The palatial and ornate Manhattan homes depicted on the hit HBO series ‘The Gilded Age’ once existed, but almost all have been demolished

The story of the Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion begins the same way New York’s other Gilded Age palaces got their start: with a socially prominent family in need of a showpiece of a home. In…

Edward S. Harkness was considered the most philanthropic of New York City's millionaires having donated countless millions and buildings to various charities and institutions. He had been born to Stephen V. Harkness and his wife Anna. On Stephen's death, Edward inherited some $50 million and he decided he wanted a suitable New York City residence for him and his wife, Mary. He chose a narrow plot that had been given to him by his mother and hired his friend, architect James Gamble Rogers, to design and build him a large townhouse. Mary And Edward Harkness Were A Quiet, But Very Rich, Couple Who Gave Generously To The Poor When the home was completed in 1908, it was a masterpiece, with 6 floors above ground and a basement below, it was a beautiful Italian Renaissance model. The Beautiful Harkness Mansion, Once Completed, Became A New York City Tourist Attraction The interiors, unlike most millionaire's homes, were designed for comfort and occasional entertaining. The ground floor held the reception room, dining room, entrance hall, pantry and the ladies powder room. The second floor held the two principal rooms, the library and the music room. The third floor held guest bedrooms and bathrooms, while the fourth floor held the Harkness's private suite. The remaining floors held servant accommodations and a few guest rooms. The Entrance Hall Had A Rooster Statue In The Center The Reception Room Was The Most Elegant Room In The House And Served As A Sitting Room The Elegant Dining Room Could Seat 50 People And Had Two Service Closets On Either Sides Of The Fireplace The Beautifully Carved Staircase Ran To The Very Top Of The House, All 6 Floors And Had A Glass Dome Covering It The Staircase Had Decorative Iron Railing That Had Been Imported From Italy And Reinstalled In The Harkness Mansion The Music Room Was Used For Restrained Recitals And Also Was Occasionally Used As A Ballroom The Music Room Also Held Several Pieces Of The Harkness's Famous Art Collection And Statuary The Second Floor Gallery Also Held Several Pieces Of The Harkness's Art Collection And It Was Done In French Paneling The Library Was Used By Both Edward And Mary As A Retreat From The Uptight World Of New York City Society Mr. Harkness's Corner Of The Library Was Where He Ran His Philanthropic Empire Giving Regularly $1 million In Addition To His Other Gifts The house's many bedrooms were each designed in a different style and each had their own bathroom and dressing room. Mr. and Mrs. Harkness's private suite was like that of an apartment. They shared a bedroom and they each had their own bathroom, dressing room and Mrs. Harkness's boudoir and Mr. Harkness's private den. Mrs. Harkness's Bed And Boudoir Are Both Very Comfortable And Livable, Unlike Like Most Millionaire's Wives' Bedrooms And Boudoirs Not surprisingly, Edward Harkness was a Republican and he socialized with other prominent men such as, Stuyvesant Fish, Cornelius Vanderbilt II, William B. Astor Jr., James L. Van Alen, Arthur Curtiss James and Ogden Mills at Republican events and fundraisers. The Republican Society Men Rallied Against Fellow Society Democrats, August Belmont, John Astor III, Thomas Ryan Fortune, William C. Whitney And Hermann Oelrichs. They Helped To Raise Money To Put An End To Boss Tweed's "Tweed Ring", Which Was Shot Right In The Heart By Republican Henry Clews's "Committee Of 70", And Teamed With Their Fellow Republican Society Women Such As, Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish, Mrs. Hermann Oelrichs (She Was A Republican Despite The Fact That Her Father And Husband Were Democrats), Maude Wetmore And Mrs. Henry Clews Sr. To Help Keep New York City And Newport Republican Cities. When Anna Harkness died, she was reported to be one of the wealthiest women in the world, with a fortune of $107 million, out of which Edward inherited $93 million. Before Anna's death, she and Edward had paid two of the ten highest income taxes in the country. When Edward's brother, Charles W., died he left an estate of $60 million, out of which $36 million went to Edward. On Edward's death in 1940, he left an estate of $100 million, out of which Mary inherited life residency of all of their homes, along with some $10 million. Mary continued to live there and at their two other residences, "Eloma" in Connecticut and "Weekend" their Long Island estate. "Eloma" (Top) And "Weeekend" (Bottom) Were Quiet And Comfortable Estates, With Comfortable Interiors And Comfortable Rooms Mary continued to reside there until her death, 10 years later, upon which the home was donated to The Commonwealth Fund, which occupies it today.

