2 July The Newport Mansions

Between the end of the Civil War in 1865 and the beginning of the First World War America's population and wealth grew and the when the entrepeneurs wanted to relax in summer they chose the cooler Newport as their destination. It's a little over a hundred miles from New York and less humid. The captains of industry built their summer cottages on Bellevue Avenue overlooking the sea.

This period has become known as the Gilded Age taken from the title of a satirical novel by Mark Twain. He wasn't kind when he coined the phrase. He was referring to a base metal or wood covered with a thin layer of gold.

The summer mansions of Newport are now run and maintained as museums by the Preservation Society founded by heiress Patty Duke in the 60s. It set out to save these big houses from the wreckers ball as they became too big and too costly to maintain, white elephants.

Breakers ballroom

Breakers front aspect

Breakers flower garden

The most popular house is The Breakers built by Cornelius and Gertrude Vanderbilt at the turn of the century. It took two years to build, was used for two months of the year and cost US $11 million. Vanderbilt's money came from the railroads. He wanted to show his guests how rich and successful he was with his chateau inspired mansion and grand parties. At the time when most houses were lit by candles, he had generators and electrical lights. They had hot water and central heating. A year after completion Cornelius had a stroke and died a year later.

My next house to complete the day was Rosecliff. Big, white and square lines, it was built by the Tessie Fair Oelrichs, daughter of an Irish immigrant who struck the largest deposits of silver in Nevada. Tessie liked a good knees up and her parties were infamous.

Rosecliff ballroom

It is thought F Scott Fitzgerald visited and he based The Great Gatsby on Rosecliff. The film version with Robert Redford was filmed here.

When the Gilded Age of conspicuous wealth inevitably waned at the start of the first World War, and the smart set drifted away, Tessie stayed, eventually having a mental breakdown in the twenties and dying young.

While I was at Rosecliff there was an exhibition of John James Audubon's renowned original Birds of America etchings.

Audubon etching

Audubon etching

Two houses were enough for one afternoon and I went back next day with my five house admission ticket to view The Elms, Marble House and the much smaller Chepstow house.

The Elms music room

The Elms

The Elms lost all it's namesakes to Dutch Elm disease in the 70's but the grounds remain impressive. As does the scent of fresh flowers in each of the houses provided by the gardeners at The Breakers. The Elms was built with coal money and it too heralds it's inspiration in the chateaus of Europe. In 1966 it had been abandoned, the Belgian tapestries and furniture sold at auction and was destined to be demolished until the Preservation Society stepped in and bought it. The furniture and some tapestries have been replaced by donation. I think the statistic is 40 mansions of the Gilded Age in Newport were demolished due to lack of funds and interest to maintain them. Today many of these houses and the wooden houses in the town have Historical interest status and are protected.

Marble house marble entrance hall

Marble House rear view

The last big mansion I took the tour, self guided audio tours, was at Marble House. It has tons of marble from Italy on the floors, walls and probably ceilings. It was commissioned by Consuela Vanderbilt, daughter of Breakers Vanderbilt. She went as far as to purchase an entire room including the oak panelling, stained glass and the heavy wood furniture in Europe and ship it in. At first it looked like the interior of a Gothic church. Like The Breakers and Rosecliff it has lawns that sweep down to the cliffs.