For this this year’s vacation, the Freakin’ ‘tiquen Guys are diverging from deco. Instead of Driving for Deco, we are Galloping for the Gilded Age. Setting our sights on points north-east, we visited three of the beautiful mansions in Newport, Rhode Island. But don’t worry, we return to Driving for Deco in our next post as we finish up this trip. In the meantime, come along for the ride!

And as a side note, The 1974 movie, The Great Gatsby, filmed scenes at the three mansions discussed here.

The Breakers

The original “cottage” on this site, designed in 1877 by Peabody & Stearns, burned down in 1892. Cornelius II and Alice Vanderbilt hired Architect Richard Morris Hunt to build a  home for them and their 7 children. He designed the house we see today in the Italian Renaissance style.

The Breakers is the largest of the “summer cottages”. The Vanderbilts used it for about 6 weeks a year between July and August. Constructed between 1893 and 1895, it cost seven million dollars. It has 62,482 square feet of living space. Sitting on thirteen acres, the five-story building has a total of 70 rooms. This includes 48 bedrooms for family, guests, and staff.

Everything about The Breakers impresses. Huge ornamental gates open to a sweeping drive. Being mere peasants, we entered through one of the smaller, but no less ornamented, side gates.

Immediately to the left stands the Welcome Center. Added in 2018, it has quite a contentious history which we will not discuss here.

Moving forward, the gentle tree lined and curved driveway opens up giving us out first glimpse of The Breakers.

The Forecourt

Benches conveniently placed in the forecourt across from the entrance allow you to rest and enjoy the beautiful weather.

A decorative cement wall with pilasters topped with carved stone urns defines the forecourt.

The Children’s Cottage, North Terrace and The Ocean View Terrace

We arrived early for our reserved time and took this opportunity to walk the grounds. Taking the path to the left, we headed toward the Children’s Cottage, North Terrace, and Ocean Terrace.

The Children’s Cottage, built in 1878, is the only surviving structure from the original Breakers. Designed the in the Queen Anne Revival-style it features half-timbering, shingles, and large brick chimney. Servants used the area behind the fireplace to provide and watch over the children. Four carved wooden posts shaped like figures from Dutch folklore support the porch.

Following the graceful yet surprisingly narrow path leads to the North Terrace, a beautifully maintained formal garden with a fountain.

Closed to visitors for maintenance is the Ocean View Terrace.

With our entrance time upon us, we headed back excited to see The Breakers.

The Breakers – The Summer “Cottage”

Just a note: We booked a self-guided tour which includes free digital audio tours available in 5 languages. If you prefer, printed tour scripts are available in 11 languages.

Upon entry, and to the left and right sit the men’s and lady’s reception rooms – separated, of course, for propriety.

Ahead of us, the Great Hall. The largest space in the house it stands at 50 feet wide, 50 feet long and 50 feet high. The chandeliers in this room weigh 900 lbs. and secured to structural steel beams.

Not one surface lacks ornamentation. As indoor electricity was a relatively new invention, the fixtures in the house could utilize either gas or electricity.

To our left, “small” hallways pass beneath the first level balcony on either side of the main staircase.

A portrait of Cornelius Vanderbilt II by artist Benjamin C. Porter hangs to the left over a carved and gilded wood cassone in the Italian Renaissance style

The Dolphin Grotto

Between the two passages? A cozy sitting area of carved limestone crafted to resemble a subterranean sea cave, features a Dolphin Fountain.

The Breakfast Room

The Breakfast Room with interior designed by Allard & Sons of Paris, served as the Vanderbilt family’s breakfast and dining room.

The Dining Room

Entering the Dining Room, massive 12-foot Baccarat crystal chandeliers draw your attention up. Also hung from structural beams, they cascade with thousands of individual crystals. Around the perimeter 12 solid rose-colored alabaster columns with gilded capitals rise to the ceiling. A Painting of the goddess Diana watches from above.

Grounding the room at one end sits the fireplace. Made of carved and gilt grey marble it has a grey Cippolino marble hood. I can only imagine it offering warmth and a glow to the up to 34 dining guests.

As with the rest of the house, no corner escaped conspicuous displays of excess of wealth.

