Gilbert Stuart Road, between Routes 1 and 1A
Saunderstown, Rhode Island
Voice: 401-294-3001
Website: www.gilbertstuartmuseum.com

Gilbert Stuart was one of 18th century America's master portrait artists. Stuart is best known for his portrait of George Washington, which has been the identifiable image on the U.S. dollar bill for over a century. This image has also appeared on U.S. postage stamps.

Gilbert Stuart was born on December 3rd, 1755, in Saunderstown, Rhode Island. He was the third child of a Scottish immigrant. Stuart’s father, in a joint venture with two other local businessmen, established the first snuff mill in the colonies. Stuart lived at the birthplace until he was seven years old, when his family moved to Newport, Rhode Island. It was while living in Newport that Gilbert first showed promise as a great painter. During his lifetime, Gilbert painted over a thousand portraits. They included Presidents Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe as well as war heroes and many other socially prominent men and women.

The Gilbert Stuart Birthplace is a multifaceted attraction that takes one on a journey back in time. Not only is it a showplace for reproductions of the works of one of America’s foremost portrait painters, it is an authentically restored and furnished workingman’s home and the site of the first snuff mill in America. The lovely wooded homestead on the banks of the Mattatuxet Brook also features a partially restored grist mill and a fascinating fish ladder. In spring the ladder is packed with migrating herring, swimming furiously to reach the pond above the mill dam. The grist mill houses the original fine-grained granite stones used to grind corn for the famous Rhode Island Johnny Cakes. The mill was built in 1662 and is a National Historic Landmark.

The Gilbert Stuart Museum has herb gardens and a children's activity garden that showcase herbs that are original to the period. The gardens serve as learning landscapes to provide educational experiences for school children and adults.