What Happened to the Largest Mansion in Newport? (The Breakers)
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- Опубликовано: 22 дек 2022
- The height of the Gilded Age was characterized by extreme opulence, not to be outdone by the Vanderbilt Family.
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Location: Newport RI
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We were there the first week of December 2022. All the mansions on Bellevue Ave are beyond astounding. I do think The Breakers was my favorite. We toured the mansion on one day. Just inside the gate beyond the caretakers home is the children’s playhouse. We couldn’t go inside, but it’s built with same stone and care, as the mansion, complete with functional windows, gutters & fireplace. It seemed bigger than the house I grew up in. I think anyone could live in the playhouse just fine. On another day we did the underground tour. It begins at the gate, in the caretakers house, about three flights down. All the heat, freshwater & seawater traveled 350 to 400 feet to the mansion. They bought 250 tons of coal a year to heat the mansion, even though the Vanderbilts were only there 8 - 10 weeks out of the year, usually July to early September. Everything had to be kept going in their absence especially during the winter months. When the family was set to return to The Breakers, cleaning crews would have started making preparations beginning about the middle of May. Most of the time was spent cleaning. If you ever get a chance to go to Newport RI, you have to visit the mansions. While we were there, we could only see three that were open, The Elms, Marble House and The Breakers. You won’t be disappointed, just left in awe.
My favourite is Miramar, which is still privately owned
I was born a few towns over, we used to do the Newport Christmas tours every year. There are very few things as beautiful as that front gate covered in snow.
Everyone deserves a mo dest cottage to escape. The Grand Hall is my favorite room but the decor in all the other rooms is anxiety inducing. Thanks for another great video!
You have a photo of his brother Willie K. labeled as his father, William Henry (that's W.H in the painting on the stairs). Cornelius had already owned the original Breakers for 7 years when it burned (purchased 1885, burned 1892). A cleaning and rehab of the music room uncovered that the "silver" is actually platinum leaf! During a talk during the centennial celebration of the cottage Countess Szapary talked about her mother (Gladys) and her siblings sliding down the main staircase on a silver waiter. What intrigued me the first time I toured was the hot and cold running fresh and salt water in the bathrooms. You used to get to the 2nd floor via the main stairs, now tours use the back stairs. Informative and enjoyable video.
The fresh and salt water in the taps must have been a health/status thing. The Deering mansion in Miami (built 1914-1922) also has it
@@traluf1466 A guide on one of my early visits to the Breakers said the the salt water was considered therapeutic.
Relatives continued to have quarters on top floor until they were evicted a little while back.
It's one of my favorite places on the planet. The architecture is magnificent, truly a work of art that everyone should experience.
This summer cottage was the first I visited in 2010 during a walking tour and was immediately awestruck when approaching the main gate. Each opulent room I entered was a wonderful testament to the craftsmen's ability to fulfill the design choices of the owner and architect.
So little is known about the craftsman who built these homes.
A correction, the Vanderbilts purchased and summered in the original property and I believe were present when the fire broke out. That is why Cornelius had the new house built practically fire proof with that kitchen in its own wing.
And the boiler room is underground behind the caretakers cottage connected by an over 300ft long tunnel.
That’s correct, 1892, bought from Pierre Lorillard
It's been 45 - 50 years since I visited the Breakers. Aside from the shear size and opulence what I still remember is that at least some of the bath tubs had hot and cold running salt and fresh water. Also the fixtures were gold plated.
My wife and I toured the Breakers in 2016. I could rave all day about it, but you have to see it in person. It’s breathtaking
I visited Newport and marveled at the several mansions that you can tour. Thank goodness for the preservation society who maintains all of the m mansions. The only exception at the time of my visit was the Astor mansion which was still privately owned. But you could still tour. In fact in order to assit financially, they had actors living there and put on murder mystery theatre. FANTASTIC! Since then the Duke mansion is open to the public.
In My Youth Our Family Went There & For The Most Part The Interior Was In Great Shape. I Always Thought, "How Do They Ever Keep This Place Warm In The Fall/Winter & Early Spring?" The On SIte Manager Told Me, "With All Fireplaces Going". There Was A Time The Rich Summer Homes You Could Drive Up & Walk Around & If Anyone Was Working On Them , They Would Let You Go In & Walk Around. Great Memories. Would Never Want A Place Like Any Of Them Today. People Have To Realize, You Get ILL When These Houses Were Built & Lived In, There Were Not The Medications Of Today, You Just Died. Proves The Point Of Reality, There Is Not Enough Money To Ever Keep Any Of Them Alive Back Then.
