What to know about Taylor Swift's Watch Hill mansion, site of some epic parties

WESTERLY ? Rhode Island may be tiny, but it has its fair share of big-name part-time residents – and, as fans of HBO's "Gilded Age" know, it always has.

Newport is home – at least some of the time – to "Judge Judy" Scheindlin and former "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno.

Christopher Walken's got a place on Block Island, and fellow actor James Woods has a compound in Exeter.

And comedian Matt Rife recently discussed on a podcast the property he purchased in Rhode Island.

But when it comes to sheer star power, none of them compare to Taylor Swift. The megastar purchased her Watch Hill mansion back in 2013, for a whopping $17.75 million, and the Ocean State hasn't been the same since (as evidenced by the hubbub created whenever she hosts her famous friends; the guest list has included fellow singers, models, actors and even high-profile boyfriends).

During an appearance on the “Ellen” show, Swift once said that Rhode Island was her favorite place in the world to go on holiday.

But what do we know about her Ocean State getaway?

The mansion has a history ? and it's even inspired a song

Swift's song, “The Last Great American Dynasty,” on the "Folklore" album, recounts the history of her Westerly home, known as Holiday House. The song focuses on Rebekah Harkness, a divorcee who famously married into the Standard Oil fortune in 1947, and was a patron to several New York City dance companies ? she even hosted a workshop for 20 Joffrey Ballet dancers at her estate, according to a Vogue magazine article.

The lyrics go on to highlight some of Harkness’ more famous antics, which include cleaning her pool with Dom Pérignon, dyeing a pet green, and her relationship with artist Salvador Dali. It also references Harkness flying in her friends from New York City for parties, something Swift herself is fond of doing.

She has some famous neighbors in Westerly

Conan O’Brien's parents a vacation home on Annandale Road in Watch Hill, which he bought in 1997.

Sports media personality Colin Cowherd, host of “The Herd,” shared on his podcast last year that he and his wife surprised a young woman in their driveway, who had a fishy story of why she was there. Knowing that there have been break-in attempts at Swift's home, he immediately called the police. The Cowherds purchased their Watch Hill House for $8.5 million in August 2023, according to Boston.com. Called "Highland Lodge," the house was built in 1900 and sits on more than an acre, according to the real estate listing.

What do non-famous neighbors think?

Locals will tell you that the pop superstar walks on the beach, strolls to the St. Clair Annex for breakfast or ice cream and dines at the Olympia Tea Room or the Cooked Goose when she's in town.

But they are protective of her privacy.

One neighbor, who lives next to the Ocean House, said she can tell if Taylor Swift is in town, because the singer-songwriter's security staff doubles or triples.

Over the years, some controversy has bubbled up as beachgoers and surfers took exception to her security force, which they said kept them away from the historically popular seawall.

A provision of the CRMC permit prohibits contractors or Swift from impeding any public right of way to the ocean or any lateral access along the shoreline.

BFF Blake Lively and her hubby, Ryan Reynolds, have visited a few times

Swift has been friends with Lively for nearly a decade and Reynolds recently revealed that she is a godmother to his children, and joked that he spends a fortune in babysitting fees.

But other famous friends have descended on Watch Hill. Guests have included actress-singer Uzo Aduba of "Orange Is the New Black," supermodels Karlie Kloss and Gigi Hadid, Australian model-actress-recording-artist Ruby Rose, fellow singer and BFFs Selena Gomez and the Haim sisters.

Swift has hosted a number of Fourth of July bashes at the home, as Instagram posts of red-white-and-blue swimsuits and popsicles can attest.

Even Loki has Marvel-ed at the accommodations

Of course, some of those famous guests have included current and former boyfriends. This past weekend, that meant Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, her beau of over a year. But actor Tom Hiddleston, who played Thor's brother Loki in the Marvel movies, was snapped by paparazzi wearing an "I [heart] TS" shirt during a dip in the ocean in 2016.

And Calvin Harris posted a now-deleted photo of Swift cooking on a grill outside the estate.

What's the house like?

The white shingled-house at 16 Bluff Ave. sits on 5.23 acres boasts 700 feet of beach frontage. Built in 1930, the mansion offers sweeping views of Rhode Island and Long Island sounds.

What's so special about Watch Hill?

Watch Hill is a village of Westerly, located along the coast. It features small shops and eateries, along with the beautiful scenery. The quaint, suspended-horse Flying Horses Carousel on Bay Street was built in 1894; according to its website a traveling carnival brought the carousel to Watch Hill and abandoned it. "It is said to be the oldest continuously operating carousel in the United States!" the website says and notes that it has survived disasters like the Hurricane of 1938.

The Watch Hill Light is accessible via a private road and is open from 8 a.m. to sunset throughout the year. The museum is open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from 1 to 3 p.m. in July and August and through the week after Labor Day. (Hint: You get a pretty good glimpse of Swift's house from here.)

Swift’s property abuts a popular public walking path to East Beach, called "one of the least developed of the Rhode Island state beaches."

Westerly has been drawing famous visitors since the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It's about a two-hour drive from Boston and a three-hour drive from New York City. Locals have recalled over the years seeing people like Billy Joel, Regis Philbin, Oprah Winfrey, Drew Barrymore and others enjoying a visit.

More: Meet the baker behind Olivia Culpo and Mariah Kennedy-Cuomo wedding cakes

Ocean House – which touts itself as "the first and only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five-Star hotel in the state" ? is also located in Watch Hill, and was most recently noted for hosting the wedding of Rhode Island's own Olivia Culpo, a model and former Miss Universe, and San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Taylor Swift's Westerly mansion: What to know about neighbors, history