In this weeks episode of LANDMARKED we are touring The Most Expensive Gilded Age Mansion in America – THE BREAKERS located in Newport Rhode Island. Constructed by the once Richest family in American History – The Vanderbilts. Built by architect Richard Morris Hunt in 1892-95 this home is an Italian Renaissance Inspired monument full of sacred geometry and esoteric secrets.
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Edit by: Gerard Zarra, Sean Chupich and Erik Van Conover
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Listing Description:
Built by Cornelius Vanderbilt II, one of the richest men in America, The Breakers was everything a millionaire of the Gilded Age could want in a summer getaway. A classic Italian palazzo design, the finest American and European craftsmanship, views of the sea, and modern technology combined to make the ideal setting for luxurious living and entertaining.
The Breakers was built from 1893-1895 to replace a smaller, wooden house that had been destroyed by fire. To reduce the risk of another fire, Vanderbilt and his wife, Alice, commissioned architect Richard Morris Hunt, a leading architect of the Gilded Age, to design the new structure of steel, brick and limestone; utilities such as the boilers were placed underground and away from the house.
In keeping with the Italian Renaissance style, classical Roman influences are seen in the exterior columns and arches. The breathtaking central Great Hall, with its 50-foot-high ceiling, was inspired by the open-air courtyards of Italy but exudes the grandeur of the Gilded Age. The exquisite tile mosaics in the Billiard Room and double loggia were hand-set by European artisans. The Music Room was constructed by Allard & Sons in France then disassembled and shipped to the United States for reassembly inside the house. The Breakers décor includes the finest materials in the world, including Baccarat crystal for the chandeliers in the Dining Room and platinum leaf in the Morning Room.
Allard and Sons of Paris assisted Hunt with furnishings and fixtures, Austro-American sculptor Karl Bitter designed relief sculpture, and Boston architect Ogden Codman decorated the family quarters. The mansion covers nearly an acre of the 13-acre property and has 70 rooms including 48 bedrooms for family and staff. There are 27 fireplaces. It was equipped with electricity – still a novelty in houses during the Gilded Age – as well as gas for lighting.
In 1948, Countess Széchenyi, a daughter of Cornelius and Alice Vanderbilt to whom ownership of The Breakers had passed, allowed the fledgling Preservation Society of Newport County to begin offering tours of the first floor to the public. In return, the Preservation Society agreed to pay $1 per year and cover operating expenses and maintenance. In 1972, the Preservation Society purchased the house and property from her heirs. The Breakers was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994.
The Breakers has entertained presidents, royalty and guests from across the world for more than 125 years and today is visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year. It is the flagship of the Newport Mansions and a world-famous iconic image of the City-by-the-Sea.
Original Builder: Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt II
Architect: Richard Morris Hunt
Construction dates: 1893-1895
Materials: Brick faced with Indiana limestone
Ownership transferred to the Preservation Society: 1972
Chapters
0:00 Mansion Stats
2:32 History of the Vanderbilt’s Wealth
4:25 The Great Hall
7:24 Formal Dining Hall
10:36 Butlers Pantry
12:15 Fireproof Kitchen
13:48 Billiards Room / Sacred Geometry
15:36 Grotto / Breakfast Room
17:12 Grand Arcade / Morning Room
19:16 Music Room
20:45 Dark Academia Library
22:45 Grand Staircase / Stonework
24:27 Gladys Vanderbilt’s Bedroom
25:13 Master Bedrooms
27:12 Best Bedroom
28:08 Loggia
29:26 Third Floor Guest Wing
34:39 Gilded Age Preservation Rooms
36:24 Staff Quarters
37:50 Tunnels Under The Home…
46:11 Closing Thoughts
Produced by Resolute Wave Inc 2024
36 Comments
Comment below which Old World Mansion you would like us to tour next in my new series LANDMARKED.
This guy thinks everything is the flower of life. lol
They should make it a hotel.
This was so interesting. Thanks for sharing. <3
Isn't it pointless to provide modern estimates of the house's worth? The house is not for sale and probably never will be. Essentially it's worthless. People, even in Newport, don't build private luxury resort hotels with the staff required to make them habitable. It can only survive as a museum with an endowment (I think). It's greatest vulnerability is the lot it occupies and that will always be the greatest threat to its existence.
As I understand it the mansion was originally planned to be only two stories high. Vanderbilt wanted more bedroom so it's height is not as elegant as Hunt originally hoped. It looks very stolid as is but if you take a postcard or other image and just drop the roof a full story you can see the architect originally expected it to be lower, broader and more airy in feeling. The arched porticos would have been more prominent. The rectangular windows would have been less dominant.
But it is always amazing. It's sometimes fun to try to imagine other mansions on the site if you were the architect. It is an invitation to do any beaux arts or preindustrial icon of architectural history as a springboard motif – like they did – on the same lot. I never try to do any more than sketches but it's a kick. I tried one using the Grand Trianon peristyle dividing a family side from a public side. Rosecliff has that in mind too. It's also funny that after trying to "feel" the times I find I want to come home and look at the more modern world we now live in. F.L. Wright is old fashioned now but feels so free in comparison to the gilded and corseted, even cruelly bound in – gilded age. I always try to imagine them with as careful attention to classical details as they would but seldom spend any time trying to sketch that out.
