1 Best Sight in Newport County and East Bay, Rhode Island

Great Friends Meeting House

The oldest surviving house of worship in Rhode Island reflects the quiet reserve and steadfast faith of Colonial Quakers, who gathered here to discuss theology, peaceful alternatives to war, and the abolition of slavery. Built in 1699, the two-story structure has wide-plank floors, simple benches, a balcony, and a wood-beam ceiling. The Newport Historical Society can arrange group tours.