This opulent mansion is stunning!!! I'm glad that it's open to the public & lives on!!!
Merry Christmas!!! 🎄⛄🤶
It's awesome
@Crazy_Clown_In_Town what is wrong with you??
I'm originally from Rhode Island. I never went on a tour of these geourgious cottages until I was an adult. And moved to a different state. My 1st one was Marble house in the late 80s. And my husband and I on vacation in 2018, visited the breakers and Rosecliff. I enjoy the history of these homes as much as the opulence of them. It was sad the hear the last of the Vanderbilt family living in the Breakers were forced to leave. They didn't own it. But we're allowed to live in the 3rd story apartment, untill they disapproved of the gift shop/ welcome center bing built on the property. Gloria Vanderbilt before her death also disapproved .
I went there in 2019. Still a lot of restoration projects going on outside. The great hall could easily double as a ballroom.
The dining hall can be a ball room too, plus GREAT view.
The Vanderbilt family went big or stayed on the porch! This home is as lovely as Biltmore!
In my ignorant opinion, I think this house is far more beautiful than Biltmore. Biltmore is bigger, but I wonder which one cost more to build.
@@jamesclendon4811 I really don't see it as an ignorant opinion, is just an opinion that's different from mine. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Just taking a wild, off the top of my head guess I think The Breaker's was more expensive. I'm thinking about the cost of real estate in Newport vs the cost of land in North Carolina. Although in NC you'd probably have higher transpo costs. I don't know, but it's interesting.
I've been to Biltmore so I'm probably biased as seeing these mansions in person is so different than pictures. Also the land Biltmore is set on is, and I'm not a mountain person, is incredibly gorgeous. So very peaceful.
I can't believe that was built in just 2 years. That's an impossible feat, even by today's standards. ☮💖🎄💝🎄💖☮
Forgot to mention it was one of the first mansions down there to be wired for electricity. I toured it years ago with a class group. There's an elevator (which was a new concept in private homes), electric lighting in side and out, and a communication system in the Butlers Pantry so that staff can be called from nearly every room in the place.
a visit during the holidays is a must. so beautifully decorated.
I visited “The Breakers” in the late 1990s, having seen it for the first time in 1978. It remained awe inspiring. So
beautiful and grand after standing for
over a hundred years. At that time it
cost $100,000 yearly to maintain it
- I know because I asked our tour guide this question. We are fortunate
to have this grand home from the Gilded Age! Thanks for the posting.
My husband and I have visited the Breakers a few times in recent years. You have to see it in person to appreciate the grandeur of the mansion. The guides are very knowledgeable and pleasant to speak with. Highly recommend putting it on your bucket list, with all the other mansions in Newport. Just being in the presence of all that luxury is amazing.
Hi Ken, thanks for another good video. As there is so much information out there about the Breakers, it’s easy to spot some simple mistakes, others have pointed out at the pictures and the original property ownership, also the current Breakers is Italianate, not Beaux Art (like the Elms for example). Also, as again there is so much information and the house is still standing and accessible, maybe you could change the format a little and extend the duration. It always feels so rushed, you speak really fast and the pictures (which are full of incredible details) come and go so quickly that I always have to pause to look at them for a few seconds longer. I appreciate today’s taste is for something zippy and fast, but people looking at videos about old mansions may actually prefer a slightly slower pace. Please take it into account. Overall though, it’s always a pleasure to watch your vids.
Hi Ken
Please Go Slower in Talking & showing Photos
I agree with the previous text. I found it
I was Privilege to Visit "The Breakers" last Summer.
I found it Overwhelming to tour. Trying to keep up with you & the video was difficult. I played it @ least 5 times.
Never mind in a short visit.
@Stef Mercs - Agree 100%. As someone who prefers zippy and fast news/information videos, I found myself rewinding and pausing multiple times to take it all in.
That said, hats off to Ken, for the excellent content!
Sadly, this scale of beauty and detail will never be built again.
It's really amazing to see. But honestly when I was there, after a few rooms you feel rather nauseated by the sheer overwhelmingness of it all and how wasteful it is. It operated effectively as a hundred people supporting half a dozen, who would be pampered.
