The Eleazer
Arnold House
Still the best of the
"stone-enders" in Rhode Island, the house was built
in 1687 on land that Eleazer's father Thomas had purchased in
1661. Licensed as a tavern in 1710, the house served as a
haven for travelers and locals alike, including the notable
General le
 Comte
de Rochambeau, whose French forces aided the Americans at
Yorktown. After Eleazer's death in 1722, the house was passed
onto successive generations of Arnolds. In 1918 several
descendants presented it to SPNEA (Society for the
Preservation of New England Antiquities) which is the current
owner and operator.
Originally erected with two stories, a
large gable, small lead-paned windows, and the famous stone
chimney across one end of the structure, it was considered
quite a showcase in its day. Over the years, there have been
additions and alterations; the large gable is gone and the
windows were changed. However, the chimney/fireplace itself
still stands in its original glory as a monument to the three
masons who successively constructed it in turn. In the 1960's,
there was a push to restore the Arnold house to its first
design with the tiny diamond-paned windows and plain door.
This is how it remains today.
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Lincoln, RI