The palatial and ornate Manhattan homes depicted on the hit HBO series ‘The Gilded Age’ once existed, but almost all have been demolished

Next time you’re in one of the city’s former Gilded Age mansions—reborn as a museum, perhaps, or a cultural center, store, or some other public building—be on the lookout for tiny butto…

Edward S. Harkness was considered the most philanthropic of New York City's millionaires having donated countless millions and buildings ...

In 1914 millionaire Arthur Curtiss James commissioned the architectural firm of Allen & Collens of Boston to design a large mansion on...

In 1914 millionaire Arthur Curtiss James commissioned the architectural firm of Allen & Collens of Boston to design a large mansion on...

See Gatsby's Long Island in this weekend guide to the Gold Coast of Long Island showing off the most beautiful mansions from the Guilded Age!

The Benjamin N. Duke House, located at 1009 Fifth Avenue in New York City, is the rarest opportunity to acquire a piece of history and make a bold statement in your portfolio.This magnificent building was built in 1899-1901, and was designed by the firm of Welch, Smith & Provot in the Italian Renaissance palazzo style with strong Beaux Arts elements. It stands tall in one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in the city, and is one of the last remnants of the luxurious mansions along Fifth Ave

In the early 1890's millionaire Cornelius Vanderbilt II commissioned a block long renovation to his already large New York City mansion that changed the world's view of the Vanderbilt's forever. In 1883 Vanderbilt had had a large townhouse built on the corner of 57th street that could suit him and his large family comfortably. But by the 1890's he felt that others were trying to trying to outdo him and his family, so he commissioned society architect George Post to build him a block long mansion and Richard Morris Hunt as advisor. The First Vanderbilt Mansion at 57th Street When it was completed, it extended the entire block of 57th street giving it a superb view of the Pultizer Fountain and was the largest house ever constructed in New York, a title which it still holds today. The Mansion extending the entire block Although the family entrance remained on the west side there was a new formal entrance on the east side with a large porte cochere. The floor plan of the house shows that tthe rooms on the first floor were centered around the large great hall and ballroom. Upstairs were the numerous family bedrooms and guest rooms along with the play room and servants rooms. The interiors we done by the famous interior design firm of Julus Allard and filled with the family's large collection of french rococo style antiques. From the formal entrance guests walked into a stone vestibule and were led up stone steps to the water color reception room. The water color room was basically a reception room where formal guests would wait to be greeted by the Vanderbilts, on the wall is a photo of Mrs. Vanderbilt in her younger years as well as water color paintings. Through the family entrance guests entered the Great Hall. The Great Hall was done with caen stone and had a beautiful spiral staircase. The Great Hall To the left of the great hall was the Dining room which also doubled as the art gallery. The dining room could seat 200 people at a Vanderbilt party and almost 300 people when the table was broken up. The Dining Room/Art Gallery Behind the dining room was the somking room done in a very moorish style with a very ornate chandelier. In the middle of the House was the ballroom. The ballroom could hold 650 people and had walls that could open up into other rooms to increase the already large room of 64 by 50 foot long. Ballroom On the right side were two salons and a drawing room. The Petit Salon The Grand Salon Upstairs were the family bedrooms, servant's rooms and guest rooms. In 1899 Cornelius died he left an estate of over $72 million to his family and charity. His wife Alice Gwynne received a $7 million trust fund, the New York City Mansion and the Breakers cottage in Newport. For years alice resided gloomily in her two homes. Ever since the day of Cornelius's death Alice, the reigning Mrs. Vanderbilt, had worn nothing but black and pearls, living in the past, spending her days alone in her fortress of a mansion on Fifth Avenue and in The Breakers Villa, visiting only her family, never seen in the public. The New York City Mansion in 1925 The Breakers mansion Newport in 1925 In 1925 it had become so expensive to run both home that they both starting to look worn. To run the Breakers it took 37 servants, 13 grooms and 12 gardeners. To run the 137 room Mansion in New York City took 37 servants. The $t million dollar trust fund Alice had been left produced and annual income of $250,000 which soon was just enough to cover the taxes on both houses. The taxes on the Breakers was $83,000 a year while taxes on the New York City Mansion which had been $38,000 in 1890 had risen to $130,000. In 1925 Alice was forced to sell the home for $7 million dollars to The Bergdorf-Goodman department store which demolished it and built upon it another department store which still occupies the spot today.

