Not every event requires a large event space or ballroom. If you're planning a more intimate function, the Chinese Tea House at Marble House is the perfect venue.

This picturesque, lavishly-decorated Chinese-style pavilion can accommodate small meetings, dinner or cocktail parties in a setting that overlooks the magnificence of Marble House on one side, and the brilliance of the Atlantic Ocean on the other.

Alva Vanderbilt Belmont commissioned the construction of a Chinese Tea House at the back of the Marble House property in 1912. She celebrated its opening on July 25, 1914 in conjunction with a lavish Chinese costume ball at Marble House. It also provided a backdrop for political rallies and teas to raise funds for the "Votes for Women" campaign. Sadly, when the U.S. entered World War I in 1917, Alva closed Marble House and the Tea House and never reopened them.

The Tea House was painstakingly restored by the Preservation Society of Newport County in the 1980s, creating a remarkable and unexpected counterpoint to the European-inspired elegance of the other Newport Mansions.

For a truly unique and personal experience, the Chinese Tea House is the perfect venue for your smaller event.