What is the point of Newport? The current battle over the fate of some forgotten but significant buildings on Waites Wharf should force Newport to ask what it wants to be.
America's First Resort is what outsiders envision when they think of Rhode Island: Newport is the state's pinup girl. More than the Sailing Capital of the World, the city was our colonial capital, headquarters of British forces throughout much of the Revolutionary War, and a major base for the Navy, not to mention the home of America's first architect.
