The Hunter House traces its roots back to 1748, when its original portions were constructed. It was built for Colonial Deputy Jonathon Nichols Jr. Colonel Joseph Wanton Jr. then acquired the property in 1756 and transformed it into a formal Georgian Colonial mansion.

Being a loyalist, Wanton had to leave the city of Newport when the British troops left after the American Revolution. The house was then used by the French Admiral de Ternay during France’s occupation of Newport in 1780. The name of the Hunter House came from the former US Senator William Hunter, who bought the property after the war. He transformed it into what it is today, with a large central hall.

In 1945, it was purchased by the predecessor of the Preservation Society of Newport County. It has been declared as a National Historic Landmark in 1968.