258. Touring Bellevue Avenue | Miramar

Done & Dunne

Hemlock Creatives

History, True Crime

4.7 • 629 Ratings

🗓️ 15 September 2025

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode we continue our tour through Newport, Rhode Island, looking at the last block of Bellevue Avenue with Miramar as our focus today. Completed in 1914, Eleanor Elkins Widener finished this grand Gilded Age home to honor her husband George Widener, lost on the R.M.S. Titanic in 1912. The Widener family is a big deal in high society, specifically Philadelphia, and although the couple never lived in their dream home together. Eleanor will keep the home in the family and marry again to Alexander Hamilton Rice Jr., living many happy days at Miramar. After passing from the Widener family, the home does serve as a school for a brief time, although it slides back into being a private residence soon enough. There is some late breaking news about this home which is great for museum loving folks – Miramar is slated in its future to become part of the Newport Preservation Society. There is tons of history in this one that will attach in the next episode. It really does all connect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Dun & Dunn. I'm Alicia, your hostess on this podcast journey, All Things Dominic Dunn.
0:07.6	Thank you for joining me today as we explore Miramar on our very last block of Bellevue Avenue,
0:14.8	the Newport, Rhode Island location of the Gilded Age. Today in our touring journey,
0:21.4	we are going across the street from Belcourt,
0:24.3	the focus of our episode before last.
0:27.1	Not that you would see the front of Belcourt from Miramar,
0:31.4	but this home, Miramar,
0:33.3	does sit on the east side of Bellevue Avenue,
0:36.6	located right along Cliff Walk.
0:39.7	Miramar, quite legendary in this storied street.
0:44.1	Miramar is located at 646, Bellevue Avenue, and this home was completed from a devoted wife
0:51.4	to honor her husband who was lost on the Titanic.
0:56.5	The Weidner family is one you definitely want to know about in our investigation.
1:02.8	Miramar has not only played host to this legendary family and others functioning as a private
1:09.8	residence, but it is also housed a school, and these
1:14.2	days Miramar is slated in its future to become a museum in Newport. There's a lot going on today
1:22.6	with so many spider webs as we look to the future as well. Quite a story, Miramar. Before we begin our
1:30.9	Gilded Age and Onward tale today, I do have some fine folks to thank our very newest supporters
1:37.8	on Patreon. Huge love, thanks and praise to Lori, Suzanne, Jennifer M, and Cindy M. Y'all are amazing. Thank you so, so much for joining
1:50.5	Patreon, getting ad-free and early episodes, not done yet bonuses and more. Huge, enormous thanks
1:57.6	to our new folks, as well as our sustaining supporters. I am so grateful for you.
2:04.7	Today, let's get our adventure on and explore Miramar, the high dollar home with quite a history.
	...

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