We Visit The Gilded Age In Newport, Rhode Island

Our first port of call was Newport, Rhode Island. It is a seaside town with incredible houses.

Most famous is the home known as "The Breakers". It's a little summer cottage, built by Cornelius Vanderbilt, for a mere $12 million in 1895. Adjusted for inflation, that would be $377 million in today's dollars.  It's a cozy 65,000 square foot home on 13 acres.

This is a five story home.



 

Poor Mr. Vanderbilt died from a stroke 4 years after the house was finished. Mortgage payments for this place would probably give me a stroke, too.

 

Backyard view. This mansion is said to be the inspiration for The Great Gatsby.

 

Only the finest materials and craftsmen were used. For example, Comfort Tiffany designed and made these outdoor lights.

 

Mrs. Vanderbilt lived 35 years longer than her husband, and enjoyed summers in The Breakers until her death.

 

 

Of course, like most interesting buildings, you can't take indoor pictures, so I borrowed a few from here.

 

Here's the dining room. The furnishings in the house are the originals.

 

The morning room, where the family spent most of the day. The family sold the house to the preservation society in the 1970's for $365,000, with the stipulation that they could continue to use it for a summer home.  The great grandkids still use it in the summer, living on the upper floor, which is off-limits to tourists.

 

The entrance hall. 

 

The kitchen was located away from the main part of the house as a fire protection, and to keep cooking odors away.  The cook was a famous chef from France,  paid $12,000 a month--an astronomical amount for the day. The counters are zinc, the sink marble.

 

You know, we could use a nice summer home....

 

This is the children's play house, located in the front yard.

 

Stan, don't you think you could built this house for the grandkids??

 

The original front driveway and wrought iron gate.

 

The side view.

 

I managed to get this picture of the mosaic tile roof of one of the many porches

 

Flower pot.

 

Other side view.

 

Our next stop was The Marble House. It was built by Cornelius' younger brother, William, in 1892 as a gift for his wife's 39th birthday.  It was cheaper than The Breakers--only $11 million 1892 dollars. Most of that amount was for the costly imported marble.

 

Front door detail.

 

More borrowed inside pictures.

 

Main hall.

 

Mrs. Vanderbilt's bedroom.  The Vanderbilts divorced two or three years after moving into the Marble house, but Mrs. Vanderbilt retained the house and lived there until her remarriage. After 1896 she used the house as a place to hold suffrage meetings.

There were several very interesting trees on both properties.

 

 Stan and I walked the couple of miles back to the ship, enjoying the beautiful private homes along the way. 

We also stumbled across St. Mary's Catholic Church, where John and Jackie Kennedy were married.

We wanted to go inside, but it was closed because, you know, it was Sunday.

We peeked at the attached local cemetery,

and couldn't help noticing they've got a zombie problem.

Somehow, I managed to find the local yogurt store where we purchased a modest amount of frozen yogurt. Cost: $16.53.  Clearly, this is rich mansion-owning people yogurt, not hicks from Montana yogurt.

Next: Boston