The Billiard Room

Moving out and to the left is the “men’s domain” – the Billiard Room. The design uses pale gray-green Italian Cipollino marble with contrasting rose/yellow alabaster arches. Cornelius Vanderbilt II famously did not permit men to smoke cigars inside this room. The  fireplace features winged putti in high relief.

Look down and you’ll see the intricate mosaic tile-work on the floor. But don’t forget to look up! The central ceiling panel depicts a Roman bath with each tile hand-set by European artisans.

Take particular note of the unique hardware used throughout the house.

Leaving the Billiard Room and turning to the left we crossed through the main hall.

Opposite the main staircase sits another alcove. Complete with fireplace and seating, it offers another refuge to the Vanderbilt’s family and guests.

The Morning Room

Through a doorway and to the left is the Morning Room. Designer Richard van der Boyen utilized carved garlands in the late Renaissance style with classical themes from mythology. An allegory of the Four Seasons decorate the ceiling.

Platinum leaf panels set between the pilasters reflect light and give a soft glow to the Morning Room.

The Music Room

Richard van der Boyen and Allard et Fils designed the Music Room in the French Baroque style. French craftsmen constructed, finished, disassembled, shipped, and reassembled the entire room inside the mansion.

Some may recognize it from the HBO series The Gilded Age.

The Library Alcove

Leaving the Music Room, we entered into the Library Alcove. This intimate and beautiful wood paneled room has a small card table set at one end.

A portrait of Cornelius Vanderbilt II hangs in the archway leading to the library.

The Library

The 16^th century French fireplace imported from the Château d’Arnay-le-Duc dominates the Library. Carved walnut paneling in a Renaissance style with silver leaf Spanish green leather panels envelopes this space.

Heading upstairs we paused to appreciate the Great Hall from above.

Countess Széchényi’s Bedroom

Our first stop: Countess (Gladys) Széchényi’s (nee: Vanderbilt) Bedroom. Designer Ogden Codman, Jr. created a more restrained room than we visited below. Filled with elegance, the Louis XV furniture sits against silk wall coverings and pale woodwork.

Note the “hidden” door in the corner used by servants to unobtrusively enter and exit the room.

From the Countess’ bedroom, we passed through her bathroom to Mr. Vanderbilt’s bedroom. Note the four taps on the tub. Two supply hot / cold fresh water while the other two supply hot / cold salt water.

Mr. Vanderbilt’s Bedroom

Decorated in the Louis XIV style with walnut furnishings, Cornelius Vanderbilt II only enjoyed this room one summer. He suffered a stroke in 1896 and passed away three years later in 1899.

To his credit, he viewed wealth as a personal and civic responsibility. He donating heavily to religious and charitable organizations. With his brother he established the Vanderbilt Clinic at Columbia University.

We passed through Vanderbilt’s dressing room and into his bathroom.

Note the sitz bath on the right. A luxurious necessity for soaking one’s bum after a day of horseback riding.

Mrs. Vanderbilt’s Bedroom

Furnished in the Louis the XVI style. the unique, perfectly oval-shaped room contains four closets, and built-in bookshelves. Several doors connect to other family rooms. The size and layout of the room allowed the space to also function as her private study.

Born Alice Claypoole Gwynne in Cincinnati, Ohio, Mrs. Vanderbilt met, fell in love and married Cornelius Vanderbilt II in 1867. After her husband’s death, she followed his philanthropic endeavors. She summered at the breakers until her death in 1934.

Miss Gertrude Vanderbilt’s Room (and Bathroom)

We pass through Gertrude Vanderbilt’s bathroom before stepping into a fantasy of femininity reflecting the Gilded Age.

The fourth of the Vanderbilt children, Gertrude excelled as a artist/sculptor. A portrait of 5-yr old Gertrude painted by Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta hangs over her bed. She married Harry Payne Whitney in the Breakers’ music room in 1896. In early 1931, she founded the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City.

The Guest Room

The design is Neo-classical emulating a typical 18^th century French interior. The green wall panels represent the four seasons.

The North Gallery/Grand Staircase

The North Gallery boasts exquisite works of art. Take particular note of the Karel van Mander tapestry and the John La Farge stained glass skylight.