In 1854 socialite Caroline Webster Schermerhorn married the enormously wealthy William Backhouse Astor Jr., grandson of the famous fur t...

With his business interests booming, Senator William A. Clark decided to move his business empire to New York City. Upon arriving, Clark ...

In the early 1890's millionaire Cornelius Vanderbilt II commissioned a block long renovation to his already large New York City mansion that changed the world's view of the Vanderbilt's forever. In 1883 Vanderbilt had had a large townhouse built on the corner of 57th street that could suit him and his large family comfortably. But by the 1890's he felt that others were trying to trying to outdo him and his family, so he commissioned society architect George Post to build him a block long mansion and Richard Morris Hunt as advisor. The First Vanderbilt Mansion at 57th Street When it was completed, it extended the entire block of 57th street giving it a superb view of the Pultizer Fountain and was the largest house ever constructed in New York, a title which it still holds today. The Mansion extending the entire block Although the family entrance remained on the west side there was a new formal entrance on the east side with a large porte cochere. The floor plan of the house shows that tthe rooms on the first floor were centered around the large great hall and ballroom. Upstairs were the numerous family bedrooms and guest rooms along with the play room and servants rooms. The interiors we done by the famous interior design firm of Julus Allard and filled with the family's large collection of french rococo style antiques. From the formal entrance guests walked into a stone vestibule and were led up stone steps to the water color reception room. The water color room was basically a reception room where formal guests would wait to be greeted by the Vanderbilts, on the wall is a photo of Mrs. Vanderbilt in her younger years as well as water color paintings. Through the family entrance guests entered the Great Hall. The Great Hall was done with caen stone and had a beautiful spiral staircase. The Great Hall To the left of the great hall was the Dining room which also doubled as the art gallery. The dining room could seat 200 people at a Vanderbilt party and almost 300 people when the table was broken up. The Dining Room/Art Gallery Behind the dining room was the somking room done in a very moorish style with a very ornate chandelier. In the middle of the House was the ballroom. The ballroom could hold 650 people and had walls that could open up into other rooms to increase the already large room of 64 by 50 foot long. Ballroom On the right side were two salons and a drawing room. The Petit Salon The Grand Salon Upstairs were the family bedrooms, servant's rooms and guest rooms. In 1899 Cornelius died he left an estate of over $72 million to his family and charity. His wife Alice Gwynne received a $7 million trust fund, the New York City Mansion and the Breakers cottage in Newport. For years alice resided gloomily in her two homes. Ever since the day of Cornelius's death Alice, the reigning Mrs. Vanderbilt, had worn nothing but black and pearls, living in the past, spending her days alone in her fortress of a mansion on Fifth Avenue and in The Breakers Villa, visiting only her family, never seen in the public. The New York City Mansion in 1925 The Breakers mansion Newport in 1925 In 1925 it had become so expensive to run both home that they both starting to look worn. To run the Breakers it took 37 servants, 13 grooms and 12 gardeners. To run the 137 room Mansion in New York City took 37 servants. The $t million dollar trust fund Alice had been left produced and annual income of $250,000 which soon was just enough to cover the taxes on both houses. The taxes on the Breakers was $83,000 a year while taxes on the New York City Mansion which had been $38,000 in 1890 had risen to $130,000. In 1925 Alice was forced to sell the home for $7 million dollars to The Bergdorf-Goodman department store which demolished it and built upon it another department store which still occupies the spot today.