It' a fun way to really appreciate all the periods of architectural history. It's not just real estate "porn". You can blame that idea on James Joyce. I suppose he's right? It is possible to look at those mansions without wanting to own them. But I can get a slight below the diaphragm tingle never the less. Just recite "the devil and all his pomps" and that usually swats that away. Joyce probably would have. That might be a mistake in as much as the builders probably felt the same thing and that's part of the feel.
It isn't that unusual the way the hose was built. It's urban class construction. It's built like many of the highrises going up it Manhattan at the time.The Vanderbilts wanted a fireproof building because the previou house burned down after their last Christmas in it. The replacement has almost the same floor plan.
im curious how banks held their fortunes cause i know they didnt have a billion in cash in this house
the Vanderbilt's had so many grand properties it's ridiculous they had like 12 properties in rhode island 15 in new york, some in maine and vermont, massachusetts,
one of the most famous was the biltmore in north carolina, a couple in florida, 2 in france another in hungary, 1 in london
now they werent all owned by Cornelius or William but they were owned by different vanderbuilt family members and most were designed by Cornelius's team of architects
New Age thinking is just what it says. I'm 74 and have read many guide books and other books on architecture and no one ever mentions esoteric significance in the NewPort mansion or even the NYC town houses of these people. I think the symbolism is more rhetorical and not very profound. Maybe the designers and draftsmen had a broader rage of interests but I doubt Cornelius II would have appreciated anything too arcane. He was Episcopalian and taught sunday school classes. I'm pretty sure he would have thought it was nonsense.
Wow, this property is an exquisite work of art, the level of craftsmanship is just mind boggling. Imagine all of the interactions that occurred during parties, family and social events in this work of art during it's peak residency.
This house is so amazingly preserved. It seems as if the family could move back in tomorrow and start living here again as they did decades ago.
Robber barons being more spiritual, and more reserved in discussing politics, than today? Who decorated The Breakers? The architect? Vanderbilt and his wife? It seems like it would be exhausting to do more than ok designs. All to impress the neighbors?
That's some pretty hyperbolic BS you're going for with that royalty nonsense. The house may be European in style, but the people are definitely not.
Stunning
I get the feeling of CASINO when i see this home. Battle Royale and those classic movies where people are gambling.
That shoreline looks a little close, hopefully the area never experiences flooding for the rest of history.
Absolutely Beautiful Mansion and tour!! ❤❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Looks very much like Lynnwood Hall in Philadelphia owned & built by co owners of the Titanic. Unfortunately it had been abandoned for decades so some of it is in disrepair and the furnishings and extensive artwork is now in museums or private collections. Thankfully it is now in the hands of a restoration society and so the future looks brighter. 👍
They were dreamers…..wish we had .ore today
Vanderbilt. BILT, not belt.
and it’s not BO-hemoth.
It’d behemoth.
BE.
Come on bro you sound strange trying to tell us about stuff and you can’t even pronounce it.
If you want to know more about the sacred geometry read the book of wisdom volume 1 and Volume 2. The rothschilds the vanderbilts and the gilded age are filled with the very people that conceal the true nature of this reality and so you see the sacred geometry because they understand what this world is made out of which is geometric patterns of light. These people took advantage of the knowledge that were all supposed to have of what this place really is. Look up flat Earth and don't disregard it as crap. That will enlighten you
Someday this house will be mine. When the Zombie Apocalypse comes.
You’re doing Gods work- teaching basic principles 🪷 of a world before Costco and of course selling elites largest assets- a first glimpse of the old guards fall. Funny how certain biggest properties really started selling after diddy and Maxwell have been singing in cells. The universe has a way of evening out naughty behavior done in divine locations.
Says he's Never been down underneath…but knows where he's going and what everything is….lmao
This man used to be in touch with reality
It's been 45 years since I toured The Breakers as a child. Thanks for taking me back. I remember being mesmerized by the ceilings.
Absolutely beautiful ❤
The Vanderbilts were the "keepers"…not the owners for the Domiciles. You can see the owners in the paintings and in gold inlay throughout the Domicile. The numbered rooms were servants quarters as there were many servants to maintain the Domicile. The Master and Mister suite is much larger than the servants rooms. The word "family" is defined as servants". We thanke the Vanderbilts for being good servants, stewards ov the vast estate. Peace.
The best piece of history in America , i hope they will preserve it at whatever cost!
This is the third house you've repeatedly called filigree and flowers the flower of life. The flower of life is not an actual flower it is a series of circles overlapping eachother.
Pretty cool this has been preserved so well. What an insane place
Are we not going to talk about the fact that this whole history and the mansion itself was in gossip girl as apart of Nate's story
You look AMAZING in that suit, Erik! Pure James Bond vibes!!! Were you showing us something? I totally missed it hehe
The richest faimily then, but the richest family now are the Rothschilds…… but most people have never heard of them….
Anderson Cooper is a Vanderbilt!
This is truly a masterpiece I never believed there was a palace of such magnificent grandeur built at said exquisite standards in America.This is a masterpiece!!
It HAS to be haunted