All That Glitters . . .

A few chandeliers in The Breakers

That's one of the best ways to describe furnishings of three Gilded Age mansions we visited in  recent Newport, RI: The Breakers, Marble House and The Elms. (To avoid a way too long post each mansion will be featured in a separate post.)

This post is about our first-ever visit to The Breakers, the most popular Newport RI mansion. 

It was a definite eye-opener to see how folks who had way too much money spent it. 

The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner (1873) satirized greed and political corruption in post-Civil War America. Its title became associated with graft, materialism, and corruption in public life and gave the era its nickname, The Gilded Age. However, the book doesn't include themes connected with the 1870s to 1900: industrialization, monopolies, and political corruption.

We chose the 3-mansion tour which did not have to be used the same day. The $46/person cost was the most cost-effective. If mansion tours are booked separately, The Breakers is $29; others are $25; parking is free at all. There's a total of 9 mansions operated and maintained by the Preservation Society of Newport County of which 5 are closed for renovations. 

Mansion tours are self-guided using a downloadable Newport Mansions App which worked great. There's a tour included for each mansion and it's in various languages too. We enjoyed the self-tour. Visitors could go at their own pace using cell phones and ear pods (none are provided). A detailed written handout at each mansion describes the rooms on the self-tour.

After waiting out a hour of torrential downpours in the parking lot that morning, our first stop was The Breakers, the crown jewel of Newport. When completed, this was the largest, most opulent house in Newport and has become the most famous and most visited mansion since opening to the public in the 1970s. The original furniture and fixtures, interior plasterwork, gilding and decorative painting remain untouched from when the Vanderbilts occupied The Breakers. An estimated half a million people visit annually, more so at the Christmas holidays.

The Breakers residence of Pierre Lorillard IV built in 1878

The Breakers is situated on Ochre Point, a rocky point on Newport’s eastern shoreline.It's the second mansion to be called The Breakers. The first was a Queen-Anne style residence built in 1878 by American tobacco manufacturer Pierre Lorillard IV. 

Cornelius & Alice Vanderbilt

In 1885, Cornelius Vanderbilt II and his wife, Alice, purchased the original Breakers for $450,000 (over $15 million) in what was at the time the largest real estate transaction in Newport’s history. They rehired the original architects to make changes. Cornelius, the grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, founder of the family fortune, had a net worth of over $70 million.This was at a time when the Vanderbilts were among the major U.S. industrialists 

The Breakers burned seven years later in 1892 and was replaced by the current mansion which was built within from 1893-1895 at a cost of $7 million (over $150 million now). Yes, it was built in 2 years. Thanks to the apparently endless coffers of the Vanderbilts money, some 2,000 workers worked in shifts, day and night and hundreds of workers laid the mansion's stones. 

Richard M. Hunt, 1886

The new Breakers was designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt in the Renaissance Revival style. Hunt also worked on other Newport mansions, including Marble House. This was Hunt’s final major commission as he died in Newport in the summer of 1895 while supervising the finishing touches. Considered the dean of American architecture, Hunt's fame rests with The Breakers and other stone palaces of the era. He also designed the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty.

To reduce the risk of another fire, the Vanderbilts wanted the new structure built as fireproof as possible.The building used steel trusses, not wood. Utilities like the boilers were placed underground away from the house as was the kitchen.

The Breakers construction (online source)

Whole rooms were built in Europe and shipped to Newport. The Breakers was only a summer residence, not a year-round one, but has 27 fireplaces. It covers about an acre of the 14-acre property with 70 rooms over four floors, including 48 bedrooms for family and staff.

The Breakers, circa 1904 (online source)

The Breakers was everything a Gilded Age millionaire could want in a summer getaway. It featured a classic Italian palazzo design, the finest American and European craftsmanship, imported marble, rare woods and mosaics from countries worldwide, sea views, and modern features. It was equipped with electricity, still a novelty in houses, as well as gas for lighting. All this made The Breakers a perfect setting for luxurious living and entertaining.

Sadly, the house’s completion was done in time for Cornelius Vanderbilt to enjoy its splendor for a single summer in good health He suffered a debilitating stroke in 1896 and died in 1899 age 55, from a cerebral hemorrhage a day after returning to New York from Newport.

The Breakers main gates off Ochre Point Avenue

The Ochre Point Avenue entrance is flanked by these sculpted wrought iron gates. The 30-foot-high walkway gates are part of a 12-foot-high limestone and iron fence that borders the property on all but the ocean side. Once through the gate, there's a gravel walkway leading to this very impressive mansion.

The Great Hall is the entry way at The Breakers

The Great Hall is the largest room in the house. Its made of gilded wood and marble with painted ceilings that measure 50x50 feet with a 50-feet high ceiling gthat was painted to look like the sky. Large doors open to ocean views. It features marble plasters, oversized archways and relief work throughout. 

Many parties were held in this room, the first was in August 1895, when it was the scene of a combined house and coming-out party for the Vanderbilt's oldest daughter Gertrude. Over 300 attendees were welcomed in this entry which rises nearly 50 feet and is lined with Caen stone. This light creamy-yellow Jurassic limestone was quarried in north-western France.

The Grand Staircase

The Grand Staircase in the Great Hall features low-rising marble steps, a red velvet runner and a carved wrought iron balustrade. Listening to the tour, we learned that the Vanderbilt children (there were 7 in all) would slide down the staircase on large serving trays and would also ride tricycles in the Great Hall.

Grotto beneath the Grand Staircase

The Grotto beneath the Grand Staircase is a carved marble fountain. Moving water is reflected onto the ceiling from lights pointed at the grotto.