Absolutely beautiful and enormous manor! My favorite rooms were the music room, and also the two bedrooms. One could take a very very long time exploring this particular place. Complete with a GPS system to help you find your way around this place and the gardens 😀
I got a chance to visit the Breakers some 30 years ago. It was one of my greatest experiences. What is hard to believe is the opulence of the rooms! For better or worse, these wealthy people knew how to live, I guess.
Visited the Breakers along with Marble House a few weeks ago, truly breathtaking
I have bi/polar and extreme anxiety. Not only are your videos very educational and entertaining, they help me a great deal when I am not feeling well. Thank you so much for your wonderful videos.
Sad that Mr. Vanderbilt passed only a few years after the breakers was built…that tends to have been the story of so many wealthy families…they only got to enjoy these mansions for a little time before they passed….
These videos are both fascinating and well made. Thank you!
It’s on my bucket list! ❤
cozy little cottage
We visited in 2011.Blown away! I was mostly taken by the dining room. The glass crystal balls used in the chandelier and wall sconces were amazing, just stood there and took it all in. I'll never forget that trip.
Visited The Breakers around '68. I remember the backside room seemed open to the landscape that met with the sea. The Vanderbilt's also built The Biltmore in Asheville NC.
When I lived in New England, I visited Newport, RI several times, always enjoying touring the fabulous Gilded Age houses that have fortunately been preserved for the future. I really enjoyed this video, remaining me of happy times in Newport.
We just visited last week. Amazing tour and an amazing piece of architecture. Can't believe this was just a "summer cottage".
Any house I've ever owned would fit inside that entrance hall.
Anderson Cooper has recalled on a few occasions the times when he would visit the cousins (Countess Szapáry and her family) who maintained the third floor as a private residence. Today the space is being restored so it can be toured by visitors.
I was born and raised in East Providence , Rhode Island. Newport was about 40 minutes away. I did get to tour The Breakers several times. The mansion itself is majestic and breathtaking. The architecture for 1893 was unbelievable . It's very sad that Mr. Vanderbilt only got to enjoy the mansion for 4 years. It has withstood the test of time.
I visited in October 2018. I bought a tour that included the engineering of the estate. The tour began in the basement of the gatehouse. The coal fired water heaters that provided heat to the mansion were located remotely to reduce the risk of fire to the house. The water moved through an underground tunnel that was part of the tour to radiators located in the basement. The water moved without the use of pumps because hot water rises and cold water sinks. The same method was used for circulating air in the house through the radiators.
The house was provided with its own electrical generator and distribution system. The switch and fuse panel was mounted on a marble slab also in the main house basement. I loved it👏.
I visited back in the 1970s, when I attended OCS, I remembered many of the features you showed in your video, particularly the dining room.
Visited many years ago. The servant areas, the landscaping and the stained glass were most memorable to me. The mansion was designed for pre-air conditioned days, so the light and air flow was more valued in designing the house. I highly recommend the Cliff Walk which runs along the coast and gives views to the grounds.
Merry Christmas, Ken!
Thanks Ken - another great video!
I worked for a caterer in RI. We served some fine dinners weddings in the Newport mansions. This one is absolutely amazing!
I just went there in September and the place is totally amazing the quality of everything is outstanding. The place was so well built. It looks like with a serious power wash it could be brought right back.
Cornelius Vanderbilt ii and his wife Alice[1] were in a sort of family competition
with his brother, William K. Vanderbilt, i (the first) and his wife Alva[2].
(Alva was the Vanderbilt that crashed into NYC's famous "400" that had
been established by Caroline Astor, the queen bee of old NYC society)
_______
1.) Cornelius Vanderbilt ii and his wife Alice were the maternal great-
grandparents of the news reporter, Anderson Cooper (who is the child
of socialite/jeans designer Gloria Vanderbilt)
2.) William K. Vanderbilt, i (the first) and his wife Alva were the parents of the
famous socialite Consuelo Vanderbilt, who became the Duchess Of Marlborough.
Her husband (9th Duke) was the first cousin and good friend of Winston Churchill.
(Churchill's father himself had married the American heiress Jenne Jerome)
Cornelius II and Alice were the great grandparents of Anderson, not his grandparents. They had Reggie who married Gloria Morgan; they then had (Little) Gloria Vanderbilt, who recently
Passed away and who was indeed Anderson Cooper’s mother.
@@stefmercs9810
My bad! I will fix it.
