Marble House, one of the city’s most iconic Gilded Age mansions, is getting a 21st-century upgrade with the installation of an extensive geothermal climate-control system.
The $1.5 million project will help protect the contents of the National Historic Landmark, which draws nearly 150,000 visitors annually, while reducing fuel oil consumption by up to 80 percent, according to The Preservation Society of Newport County.
“Geothermal is a winning investment for our properties,” said Trudy Coxe, CEO and executive director of the Preservation Society, which owns Marble House and nine other historic house museums. “We are committed to reducing carbon and caring for our houses in a sustainable way, and the long-term benefits make the investment well worthwhile.”
The system will maintain steady temperatures and humidity levels of 50 percent inside the mansion, protecting textiles, leather, paintings, paper and wooden objects.
Contractors have drilled 21 wells, each 425 feet deep, in the mansion’s backyard. Tubes will circulate water into the wells, where it will be cooled or warmed to the Earth’s year-round subsurface temperature of about 55 degrees before being piped into the house through a system of electric heat pumps and air handlers.
This marks the Preservation Society’s fifth geothermal installation. Previous projects include Chepstow in 2015, The Elms Carriage House in 2016, The Breakers in 2018 and Chateau-sur-Mer in 2024.
The project is expected to be completed in late spring. Major contractors include Middletown-based Donovan & Sons, JAM Construction and Shamrock Electric.