The Servant’s Staircase

Taking the Servant’s stairway at the end of the hallway leads down into the kitchen, set in its own wing. This layout insulates the family and guests in the main house from cooking odors and noise. And to avoid the spread of any potential fire.

The Kitchen

The circular panel in the door shown above drops down. This allows the passage of food from the kitchen to the butlers pantry and eventually to the Breakfast Room.

The French style stove uses both wood and coal. Zinc covers the central worktable; above hang 19^th copper pots and pans donated to the Breakers. Countess Szechenyi donated the original pots and pans to the WW II scrap metal drive.

The Butler’s Pantry

Overwhelming describes the Butler’s Pantry. Two stories, it houses the Vanderbilt family’s China, crystal and silver. The black cabinet to the left in the above picture kept dishes warm during service. And a built-in safe housed the 1000-piece monogrammed Tiffany & Co silver service.

All food passed through the pantry before final service. Afterwards, cleaning and storing the used dishes occurred here.

Leaving the Breakers (the Servant’s Domain)

Some glimpses of the various rooms served by the household staff as we left the Butler’s Pantry and the Breakers.

Rosecliff

If Rosecliff looks familiar to you, you’re not alone. The mansion served as the primary setting for the 1974 film, The Great Gatsby.

The “Bonanza Heiress” Teresa (Tessie) Fair Oelrichs (1871-1923) hosted some of the greatest parties of the Gilded Age. Her father, John Fair, and his partners hit the largest silver strike in the United State in Virginia City, Nevada. And this catapulted the family into high society.

Already known on the West Coast, she aimed to conquer the East Coast as well. In 1891, Tessie and her sister, Virginia, bought a parcel of land in Newport, from George Bancroft. More on him later.

Tessie met and married society figure Hermann Oelrichs in 1889. As a wedding gift, her father presented her with a one-million dollar check. This kickstarted her East Coast rise in society. It took her over a decade to convince Hermann she needed a mansion. Mostly to complete with her society peers like the Vanderbilts and the Astors.

Securing enough land along the popular Bellevue Avenue, architect Stanford White created the 28,800 square-foot Rosecliff. Smaller than the 70 room Breakers, Rosecliff only has 30 rooms. Based on the Grand Trianon in Versailles, the “relaxed” and “informal” design concentrates on a place for parties and romance.

Approaching the “cottage”, the serenity of the main fountain set within a manicured garden draws the eye to it. The central figure is a bronze putti holding a dolphin.

An elegant colonnade frames the large arched French doors of the ballroom. The front façade uses classical motifs of carved balustrades and statuary.

The Garden and Back Lawn

The previous owner, George Bancroft, historian, ambassador and former Secretary of the Navy grew roses. Known for his flower beds Bancroft raised over 500 species of them. Some of which still grow in the garden today.

Central to The Great Gatsby party scene, Director Jack Clayton waited for the then mansion’s owner J. Edgar Monroe to retire for the night. With the next scene to be shot,  Clayton directed the actors to let loose and frolic in the fountain. And frolic they did essentially destroying it.

And in the morning, Mr. Monroe…not pleased! The water feature had just completed a $50,000 renovation prior to filming.

The manicured lawn offers unobstructed view of the Atlantic Ocean. At the end of the property, looks down to see the famous Newport Cliff Walk. This 3.5 mile path offers beautiful views of the ocean in one direction. In the other direction, the back lawns of the Gilded Age mansions.

Entering Rosecliff

Ornately intricate black and gold metal-work makes up the front doors. Massive lanterns illuminate the entrance while a glass canopy offers protection from the elements.

Main Vestibule

Stanford White used classic symmetry, fine grill-work and large windows to keep the vestibule open, bright and airy,

Meanwhile, the “Sweetheart Staircase” served as a dramatic focal point to the house both then and now. Shallow risers allowed women in formal gowns to glide, rather than trip, down the stairs.

The Salon

Designed in the French Renaissance style, it has an ornate Louis XV fireplace. This room can hold up to 130 people. Tessie Oelrichs used the Salon to greet her guests before moving into the ballroom. Built with central heat the fire places and overmantels at Rosecliff are mostly decorative.