I wonder why the Russells aren’t called the Vanderbilts in the Gilded Age, it only took me three minutes of research to figure out that’s who they were.
Does this home not come with an incredible garden… or perhaps I’ve confused it with another.
Mrs. Russell is inspired by Alva Vanderbilt the builder of the Breakers sister in-law ( Marble House was her house)
My visit in September was a dream come true!
my list just keeps growing.
Great video! I think you should do a historical walk through of Edith Wharton’s The Mount! I live in Lenox, MA. I think I took for granted living in such a historic area
At first glance on the You Tube cover photo, I thought of the Marland Mansion in Ponca City, OK. A much smaller house but it makes me wonder if this mansion might have been the inspiration for the Marland Mansion. The front gates are very similar. And it has an interesting story and is open to the public.
I've visited Newport and all of the homes open for tours many times. They are an art lover's dream, with nearly every medium represented. (Architecture.. Woodworking.. Stained Glass.. Wrought Iron.. Paintings.. Sculpture.. Interior Design.. Statuary.. Landscape Artistry.. and on and on.) With seemingly no detail overlooked, The Breakers seems to outshine them all - an American palace. (To do this 'right', plan at least 3 days to see all of the homes opened through the Newport Preservation Society. Purchasing a season pass for a nominal fee is the most cost effective approach.)
Remember it well. Spectacular.
Who remembers the opening helicopter shot of Reversal of Fortune? Flying over the Newport coastline and catching sight of one grandly manse after another?
I've been there twice,,,, amazing place. I remember the fireplace in the music room, and the story of the mirror tilted inwards more than where it was, just to reflect their room 'better'. and the kids play house,, that in itself is amazing. and the round, large round area dug into the ground, with a pole in the middle,, just so happens i always hung my cloths outside,,,lol. that's a big dryer. great place, hope it's doing well
❤ I love this house been in it a few times !
We just got home from an evening out enjoying the holiday decorations and the new magic lights display on the lawns and pathways for the Christmas season at the Breakers. The only down side of going on this evening tour is that you don't get to use the self guided tour headphones so unless you have been before or have read up on the mansion you don't get a back story of the house and it's previous occupants. Other than that it is decorated beautifully for the holiday season and would recommend going.
The audio tour is available on the Newport Mansions app and can be played on your phone while you tour. The headphones are no longer used since the pandemic to my knowlege.
I went there and it was amazing.
In person, the Breakers is stunning. Oddly, being right by the sea the inside has that musty/salty sea smell like any beachside house gets. As opulent as it is the Italian influence creates a style that is actually more understated and comfortable compared to the Elms and Marble house. Those are VERY elegant and more fussy. Breakers is a very handsome house and the guide said most people like it the best of the fanciest estates there. This, and the other cottages, really are private luxury hotels made for entertaining. I’m glad they are still standing.
The Breakers is one of my favorite houses. Its expression of wealth is
unsurpassed and is not faux, as are most of the big houses being built
today. We must return to Newport as it has been some time since we
had the pleasure of being there.
Good Evening - yes I was there. Truly an outstanding place to live.
The house has all of the warmth of a railroad station.
How appropriate. Their money came from railroads.
@@jamesclendon4811 toot toot
As a Brit, coming to the states and touring Newport Mansions even I was astounded. Manor houses exist in the UK but they're usually on lands that are self-sustaining. Newport is just bravado.
But then this led me to look into the 16th Amendment and the end of the Gilded Age. Even before the depression changes in taxes including inheritance and income tax deemed that the Gilded Age would not last.
There's a lot of truth in that, but the personalities involved and the choices they made mattered too. The Vanderbilts spent all their money.. The Rockefellers gave a lot away but still have a lot left today.
The youngest Vanderbilt brother built just one massive house, Biltmore in Ashville North Carolina. It was very much like British estates completely almost self sustained.
My wife and I toured the house in 2020 and of course it was incredible but what I would love to see are the rooms that the servants lived in and how the house actually ran.
I would love to see that subject covered for any of the mansions that are featured on your channel.
There is a statue of Richard Morris Hunt by Central Park in NYC
Very cool!
The most breathtaking room for me was the upstairs outdoor terrace room facing the ocean, absolutely surreal.
Been to the breakers and the biltmore both remarkable
I went in Sept 2021; completely fascinated by the rooms used by servants for day to day activities that are sort of "hidden" away
Went on an elementary school fieldtrip. That thing is massive.