In 1914 millionaire Arthur Curtiss James commissioned the architectural firm of Allen & Collens of Boston to design a large mansion on a 80 by 110 foot plot formerly occupied by the old Union Theological Seminary for him and his wife, Harriet. The mansion would not fill the entire plot allowing for a small garden on the northern side. Although A Confirmed Republican, Arthur Curtiss James Supported Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Fight Against Prohibition The Mansion Would Be The James's Main Home And Their Favorite Home, Thus It Had To Be Just Right It was said that while Allen & Collens built the house, James supervised ever detail and even came up with the floor plans himself. First Floor (Top), Second Floor (Middle) And Third Floor (Bottom), The Floor Plan Was Designed Around The Large Great Hall The interiors were also supervised by Mr. James, although more so by Allen & Collens. They were done in the English Renaissance style with the exception being the gothic great hall. Guests would enter through a single storey vestibule into a large entrance hall. From the entrance hall guests would be led to the largest room in the house the great hall. The 2 Story Great Hall, Which Doubled As A Ballroom On Occasion, Was Done In A Very Gothic Style The Dining Room Was Done in Beautiful Carved English Limewood With Marble Floors, The Portrait On The Mantlepiece Was a Reproduction Painting From The Palace Of Versailles And The Chairs Were Copies Of The Ones On Mr. James's yacht The Stair Hall Was Done In Tennessee Marble With a Large Stained-Glass Window And A Wool Tapestry Decorating The Walls. The home, when completed, had cost James $1 million although this did not bother him at all for he had a fortune of some $26 million and controlled numerous railroad lines. Besides their New York City residence the Jameses also had a estate in Newport called "Beacon Hill" famous for it's blue gardens and estate in Florida and on the Hudson. "Beacon Hill", The James's Cottage In Newport RI, The Scene Of Their Famous Blue Garden Ball, Which Trumped Mamie Fish's Ball The James's also had a large yacht, which they sailed constantly, named "Aloha". It commanded a crew of 39 people and was considered one of the most luxurious yachts in the world. The James relied on it to get them to their estates. In june 1941, James had a fatal heart attack and he died in New York City, just three weeks after his wife's death. In his will he left %10 of his fortune to his nieces and nephews while the rest went to charity. The mansion was demolished soon after to make way for a large apartment tower.

Above is a picture of a ball being held in the famous Vanderbilt mansion at 640 Fifth Avenue, in New York City. The ball was given by Grace Wilson Vanderbilt, who is probably toward the front of the house greeting guests, and as usual her husband, General Vanderbilt, is not in attendance. Guests are gathering in her famous Great Hall around William Henry's malachite vase, waiting for Grace to signal to enter the ballroom. This was one of the last balls in the Vanderbilt Mansion, held on June 5, 1941. Picture courtesy of Bettmann Archive.

On the avenue dubbed the “Millionaire’s Colony” in the late 19th century thanks to its unbroken line of ornate mansions, one house stood out as the most insanely overdone: William…

The Beaux Arts-style residence was inspired by Versailles, built by the architects behind Grand Central Station, Warren & Wetmore, for a New York stockbroker-turned governor of Rhode Island in 1905. In 1925, it was purchased by Emily Thorn Vanderbilt Sloane White, granddaughter of railroad t

The palatial and ornate Manhattan homes depicted on the hit HBO series ‘The Gilded Age’ once existed, but almost all have been demolished

The mansion, located on a tree-lined block of Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side, was designed by famed architect Stanford White and built for the banker and railroad tycoon Henry H. Cook.