The Breakers Library

The Library features walnut wall paneling with gold leaf detail. The central focus in this room if the 16th century fireplace brought here from a French chateau. The upper wall panels were done in green Spanish leather covered in silver leaf. The room was filled with books and furnished with French antiques.

Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt played instruments in the Music Room

The Music Room is off the Great Room and Morning Room at the southern end of the house. It was designed in French Baroque. The room's open interior was used for events like weddings, ball recitals, debutante parties and dances for the Vanderbilt family and guests. The room displays ornate woodwork and furnishings. 

The French marble, mirrors and crystal light fixtures produced a glittering effect for concerts and receptions. The room was constructed by Jules Allard & Sons in France then disassembled, shipped to the U.S. and reassembled inside the mansion. Moldings in the ceiling bear the lyrics of French songs. This room was used in the HBO series, The Gilded Age.

The Morning Room was used throughout the day

The Morning Room is executed in a late Renaissance style facing east to catch the morning sun. It provides sweeping views of the Atlantic. This family sitting room was used all times during the day. The interior design, including the fixtures, woodworking, and furniture, were designed by a French architect and designer J. Allard. The room's predominant grey, and gold colors are echoed in the fireplace which is made of Campan marble quarried in France. The portrait of Cornelius Vanderbilt is by American portrait painter John Singer Sargent. The room and its furnishings were also built in France and shipped to the U.S. for reassembly in the mansion.

The Billiards Room was the domain of Cornelius Vanderbilt

The Billiards Room was inspired by ancient Rome and features large slabs of Italian marble and rose alabaster arches with dark mahogany Renaissance furniture. The large light fixture over the billiards table is made of wrought iron and bronze and because of its weight is attached to structural beams. Wall sconces are by Louis Comfort Tiffany. The floor and ceiling ae made from hand-tiled mosaic tile. The Billiards Room was seen in The Gilded Age in a scene where the character of George Russel discussed business while playing billiards.

The Dining Room was used by the Vanderbilts to host wealthy guests

The Dining Room is entered through the Great Hall. This 2400-foot room features Roman influences and features 12-foot free standing Corinthian columns with gilding ornamentation and relief work throughout. The 16-century table of carved oak can seat up to 34.

This room featured dual massive chandeliers made of thousands of crystal balls and beads executed by French glassmakers Cristalleries Baccarat and were partially designed by architect Hunt in the imperial pattern with a crown atop each fixture. They were piped for gas and wired for electricity; rings on the chains adjusted the flow of gas. The fireplace is made of carved and gilt grey marble and was also featured in The Gilded Age show.

The Kitchen with stove, assorted pots and silverware safe

The Kitchen was unlike others of the period. It was on the first floor, not the basement and away from the main house to prevent a fire and cooling odors from reaching the main house. The French style cast iron stove was heated by coal and wood. The copper pots and pans are 19th century pieces donated to the house. The original pots had been donated to the scrap metal drive during WW II. The large safe shown in the above photo was used to store the family's 1,000 piece monogrammed Tiffany & Co. silverware.

Family bedrooms at The Breakers

The family and quest bedrooms were on the second floor. As was the custom of the time, the Vanderbilts had separate bedrooms. His was done in Louis XIV style with a bed and furnishings of carved walnut. hers was an oval shaped room with four closets to accommodate many outfit changes needed throughout the day.

When Cornelius died in 1899, he left The Breakers to Alice, who outlived him by 35 years and died in 1934 at age 89. In turn, Alice left The Breakers to her youngest daughter, Countess Gladys Széchenyi, as none of her other surviving children were interested in the property.

When Alice’s died in 1934, also aged 89, the family fortune had been squandered and divided among so many descendants that it was all but gone. During Alice’s later years, taxes alone on The Breakers amounted to $83,000 annually, plus operating expenses including nearly 60 servants and other employees, along with 150 tons of coal to heat the house in winter. 

In 1948, she leased the high-maintenance property to The Preservation Society of NewportCounty for $1 per year. In 1972, the Society bought it and 90% of the furnishings in for $365,000 (nearly $3 million) from Countess Sylvia Szapary, the daughter of Gladys. The agreement granted her life tenancy. When she died in 1998, the Society agreed to allow family to live on the third floor, which is closed to the public.

That agreement was revoked several years ago when the third floor residential occupancy of Vanderbilt heirs Gladys and Paul Szápáry was terminated by the Society. Their great-grandfather was Cornelius Vanderbilt II. It was rumored this move was payback for their opposition of a welcome center on the grounds.

Welcome Center at The Breakers is just inside the entrance gate

The Welcome Center opened in 2018. This $5.5-million, 3,750-square-foot building includes an area with admissions ticket stations and interactive screens that show the history of The Breakers and other Preservation Society homes open for tours. It has rest rooms and a cafe. 

Preservationists, neighbors and descendants of the Vanderbilt family fought its construction for years and argued that the visitors center should be built outside the walls of the 13-acre estate. We found it very convenient to buy tickets for all the mansion tours and it was a nice respite from the rainstorm on the day we visited.

The Breakers was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994. The property is owned and operated as a museum and open for visits year-round.

The Vanderbilts were once the richest U.S. family. In 1877, Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, had more than $100 million having made his fortune in first shipping, then a railroad empire. It's been reported that not only was 1 out of every $20 in circulation his, but that he had more money than the U.S. Treasury at that time. How quickly fortunates are lost as in 1973, when 120 Vanderbilts reunited, there wasn't a single millionaire in the group.

MORE MANSIONS to come (later). We visited another mansion owned by a Vanderbilt. Marble House was the residence of William K. Vanderbilt (younger brother of Cornelius) and his wife, Alva. Built between 1888 and 1892, it preceded construction of The Breakers and was also designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt.