Ocean House, Rhode Island

Ocean House
Address	1 Bluff Avenue Watch Hill, RI 02891
Website	http://www.oceanhouseri.com/

The Ocean House is a large Victorian hotel located in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Watch Hill is a small fire district located in the town of Westerly within Washington County. At the time of its closing the hotel was 152,165 square feet (14,136.6 m²) large. It was the last remaining water front Victorian Era hotel on mainland Rhode Island.^{[citation needed]}

History

Originally built in 1868 the Ocean House was rather small compared to the other large hotels located on Watch Hill ^[1]. Over the years many additions were made to the hotel to make it a grand yellow land mark on the shore. In 1916, a motion picture starring Douglas Fairbanks called American Aristocracy was filmed at the Ocean House.^[2]

Closing

The old Ocean House did not have any heating, air conditioning, or ventilation. It was a seasonal hotel only open for about three months a year. After the Great White Station nightclub fire, Rhode Island's demanding fire codes were more rigorously enforced ^[3]. The 138-year-old structure was grossly non-compliant with current building and life safety codes^{[citation needed]}. The timber building's structure was compromised due to installation of electric and gas lines, plumbing, and reconfiguring the rooms to have private bathrooms. In the last years of the hotel's life the top two floors were off-limits to guests. Of the original 159 rooms only 59 could be used. The Ocean House closed its doors in 2003 and was sold.

The current owners considered renovating the old building^{[citation needed]}. To do so would have required installation of interior structural shear walls to bring the Ocean House up to current code for hurricane and wind loads^{[citation needed]}. New hurricane-rated windows set in new frames and a brand new foundation made of concrete with steel tie-downs throughout would have also been needed. All lead paint would have to be stripped off the exterior and interior^{[citation needed]}. Interior mold would have to be removed which meant demolishing interior finishes^{[citation needed]}. To offer today's hotel amenities two floors would need to be created below the current building, plus a concealed parking garage would be required^{[citation needed]}. All these problems would be economically and physically impossible to fix,^{[citation needed]} so the owners decided to replicate the Ocean House^{[citation needed]}.

Now

The old historic Ocean House structure was demolished in December 2005 and re-opened in 2010^[4]. The huge building with such a long history took only a few days to come down. The new building will replicate over 60% of the old building ^[5]. The new hotel will only have 49 guest rooms. There will be 23 luxury residential suites available for purchase. They will be priced at $2 million to $7 million for Studio, 1, or 2 bedrooms ^[6]. New amenities in the new hotel will include meeting rooms, spa, lap pool, fitness center, and restaurant. The construction of the new Ocean House is being managed by Dimeo Construction Company of Providence, R.I.^[7]

Gallery

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  The New Ocean House progress in May 2009

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  April 2010

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  April 2010

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  April 2010

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  April 2010

References

1. ^ http://www.theoceanhouse.org/history.shtml
2. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0006357/
3. ^ http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/RI_finalreport_june2905.htm
4. ^ http://www.oceanhouseri.com/press/new-englands-historic-ocean-house-to-re-open-its-doors
5. ^ http://centerbrook.com/blog/2010/01/ocean-house-to-save-it-we-had-to-destroy-it/
6. ^ http://www.oceanhouseri.com/watch-hill-real-estate.php
7. ^ http://www.dimeo.com/press-releases/dimeo-tops-ocean-house-hotel-project

External links

• Ocean House
• Ocean House Book