The story of the Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion begins the same way New York’s other Gilded Age palaces got their start: with a socially prominent family in need of a showpiece of a home. In…

PODCAST At the heart of New York’s Gilded Age — the late 19th century era of unprecedented American wealth and excess — were families with the names Astor, Waldorf, Schermerhorn and Vanderbilt, alongside power players like A.T. Stewart, Jay Gould and William “Boss” Tweed. They would all make their homes — and in the case… Read More

"C. P. H. Gilbert is at work on plans for an elaborate residence to be built for Mr. F. W. Woolworth on the corner of 80th Street and Fifth ...

They may no longer house robber barons but several of the Gilded Age era's important architectural gems have survived to this day.

On the avenue dubbed the “Millionaire’s Colony” in the late 19th century thanks to its unbroken line of ornate mansions, one house stood out as the most insanely overdone: William…

PODCAST At the heart of New York’s Gilded Age — the late 19th century era of unprecedented American wealth and excess — were families with the names Astor, Waldorf, Schermerhorn and Vanderbilt, alongside power players like A.T. Stewart, Jay Gould and William “Boss” Tweed. They would all make their homes — and in the case… Read More

Above is a photo of the Willie K. Vanderbilt Jr residence in New York City. Constructed by Stanford White, the chateau had been built to ...

Louis Stern was deeply affected by the death of his beloved wife and he went into a deep period of mourning, dressing in all black and rarely being seen in the public. This all changed in 1887 when he commissioned the architectural firm of Schickel & Ditmars to design him a residence on a plot of land located at 993 Fifth Avenue. Louis Stern Was A Quiet And Kind Man, Although He Was A Stronghold In The Republican Party And Served As It's Delegate Louis's Son, Irving C. Stern, Married Aliss Ruth Brandeis, The Driving Force Behind The Decoration Of The Interior Of The Mansion Once the house was completed, it was said to have cost some $1 million and the Stern family quickly moved in. It became one of the city's leading tourist attractions and not a week went by where the Stern's didn't hold an event there. The Mansion Included A Ballroom, Drawing Room, Numerous Bedrooms, Bathrooms, Servant's Rooms And Entertaining Rooms. An Estimated $70,000 Was Spent On Designing And Decorating The Entrance Alone, The Front Doors Having Costed $1,500 The floor plan of the house was centered, like many fifth avenue mansions, around entertaining. The ground floor contained the drawing room, entrance hall, reception room, dining room, conservatory, ballroom (which was also an art gallery) and the pantries. The second floor held the library, music room, sitting room, a bedroom and the master suite. The upper floors held bedrooms, bathrooms and servant's rooms. The Floor Plans Of The First And Second Floors. From "Architecture 1901" Courtesy of "Beyond The Gilded Age" The interiors were some of the most sumptuous in city, with french antique furniture and rare vases and paintings. Aliss Stern had supervised the decoration of the home, as she and her husband intended to live their as well, and was said to have been handed a blank check by her father-in-law to cover the cost of the interior, which she planned to go all out on. She did a good job. The Entrance Hall Was