The Ballroom

A bit of trivia: The Rosecliff piano was moved to Marble House for The Great Gatsby scene shown above.

Rosecliff boast the largest ballroom in Newport at 40-by-80-foot. Spanning the width of the entire house, the French doors to the back offer unrestricted views to the ocean. Matching doors on the opposite wall open onto the front court. This arrangement of doors allow for cross-ventilation and for guest to seamlessly step out to enjoy soft summer breezes.

Library/Billiard Room

Originally the Billiard Room for the Oelrichs, the last owners, Mr. and Mrs. Monroe, converted it into their Library. Designer Stanford White decorated the room in the Jacobean style with bleached English oak paneling.

The Marble Passage

The Marble Passage opens to the Ballroom on either side of the fireplace. Leading to the Library/Billiard Room on one end it opens to the Dining Room at the other.

The Dining Room

Tessie loved to entertain. In 1913, She more-than-once served dinners for two-hundred guests on the way to the theatre. I presume she utilized the Ballroom for additional seating.

Pale cream Louis XV style originally furnished the Dining Room.  Initially, the room had pale green panels with the moldings and carvings painted cream.

Mr. and Mrs. Monroe updated the Louis XV furnishings but stayed sensitive to the original design of the room. They replaced the table with an English Mahogany table that opens to comfortably seat 40.

The Second Floor/Museum

Something we weren’t expecting to see? A pair of circa 1934 William Wheeler “Seasons” statues in the Wedding Suite. Click here for more information about these statues.

The Museum

 

Cooks used this mold for Ice cream consisting of strawberry red, and vanilla white layers. And then served it on blue plates. A Chicago confectionary sold “Old Glory” ice cream with a “mystery” blue cream layer. After eating one spoonful of the blue cream, a review stated, “…enough for even the most ardent patriot.”

 

Tessie and Hermann resided here on occasion before selling it in 1941. It sold for f $21,000 (equivalent to $478,542.86 in 2026). However, the new owners failed to retain a caretaker. During the first winter, the pipes froze, then burst. destroying much of the interior and furnishings.

Mr. and Mrs. Ray Allen Van Clief bought it next. Unfortunately, his death in a car accident prevented them from moving in.

In 1947, Mrs. Van Clief sold it to the Mr. and Mrs. J. Edgar Monroe who completed the restoration and summered here for 25 years. The Monroe family donated the the house, its contents and an endowment to the Preservation Society.

Marble House

Architect Richard Morris Hunt designed and  built the 50 room Marble House for  William Kissam Vanderbilt. Given to his wife Alva Vanderbilt as her 39th birthday present, the 50 room cottage cost approximately eleven million dollars. 500,000 square feet of marble cost seven million dollars of the budget.

While excited to get inside, truthfully, we wanted to head off the busload of tourist that just pulled up.

The entry to the house consists of massive doors in the French Baroque style. Each door weighs one-and-a half tons and cost approximately fifty thousand dollars. The scroll-work incorporates the Vanderbilt family monogram “WV”.

Golden-yellow Sienna marble imported from Italy clads most of the interior spaces.

Cast in bronze and featuring sculptural corner angel figures, the chandelier hangs from a structural support in the ceiling. Each of the four decorative angel weighs approximately 40 pounds.

The Dining Room

Rose-colored marble imported from Algeria clads the spectacular Dining Room walls. The decor, inspired by the Salon of Hercules at Versailles, reflects a French hunting lodge. Bronze and gilt chairs upholstered in silk cut velvet weigh 75 pounds each, and the arm chairs weigh 100 pounds! This room also houses Mrs. Vanderbilt’s collection of French court pictures.

Born Alva Erskine Smith in Mobile Alabama, her cotton merchant father moved the family to Paris during the Civil War. Under the reign of Napoleon III Paris evolved into a modern metropolis and inspired a young Alva. Her knowledge of  French art, architecture and history influenced the interior design.

She specifically chose the golden-yellow Sienna marble to soften the overall feel of the spaces.

Hallway

A copy of Alva Vanderbilt’s portrait hangs in the hallway. Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan donated the original to the Alabama Historical Society.

