Newport County Preservation Society The new Breakers became a 70-room house on five levels with a gross size of 125,339 square feet (11,644.4 m2) and 62,482 square feet (5,804.8 m2) of living area, which is now owned and administered by the Preservation Society of Newport County. It was designated as New York State's official "National Historic Landmark" in 1992. The new Breakers was built between 1770 and 1780 by Henry Hamilton, who also constructed the Hope House just across the street. After Hamilton died, his son Thomas remodeled the house in 1820 by adding a third floor and making other minor changes. In 1868, the Hamiltons' daughter Sarah married William Miller McKim, who took over management of the house. They had three children: Mary, Alice, and Henry McKim. When Mary died at age 30, she left her half of the estate to her father. He in turn gave it to her children. When he died in 1896, Henry McKim inherited the house and all its contents. He spent much of his time in Europe, leaving the management of the estate to an assistant. In 1914, McKim hired Charles F. Adams to redesign the interior of the house. This included replacing most of the furniture, carpets, and wallpapers. In 1919, after going through a number of financial problems, McKim sold the house to a group of investors from Boston.