Done Completely In Marble, Marble Floors, Marble Walls, Marble Columns, Marble Everything, Costing $100,000 The Grand Staircase Was Made Out Of Rare European Marble And Featured A Bronze Statue Of A Young Girl Holding Flowers The Drawing Room Was Practically Two Small Parlors Connected Together, Both Rooms Had Their Own Fireplace, Chandelier And French Furniture The Reception Room Was One Of The Most Formal Rooms In The House, With The Antique Gilt Furniture And Large Crystal Chandelier, It Was Used More As A Salon The Circular Dining Room Could Seat More Than 75 People At One Of The Stern's Many Dinner Parties The Conservatory Was One Of The Most Comfortable Rooms In The House And Was Where The Sterns Normally Waited Before Their Dinner Parties The Massive Ballroom Also Doubled As A Picture Gallery, Like In The Astor Mansion, And It Was Used For Large Balls And Events The Second Floor Hall Connected The Master Suite And The Family Rooms Together, It Too Had Marble Floors The Library Was Also Used As Living Room, Where The Stern Family Could Relax And Prepare For Their Next Party The Elegant Sitting Room Was Used By Both Guests And Family Members, Aliss Had Tea Every Morning Here Louis Let Irving And Aliss Use The Master Suite, He Would Sleep In A Third Floor Room, And The Master Bathrooms. Aliss's Boudoir Was Where She Spent Most Of Her Time, Planning Events And Reading Her Favorite Books The Third Floor Bedroom Louis Slept In Had A Connecting Den, Breakfast Room, Bathroom And A Large Dressing Room Louis's Connecting Den And Breakfast Room Was Where He Spent Most Of His Time, Working, Reading, Or Managing His Charitable Empire Entertainments at the mansion were regularly held, with Aliss acting as hostess, and when they were held they were large. When he wasn't entertaining, Louis was running his giant charitable empire, giving hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Besides charity he also gave generously to the Republican Party and even served as a delegate, without his support The National Republican Club wouldn't have had a home. The Mansion Was Sold For $1 Million To Millionaire Art Collector Hugo Reisinger, Son Of A German Jeweler. When Stern wanted to retire to his Long Island estate, he sold to estate to the Hugo Reisingers, who quickly moved in. Hugo hung it's walls with his large collection of German artwork and statuary. The ballroom was turned into an art gallery and was never used anymore for dancing. Shortly after moving in Hugo died, while having breakfast in his room. Mrs. Reisinger Was Left A Fortune Of Some $1 million By Her Husband On His Death, After Which She Quickly Went Out And Spend It Hugo left all of his art to various museums and left his home and a fortune to his wife, along with several charitable contributions. She soon married Major Charles Greenough and they settled in at the mansion. With Commercial Invasion And Taxes Rising, Mrs. Reisinger Realized She Couldn't Afford Her Mansion Anymore Mrs. Reisinger sold the mansion and settled into a cozy apartment in the building across the street from her. She had sold the townhouse to developers for some $3 million and had put all the furnishings (the same furnishings that had belonged to the Sterns who had sold them with the house) in storage. In 1929 the home was razed and replaced with another skyscraper. After Mrs. Reisinger's death the mansion's furnishings (still in storage) were auctioned off for some $50,000.