The Library/Morning Room

The Library/Morning Room contains the Vanderbilt’s original books on architecture, landscape design, furniture and European history. Parisian design house, Allard et Fils created the walnut bookcases, and furnishings in this room and throughout the mansion.

The Gothic Room

Alva acquired a collection of Medieval and Renaissance from French art collector Emile Gavet (1830-1904). She had the ground floor sitting room redesigned specifically for their display. The style called Flamboyant Gothic pulls from the the flame-like details in the windows and architectural features

The chimney at the chateau of Jacques Coeur, Finance Minister to King (1400s) inspired the fireplace.

The room has Middle Ages inspired stained glass windows. Floral and vines  patterns in gold against a sea of blue-green surround the cornices.

Grand Salon (Gold Room)

Hunt designed the Grand Salon (Gold Room) with 22-karat gold leaf walls. Hints of pinks, blues and greens add texture to the surface. Serving as the formal salon/ballroom, the design pulls from the Palace of Versailles and the Louvre. Bas relief panels depicting Hercules, Aphrodite, Poseidon, and Demeter representing wealth, strength and beauty, decorate the walls.

Large bronze allegorical candelabras of old age and youth flank the Louis XIV-style marble fireplace.

A huge planter featuring two large putti, great us a we leave the Grand Salon and into the main hall.

The newel post of the grand staircase also features a very large putti. Putto figure prominently into the French Baroque style and represent divine presence, dramatic movement, and playful secular themes

Mr. Vanderbilt’s Study

Ascending to the mezzanine, Mr. Vanderbilt’s private study greets us to the left. Boldly upholstered in red silk jacquard, it showcases painting of his prized race horses. Note the “secret” servant’s door in the far right corner.

Mezzanine

As with The Breakers, but less so at Rosecliff, ornamentation and conspicuous touches of wealth surrounded us.

Mrs. Vanderbilt’s Study

Mrs. Vanderbilt’s study sits opposite to her husband’s. Designed in the French Rococo style, the French “cabinet” room contains porcelain, rare stone carvings and other decorative items. This is where Mrs. Vanderbilt could greet her guests.

Mr. Vanderbilt’s Bedroom

Green-gold silk wall coverings, Louis XVI style furniture contributes to the Neoclassical style of Mr. Vanderbilt’s Bedroom.

William Vanderbilt became patriarch of the family when his older brother Cornelius died in 1899. Educated, cultured and refined, he helped establish the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. And, as a founding patron, he helped create the Metropolitan Opera, New York. Divorced from Alva in 1895, he married Anne Harriman and moved to France in 1903. Speaking fluid French, he contributed financial support to the Lafayette Escadrille, a volunteer air corps during World War I. Vanderbilt earned the Legion of Honor from the French government for his assistance during the war.

Mrs. Alva Vanderbilt’s Bedroom

Exuberant describes this Louis XVI style room. Lilac silk wall hangings feature an architecture motif and festoons of drapery envelope Mrs. Alva Vanderbilt’s Bedroom.

Eighteenth century Venetian artist, Pellegrini painted the ceiling medallion featuring Athena, Goddess of wisdom and war.

Marrying William Vanderbilt in 1875, Alva elevated the Vanderbilts to the top of society. After their divorce, Alva married Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont in 1896. They moved down the block to Belcourt designed by Richard Morris Hunt. Alva retained ownership of Marble House after the divorce reopening it in 1908 for occasional use. Actively involved in the Suffragette Movement, she supported the National Women’s Party.

Guest Bedroom 1

Jules Allard designed the Guest Bedroom in the Louis XV style. Silk wall coverings compliment the walnut furniture. This room connects to a sitting room and bathroom to create a private suite. Charles (Sunny) Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough often stayed in this room.

Back Staircases/Servant’s stairs

The Preservation Society believes this staircase leads to the William and Harold’s actual bedrooms on the third floor. Staff may have used these as well to keep out-of-sight.

