NEWPORT – The Preservation Society of Newport County has acquired a road coach, called Pioneer, which will be on display at The Breakers Stable & Carriage House.
“Coaching was an important part of the Gilded Age lifestyle, and the Pioneer is one of the premier vehicles of its kind from the period. We are proud to add it to our collection,” said Preservation Society CEO and executive director Trudy Coxe.
The coach, a gift from the New York Historical Society, was built in 1898 for The Coaching Club, which used the Pioneer for drives in New York City as well as once-a-year appearances in The Coaching Club Oaks at Belmont Park horse race between 1911 and 1921. In 1938, it was loaned to the New York Historical Society, which retained ownership after The Coaching Club did not reclaim it by 1958.
Ted Eayrs, secretary of The Coaching Club and an organizer of Newport’s triennial coaching weekends, said in a statement the acquisition is especially exciting because the Pioneer is in exceptionally good condition.
“It’s been in a virtual time capsule since 1938,” he said in prepared remarks. “We could not have asked for a better way to preserve this vehicle.”
Emily Gowdey-Backus is a PBN staff writer.