Is that the Warbuck mansion in the movie Annie?
Awwwww it looks like a baby Biltmore ❤
Love your videos, however the picture of W.H. Vanderbilt is actually his second son, Cornelius brother Willie K. Vanderbilt
Playing croquet on the lawn of The Breakers is an amazing experience.
This is crazy. I have built one here that was 28000 square feet and had four kitchens. Maybe nine that were over 10000 square feet, most of them are stick frame and stucco a few have been masonry , nothing like this
wow
I wonder if any of todays Vanderbilt family members look at the homes the family built and now go well there is where our money went.
Like the palaces of Ludwig II, Vanderbilt mansions are a huge tourist draw, and that counts for something.
The finest examples anywhere of opulent living and yet most of the homes in Newport were only occupied for a handful of years,most being not used after 1940 and willed to the preservation society.
What happened to it?
Yo this is the mansion from the coconut song
It’s certainly an ostentatious “cottage.” While it’s a classic of its kind, I find other mansions, like Biltmore, more interesting. I find few photos of the original Queen Anne cottage online, which is a shame since it was designed by Peabody and Stearns.
So that's their Summer Cottage.
Thats the most "modest" cottage that have ever been....
It is beautiful mansion, but thats hardly a cottage ..
If only the Vanderbilt money had been put back into the railroads we could of had high speed rail for 100 years now.
Ugh! Disgusting to think!
It wasn't the lack of "Vanderbilt Money" .. that keeps us from alternative methods of transport.. it's the choke hold that fossil fuels have on politicians' wallets ;)
🤣😂🤣😂ridiculous!
Ahh, that would have been wonderful! Instead of flying. I love the Eurorail!
It was fascinating to hear from the docent when I toured The Breakers that the home had 80 permanent staff, when the family came for the few weeks during the summer months, they brought 80 more staff with them from New York City. So 160 staff to cater to 6-8 maximum of the family. Alice's daughter Gladys remained as a resident of the home until her death. Even after she sold the home to The Preservation Society. She just moved to the upper floors that were not part of a tour.
You have to remember when all of these places were built, there was not income tax. When income tax was introduced ,a lot of these people went bankrupt.
As a punishment, the children had to dust the entire place.
3 billion dollars? Not even Trump could piss that much away.
It seems to me that all these rich people tried to copy European styles. Why wasn’t there an American style?
Maybe they should have built a really really big log cabin.
As a European, I consider all gilded age mansions very American in style: the way in which architects took inspiration from different European styles but fused different elements in a very unique way makes that unique way the American style. After all, all styles stem from Ancient Greece, which was adopted and altered by the Romans, then rediscovered in the Italian renaissance, which evolved into French baroque, then softened into the neoclassical style across Europe in the 1800s and then adopted in North America
Shingle style look up the Isaac Bell house for an example
Yup, that’s Cornelius Vanderbilt’s younger brother William Kissam Vanderbilt, definitely not William Henry Vanderbilt. And the original house burned to the ground and was replaced with what we see today. Please fact check, you do a nice job, but these mistakes make me embarrassed for you.
May I say, the great wealthy of the 19th century used their wealth to create edifices of grandeur and class. They built great libraries and many local ones. They were literary and classy. How wonderful that they didn't spend their great wealth on hookers and booze.
Holy crap. Lifestyles of the rich and shameless.🏦
The bot voice narrator incorrectly emphasizes many words and ignores punctuation so much it makes the video maddening to watch. A shame, since I love the Breakers.
The narration of this video turns me off. It sounds so machine-generated.
Ive seen more interesting mansions
I was there 60 years ago - the place was just empty. A sunny afternoon in the summertime. I didn't see a soul. To me - it was a giant mausoleum celebrating obscene excess, conceit, and self-aggrandizement. It looked like a vast, overly ornate factory building from the outside - maybe the biggest, but definitely not the most beautiful of the mansions up and down that road. I can see why they abandoned it - it would probably cost $100,000 to heat it for a month - and air conditioning was never installed. Who the hell would want to live in this cavernous, cold, funereal, uncomfortable, impersonal, sterile monument to selfish overreach.
Jealous much?
@@kathymateer Right? I wish my family had a home half as impressive as that even if it was over a century ago.
This property was blighted by a hideous visitors center/gift shop as you enter the grand gates off the street. Cheapened....
It is a wonderful place to visit