Laborare est orare

Newport preservation question du jour: Why has the Belmont Chapel at Island Cemetery been allowed to slip into such an appalling state of decay? Commissioned by famed 19th century financier August Belmont in memory of his daughter, and donated by him in 1886 to the trustees of Island Cemetery for use as a "public mortuary chapel", this red sandstone structure was built by George Champlin Mason, Sr., and later renovated by Richard Morris Hunt. It is surrounded by monuments created by important 19th century architects and artists such as Augustus Saint Gaudens, John LaFarge, Karl Bitter and Hunt. Elaborate memorials to Newport's social elite surround the building, clamouring for attention. In fact Hunt's own grave lies nearby, a flat granite slab inscribed "laborare est orare" (work is prayer).

If only it were so. In reality this work by Mason & Hunt is crumbling faster than a toddler's sandcastle on a rainy beach. Terra cotta relief tiles lie smashed on the floor. Polychrome flooring has been prised out of its setting. Furnishings & fixtures have long since been stripped away. The roof is partially collapsed and reveals wide blue patches of open sky, and birds fly in and out and leave droppings everywhere. A thick blanket of vines & weeds is seemingly all that holds the ediface together. The chapel is no longer a memorial to anything beyond the power of time to erase all things and to undermine our best efforts, even those of the very wealthy. Belmont's gift to us of a "public mortuary chapel" may well be beyond all saving. I suggest you hurry over there to check it out before it's totally gone.

Flower power

For some time now, the one thing that says "summer" to me more than anything else is the annual Newport Flower Show. Put on at the end of June by the Preservation Society of Newport County - this year its being held at their most Gatsby-eque property, Rosecliff - the show is a celebration of everything that's best about summer in Newport, and is the closest thing to a county fair that we have here. But what a county...! Instead of 4-H displays and agricultural charts, you'll find sumptuous six-foot tall flower arrangements - playful topiaries - numerous horticultural lectures and demonstrations - and my own personal favorite, dozens & dozens of booths featuring all kinds of unique, high end shopping opportunities. Want one of a kind, artist-designed jewelry? Check. Want exotic garden accessories? Check. How about some scrumptiously colorful designer clothes - like Nina Mclemore's showstopping summer collection? Check and check again. It all can be found right there at the Flower Show.

All of Newport turns out for the fun, and for one glorious weekend social divisions fall by the wayside. Ladies who lunch rub elbows with tattooed bikers. Baileys Beach mixes it up with Broadway. Even the chauffeurs chat with the bus drivers. Everybody goes, and all go for the same reason - to step out of the confines of their usual day-to-day, to marvel at the returning miracle of summer, and to mingle on the empyrean lawns of Rosecliff. Down in front of the balustrade that divides the fairgrounds from the foaming Atlantic, the band strikes up. And another summer begins.