FEATURE STORY
The west view of the sanctuary at Newport Congregational Church in Newport, RI, showing the intricate ceiling murals and stained
glass done by John LaFarge, the original Hook & Hastings organ from 1866, and the blue panels painted over subtler hues of
LaFarge’s self-described “green church.” Photo courtesy of LaFarge Restoration Fund: Aaron Usher, photographer.
Artistic Legacy Leverages
Historic Preservation Efforts
Newport Congregational Church (NCC), leveraging its heritage and artistic assets,
has planned and begun implementing an important and complex preservation
program. The historic Rhode Island congregation dates back to 1695, while the
church building was completed in 1857. In 1880, the congregation hired American
artist John LaFarge (1835-1910) to give the church’s interior walls and windows
a complete makeover. LaFarge’s interior decorative program represents both the
height of his influence and a milestone in the history of American religious art.
Over one hundred years later, these late 19th-century artistic decorations are still
a defining feature of the church sanctuary’s past, present, and future.
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