Consuelo Vanderbilt’s Bedroom

Consuelo Vanderbilt, eldest daughter of William and Alva, moved into Marble House at the age of fifteen. Known for her long swan-like neck and delicate beauty her mother arranged her marriage to Charles (Sunny) Spencer-Churchill. 9th Duke of Marlborough. The pair lived outside of London in Blenheim Palace, ancestral home of Winston Churchill. The Duke and Duchess ended their marriage after 26 years in 1921. She remarried French aviator Captain Jacques Balsan. They lived between The United States, France and England until her passing in 1964.

Harold Sterling Vanderbilt Memorial Room/ Trophy Room

Originally back-to-back dressing rooms for Alva and William, the space became one space in 1932. New owner, Frederick H. Prince converted the space into his bedroom decorated in the American Federal revival style.

The Preservation Society uses the space to display Harold Sterling Vanderbilt’s many trophies. The youngest of the Vanderbilt’s, he became a noted yachtsman. And not just that, Harold also invented the rules for contact bridge!

 In 1963, the Prince estate put the house up for sale. Harold donated the money needed so that the Preservation Society could buy his mother’s former home.

Gallery

Guest Room 2

The reproduction silk green-gold wallpaper provide a background for the several landscape paintings to the left and right. Allard et Fils provided the furnishings. This space served as an additional guest room. It connects by an adjoining bathroom and small sitting room to Guest Room 1. Important guests used this set of rooms as a private suite.

The elevator bay is not part of the house tour, per-se. The Prince family added it after 1932. Its designed to blend with the Gilded-Age style of the mansion.  The elevator gives access between the basement through the  second floor. Visitors with limited mobility can use it with a staff member running it. However, it cannot accommodate motorized scooters or wheelchairs.

William and Harold Vanderbilt’s Bedrooms

Although shown as the bedrooms for William and Harold, the location lends itself more to being staff or guest rooms. Significant alterations by the Prince’s in the 1960s and a lack of the original plans adds to he confusion.

Service Area

Thirty-three to thirty-five servants provided the life blood to Marble House’s fifty rooms.

Various staircases allowed staff to transport food, supplies, and laundry across multiple floors and rooms. And, without crossing paths with the family or guests! Quartered on the third floor, they rarely got credit for their hard work or for keeping things moving smoothly.

Tradesman used the back entrance to provide wine flowers and grocery. However, a gated area on the ground floor provided security; preventing tradesman access to the rest of the house.

Scullery

As previously stated, Alva Vanderbilt supported the early suffragette movement. She used this custom “Votes for Women” China during rallies and tea held at Marble house in the early 1900s.

The scullery and kitchen (shown below) may look familiar to some readers. HBO’s The Gilded Age filmed scenes in both locations.

Kitchen

Using cutting edge equipment of the time, the kitchen produced meals for luncheons, picnics, teas dances and dinner parties.

Paid $10,000 a year (approximately $360240.03 in 2026) for his expertise, a dedicated French chef supervised the entire kitchen staff. They provided daily multi-course meals to the Vanderbilts, the staff, and guests.

The cabinet picture above holds copper molds for ice cream, aspics, pastries and other elaborate desserts.

Heading out

Before exiting Marble House through the gift shop we stopped to admire the lower level mini-museum. The display cabinet holds various silver nautical trophies won by the Vanderbilts. Sailing themed art decorates the walls.

The property

Stepping outside we admired the Beaux-Arts facade. The Vanderbilts selected domestic marble quarried in Westchester County, New York. The fine carvings and exterior details use Aurora marble quarried in northern Italy for .

The Tea House

Designed by architects Hunt and Hunt they modeled the Tea House after 12th-century Song dynasty architecture and Ming dynasty styling. Built around 1908–1914, it features a pagoda rooftop, and bright woodwork. William Andrew Mackay murals decorate the interior.

Alva Vanderbilt commissioned the tea house for a specific reason. It served as a clandestine and public headquarters for women’s suffrage meetings, and Political Equality Association rallies.  Alva used her Votes for Woman China for her teas here.

The Preservation Society of Newport County acquired the property in 1963. A 1977 full restoration included moving the Tea House back 75 feet from the sea wall.

Saying Farewell to Marble House

If you have the chance, do not pass up a visit one, or more of these “summer cottages”.  It is something you won’t soon forget.

It must be nice to have this kind of money!

Chris & Anthony (the Freakin ‘tiquen Guys)