1880s Rhode Island social club hits market at $9.75 million

Pic credit: Sotheby's Realty The Reading Room, one of Narragansett's most iconic properties, has hit the market for the first time in over 50 years. The five-bedroom house is for sale for $9.75 million after a price cut. It was first listed in June at $10.95 million, Realtor.com reported. Built in 1880 as a social club, the property stands beside The Towers and is the last surviving remnant of the grand Narragansett Pier Casino.Pic credit: Sotheby's RealtyBack in the day, it was a men's club with a bed and breakfastPic credit: Sotheby's RealtyThe house began in the late 1800s as a liquor-free men's club. “It was originally a social club in the 1880s and was a reading room where men would gather to smoke cigars,” listing agent John Hodnett of Hopewell Real Estate told the outlet. Historian Winifred J.W. Kissouth described it as a liquor-free men's bed-and-breakfast club where members went to read and smoke, according to The Boston Globe. Some of its famous visitors included Jerome Bonaparte, a relative of Napoleon Bonaparte, and New York surgeon Dr Charles Hitchcock.Pic credit: Sotheby's RealtyA historic club with a waterfront viewPic credit: Sotheby's RealtyThe building did not sta...