We spent Wednesday in Rhode Island. I mean, how do I go to go to Boston and not visit my boss and his wife Wendy?!
It’s called The Breakers because you can hear the waves breaking on the coast in the backyard.
The Gilded Age (1870 to 1900) was a time of economic growth, especially in the North after the Civil War. Industrialization boomed thanks to immigration and hardly any government red tape. People made fortunes while others lost their money.
But the Gilded Age is when America became the most powerful nation in the world.
Cornelius Vanderbilt II was the grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, who gave him $5 million. His father William Henry Vanderbilt endowed him with $70 million.
Cornelius II took over as chairman and president of the New York Central and other railroads in 1995.
The money helped build the iconic The Breakers in Newport between 1893 and 1895.
Cornelius II purchased the grounds in 1885 after the previous cottage burned down. He paid $450,000 for the grounds. That’s $13.6 million today. No biggie.
Cornelius II and his wife Alice wanted to prevent destruction so they used stone, steel, and brick for their 48-bedroom estate on 13 acres. It has 70 rooms altogether and 27 fireplaces.
The spouses wanted the kitchen and boiler to be as far away from the main part of the house as possible. This way it would be easier to prevent fires from coming to the house along with cooking smells.
But Cornelius II only enjoyed one summer at this glamorous cottage. He had a stroke in 1896 and passed away in 1899.
Alice lived until 1934. She left The Breakers to her daughter Countess Gladys Széchényi. She married Count Laszlo Széchényi in 1908. He was a member of Hungary’s top family and a minister to the Court of St. James in London. He later became a minister to the United States.
Gladys did not have any property in America. Plus the other kids didn’t care for the cottage while Gladys always loved it. Who wouldn’t love it?!?!
The Preservation Society of Newport County leased The Breakers from Gladys for $1 a year in 1948. She allowed them to have tours of the first floor. Gladys’s daughter Sylvia sold The Breakers and 90% of the stuff inside of it to the society in 1972.
When Sylvia died in 1998 she made the society promise the family can still live on the third floor.
We only get to see a handful of rooms. Literally, only a handful considering the size of the cottage.
However, the place overwhelmed me too much. I forgot to take a lot of pictures.
The Great Hall and the Grand Staircase:
The Breakfast Room or Dining Room. I cannot remember which one now!
The sitting area in the Billiards Room.
The Morning Room.
Miss Gertrude Vanderbilt’s Bedroom.
The Gallery. John La Farge made the stained glass ceiling in the Gallery. He originally made it for the Vanderbilt residence on Fifth Avenue.
The tapestry is from the 17th century by Dutch artist Karel van Mander. It’s about the life of Alexander the Great.
The Library.
THE VIEW. I would sit out here all day. Read my books. Finish all my cross-stitching projects.
What can I say about Professor and Mrs. Jacobson that will do them justice? I don’t know how to put it into words. Warm, welcoming, and kind. I’m such an awkward person (yes I am believe it or not) and immediately felt at home! I’m so lucky to have this job and Bill’s trust to run the blog. Every once in a while I float the idea of libertarian and cat posts!
We had a delicious lunch and talked away the afternoon. It was my favorite part of the trip by far! Love those two so much and am beyond blessed to have them in my life.
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