Admiral Dewey Inn

In May of 1898 in Manila, the Philippines, Commodore George Dewey surprised the Spanish Pacific fleet and destroyed it without suffering a single casualty. The Commodore became an Admiral and hero of the nation. Dewey had been Commander of the Naval War College in Newport, and Rhode Island felt especially proud. That same month in Matunuck, Rhode Island, George Irving Champlin and his wife Etta Jane (Tucker) opened their beachfront boardinghouse and named it "The Dewey Cottage" in honor of our hero. In 1988, ninety years after the original opening of the Admiral's namesake, new owner Joan LeBel reopened the fully restored Admiral Dewey Inn. Its rich heritage has established it as a member of the National Historic Register and one of the few remaining Southern New England beach hotels. In 1998 the B&B is celebrated its Centennial, including a display of 100 pink flamingos on the lawn of the Inn.