, in recognition for its architectural significance as one of the nation's finest Shingle style buildings, and for its importance in the history of tennis in the United States. The complex now houses the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and was the site of the earliest US Opens. (Submitted on March 20, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. James "Jimmy" Van Alen & the "tiebreaker".
The architect of that game-changing invention, the "tiebreaker," was James Van Alen, whose keen foresight and vision also led him to become the founder of the National Lawn Tennis Hall of Fame in 1954 in his hometown of Newport, Rhode Island. Van Alen was a tireless promoter of his scoring system, first developed in 1958 to end marathon sets and matches. The US Open was the first major to employ tiebreakers in 1970. (Submitted on March 20, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 16, 2017
4. Newport Casino (main courtyard - north side view)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 16, 2017
5. Newport Casino (main courtyard - south side view)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 16, 2017
6. Casino interior furnishings
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 16, 2017
7. Inlaid tile at Casino entrance
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 16, 2017
8. Newport Casino National Historic Landmark Plaque (1987)
Postcard published by A.C. Bosselman & Co., New York, circa 1906
9. Casino Court and Clock Tower, Newport, R.I.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 15, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 20, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 959 times since then and 47 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 20, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 6, 7. submitted on April 20, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 8. submitted on March 20, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 9. submitted on March 22, 2018. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
