This image shows a main building and actively used artillery of the Naval War College. The large building is the main facility for the College today, though the original building, once an asylum, still exists and is used as a museum.
Published for H.B. Settle Co., Newport, R. I.
The description states simply:
NAVAL WAR COLLEGE
NEWPORT, R. I.
–The artillery is probably used to sound ‘retreat’, which is an end of day procedure announcing the lowering of the base flag. It may also be used for other ceremonial purposes. The blanks used in firing are visible stacked in rows on the ground. Also, the tower to the left has since been demolished.
The diagonal line extending from the case between the guns is an artifact of the picture. This image likely dates from the 1950s.