Celebrating 86 Years of Service to Mariners and the Community
 

The Mission of the Seamen's Church Institute is to provide men and women of the sea, and persons referred from the Newport community, a safe haven in which they may find comfort, recreation, and benefit, and aid to them both spiritually and materially.

The Institute provides services and support to those working on the waterfront, as well as visiting and local yachtsmen. Located in the heart of the harbor district at 18 Market Square, the Seamen's Church Institute has been a haven for Seafarers and a vital resource on the waterfront . The primary mission is serving those of the Sea. The seagoing population has enhanced the quality of life on Newport Harbor, making it a valuable and respected marine tradition.

Open to the public 365 days a year, the Institute welcomes the community and visitors from the world over to this historic gem in the heart of Newport's waterfront district. As a non-profit organization, The Seamen's Church Institute relies on the good will of the community.

Founded in 1919 by a group of Newport Residents who saw a need to provide services and assistance to servicemen and those who worked and traveled the sea, the Seamen's Church Institute moved to its existing location in January 1930. Thanks to the generosity of Maude and Edith Wetmore, the Institute was the recipient of a newly constructed, completely furnished and equipped three-story Georgian revival building. Given in memory of the Wetmore's parents, the building was designed by Frederick Rhinelander King, who also designed the garden house at "Chateau sur Mer". The building was listed on The National Registry of Historic Places in 1985. Two significant features of this historic building are the six-foot square mural of Narragansett Bay, painted by William H. Drury in 1930, and the Chapel of the Sea, a gift from Mrs. Hamilton Fish Webster as a memorial to her mother, Mrs. Marie Post. Durr Freedley, portrait artist and muralist, was commissioned to design and execute the frescoed chapel that was dedicated in June 1933.

While the design and location of its building are essential to the success of the Seamen's Church Institute's mission of assisting mariners, the cornerstone of the organization is the group of individuals who govern, staff, and volunteer. Seamen's is truly an organization of "people helping people". This was true in 1919, and is true today, and with the continued support of the community and visiting yachtsmen will be true as far as we can see into the future.

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