The John Stevens House has been owned by members of the Stevens family since 1705, when John Stevens I first settled on the land and began his gravestone carving business. The house remained in the Stevens family through 1900, housing multiple generations who continued the family business. In the early 20th century, the house transitioned to a tenement with multiple families, including many laborers and navy workers. By 1965, the house was restored to a single-family home through the efforts of historic preservation groups in Newport seeking to protect historic buildings.

1. THE JOHN STEVENS HOUSE
30 THAMES STREET
STEVENS
OWNERSHIP
JOHN STEVENS I
1705-1736
JOHN STEVENS II
1736-1827
JAMES STEVENS
1827-1859
EDWIN STEVENS
1859-1900
STEVENS FAMILY 1705-1900
THE FIRST JOHN STEVENS SETTLED ON UPPER
THAMES IN 1705, RECEIVING THE LAND THE
JOHN STEVENS HOUSE NOW STANDS ON. HERE
HE BEGAN HIS BUSINESS, HELPING BUILD
MANY BUILDINGS AND CARVING MANY
GRAVESTONES IN EARLY NEWPORT. HIS SON
MOVED THE BUSINESS ACROSS THE STREET,
BUT THE HOUSE REMAINED A DWELLING FOR
THE STEVENS CARVERS THROUGH 1900, WITH
THE DEATH OF EDWIN STEVENS.
TENEMENT HOUSE: 1900- 1965
THE HOUSE TRANSITIONED INTO A THREE
FAMILY TENEMANT IN THE EARLY
TWENTIETH CENTURY, HOUSING MANY
LABORERS AND NAVY WORKERS. THE HOUSE
SAW MUCH TURNOVER IN RESIDENTS,
HOUSING TAILORS, PAINTERS, TORPEDO
STATION WORKERS, COAL WORKERS,
MACHINISTS, AND A CHAUFFEUR.
RESTORATIONS: 1965
THE RESTORATIONS OF
THE HOUSE HAPPENED
AT A TIME WHEN
NEWPORT WAS
BEGINNING TO PAY
CLOSER ATTENTION TO
THE POSSIBILITIES OF
HISTORIC
PRESERVATION. THE
PRESERVATION SOCIETY
OF NEWPORT COUNTY
AND OPERATION
CLAPBOARD BOTH
PLAYED PARTS IN
SEEING THE HOUSE
TRANSITION BACK TO A
SINGLE-FAMILY
DWELLING.
EDWIN STEVENS AT WORK, NO DATE
COURTESY NEWPORT HISTORICAL SOCIETY
JOHN STEVENS HOUSE PRIOR TO 1965 RESTORATIONS
COURTESY NEWPORT HISTORICAL SOCIETY
AD FOR P. STEVENS’ SONS IN A
1884 NEWPORT CITY DIRECTORY.
NEWPORT DAILY NEWS, JUNE 10,1965