In 1848, Seth Bateman purchased the old Governor John Collins Farm (1786-1790) at Castle Hill Avenue and Ocean Avenue, and developed the property into a deluxe resort hotel. As the property expanded, additional water sources were required from wells and a water tower. In 1867 Bateman installed his new water system in a building which was a perfect replica of the Old Stone Mill in Touro Park.
Bateman House flourished through The Gilded Age under several owners. A 1947 plan to restore the hotel back to its 18th century appearance failed and the property was sold in 1957 to Louis Chartier. The hotel was destroyed by a fire in 1959 and all of the buildings were demolished, including Bateman’s Old Stone Mill, which was bulldozed into Narragansett Bay. Today, the site of Bateman House is now occupied by the Chartier Circle neighborhood.
Above: a view of the Bateman House, c. 1895. This photo was taken by Newporter Clarence Stanhope (NHS Collection P25).
The Old Stone Mill water tower is visible in the top left. This image was taken by H.H. Harris in the summer of 1938; his series of rare aerial photos taken before the Hurricane of 1938 are part of the NHS collection. The street at the center is Winans Avenue; house at the bottom center was “Bleak House” which is no longer standing.