Eifler Associates

Rock Cliff Newport, Rhode Island Rock Cliff is a country house located on the Atlantic shore in the fashionable resort community of Newport Rhode Island. The building was first constructed in 1887 for T. F. Cushing. Architect George Mason, Jr. designed the house in the Tudor revival style, commonly known as “Stick style”, popular in American architecture at that time. Two decades later, in 1910, T. F. Cushing’s daughter, Blair Fairchild, commissioned the architect to redesign Rock Cliff using its existing structure. George Mason, Jr. transformed his original design into a Georgian neo-classical building, in keeping with the new classical trend in American architecture much admired by American socialites in the nineteen teens and twenties. The present owners of Rock Cliff, a Chicago family who purchased it as a summer residence, retained Eifler & Associates to rehabilitate the century-old house to suit the lifestyle of a family today. The scope of work included the restoration of the unique stucco and precast concrete exterior and replacement of doors and windows in keeping with the original design. The pool and pool house were extensively rehabilitated. Interior work included the redesign of the original servant’s quarters for use as a family room and guest rooms, as well as the rehabilitation of the kitchen, breakfast room, second and third story guest rooms, library, and master bedroom and bath.