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The Vanderbilt- Newport, RI
Newport is known for its fabulous Gilded Age mansions. So many magnificent mansions. Some are still privately owned, several are open to the public for tours, and a handful have been converted to hotels. As someone who is obsessed with Auberge properties and architecture, I could not wait to visit The Vanderbilt.
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Chateau-sur-Mer- Newport, RI
Chateau-sur-Mer is the OG of opulent Newport Mansions. A predecessor to the flashier Gilded Age cottages, later renovations insured it kept up with the competition. Although not as lavish as The Breakers or palatial as Marble House, it is every bit as architecturally outstanding.
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The Breakers- Newport, RI
At 70 rooms and 62,482 square feet, The Breakers is the largest summer cottage in Newport. It is also the busiest, so if you don’t like crowds, visit off season. Way off season if you want the property to yourself, which is the best way to take in the amazing architectural details and artwork. Sure, the gardens won’t be in bloom, but having seen the sea of people entering the estate in the summer, you won’t mind. Great Hall Built by Cornelius Vanderbilt II, grandson of New York Central Railroad founder Commodore Vanderbilt, The Breakers exemplifies Gilded Age artistry and excess. Built in just two years in 1893, the substantial…
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Rhode Island State House- Providence, RI
At the turn of the nineteenth century, McKim, Mead and White were one of America’s most sought after architectural firms. Particularly adept at Neoclassical and Beaux Arts buildings, their work was everywhere, ranging from magnificent private mansions to university campuses. In 1891, around the same time they were working on the ephemeral Agricultural Building for the Chicago’s World Fair, they began planning the much more permanent Rhode Island State House. In 1892, the firm was awarded the State House commission following a design competition, with Richard Morris Hunt allegedly casting the deciding vote; others contend it wasn’t much of a contest, as McKim was the predetermined winner. In any event,…
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Marble House- Newport, RI
Grand and gilded, the construction of Marble House marked a new era for Newport, Rhode Island. Although long a seaside retreat for the wealthy upper class, following the completion of Alva Vanderbilt’s summer home in 1892, the bar was raised; older wooden Victorians and modest seaside cottages were suddenly replaced by massive stone mansions, built by owners eager to showcase their wealth, and impress their neighbors. Built as a 39th birthday gift from William Kissam Vanderbilt to his wife Alva, the mansion was designed by renowned society architect Richard Morris Hunt, the first American architect to train at the legendary École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Hunt previously collaborated with the…