In 1882 New York broker William J. Hutchinson commissioned architect George B. Post to design a large French Renaissance style townhouse...

When William Henry Vanderbilt, the richest man in the world at the time, died, he left the most of his $200 million estate divided equally between his 2 eldest sons, Cornelius "Corneil" and William "Willie". Cornelius was older than William so Alice, Cornelius's wife, assumed that Cornelius was head of the Vanderbilt family, plus Cornelius had also been given an extra $2 million plus the portrait and marble bust of Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt, objects that had always been given to the head of the family. Willie was perfectly fine with letting Cornelius be head of the family, but Willie's wife, Alva, was not okay with letting them rule the family and launched a campaign to make her husband and their children the leaders of the Vanderbilt clan. Alice also launched on a campaign, to put Alva firmly in her place, and Alice had just the plan to win. Corneil Was Considered A Saint, Giving Most Of His Not-Needed Income To Charities. Alice Was Beautiful, Pious And Rich, Spoiled By Her Constantly Dotting Husband, She Was Accustomed To Getting What She Wanted. Corneil and Alice had met while teaching Sunday school at St. Bartholomew's Church, also known as "The Vanderbilt Powerhouse" because all the Vanderbilts attended and gave very generously to it, and had quickly married. Alice had been born to a prominent lawyer who left her a small fortune on his early death. Corneil had been born to William Henry and was the favorite grandson of the Commodore, who left him some $5 million on his death when Corneil's brothers got only $2 million. Upon their marriage Alice and Corneil quickly settled into a large brownstone, near Mrs. Astor at 34th Street. With fashion flowing north, Corneil moved his family to a large mansion, near the Central Park, next door to Mary Mason Jones's "Marble Row". Corneil And Alice's First New York City Townhouse Ca. 1882 Corneil and Alice were content to live in their large townhouse with their family. Besides New York the couple resided in a large cottage in Newport, which they had bought and renovated. Their cottage which was called the "Breakers" contained the largest dining room in Newport. "Breakers" The Newport Cottage Of Corneil And Alice When William Henry died he had left almost $130 million divided equally between Corneil and Willie, which made it unclear who was the head. With Corneil's fortune to back her up, Alice decided to show Alva who was in charge and commissioned massive alterations to their New York City townhouse. The Vanderbilts bought the entire row of houses behind them and brought in George B. Post and Richard Morris Hunt to build them a palace that would occupy the entire block. When it was completed , the chateau would be the largest home ever built in New York City, with 137 rooms, 37 bedrooms, 16 baths, a library, numerous salons, a baronial dining room, smoking room and a magnificent ballroom. The New Vanderbilt Mansion Exemplified Power And Wealth, Just What Alice Was Hoping For The Vanderbilt's Kept Their Original Entrance And Used The Porte Cochered Entrance For Formal Events The Formal Entrance Was very Elegant And Featured Carvings By Karl Bitter Hunt and Post had carefully crafted the interiors, which were designed for large scale entertaining, to create a breath of luxury. The floor plan is designed where the huge ballroom can be expanded to create an even large room for dancing. The inclusion of two salons showed how much the Vanderbilts admired European architecture, although surprisingly unlike many aristocrats and millionaires, there was no room designated specifically for art work, but, like Mrs. Astor, they chose to have a room that would have two purposes, that room was the dining room. First (Top) Second (Middle) And Third (bottom) Floor Plans The magnificently crafted interiors were to be used by the finest people in the world, so they had to be not just luxurious, they had to be fantastic. The ground floor held the entertaining rooms. The ballroom, salons, drawing room, dining room, office, water color room, breakfast room and the pantries were all on the ground floor. The Terrace And Steps Leading To The Water Color Room Were Done In Beautiful Caen Stone The Fabulous Entrance The The Water Color Room The Wonderful Water Color Room Held A Portrait Of Alice A Corner Of The Wonderful Water Color Room The Magnificent Caen Stoned Great Hall Reaching Up To The Top Of The House The Beautifully Crafted, Caen Stone Staircase Had Been Built In Italy And Had Been Especially Imported For The Vanderbilts The Fantastic Dining Room Also Doubled As An Art Gallery On The Mantlepiece Of The Dining Room Was A Family Portrait The Moorish Smoking Room Featured A Detailed Chandelier The Grand Salon Was Mrs. Vanderbilt's Favorite Room In The Entire House The Petit Salon's Fireplace Had A Picture Of Gertrude Vanderbilt The Ballroom Had Walls That Could Be Expanded To Create An Even Larger Space Shortly after work had been completed on the New York City palace, the Vanderbilt's commissioned Richard Morris Hunt to design them a new residence in Newport which they named again "Breakers". The original residence the Vanderbilts had bought had burned down in a fire, so the new one would need to be fireproof. When it was completed, "Breakers" became the largest residence in Newport. The New "Breakers" Instantly Became A Newport Tourist Attraction The Vanderbilts lived formally in their castles and entertained lavishly. Although Alva gave better parties, Alice was considered the more respected matron. But none of this lasted long because one thing shattered the Vanderbilt's perfect life, and her name was Grace Wilson. Grace Wilson Of The Marrying Wilsons Of the Vanderbilts 6 children, Cornelius "Neily" had been the least rebellious. That all changed when he soon began courting Grace Wilson, against Alice and Corneil's wishes. The problem was that not only was Grace 8 years older than Neily, but she had also been previously involved with the Vanderbilt's oldest son, William, who had died of typhoid shortly after graduating college. Grace did not meet the Vanderbilt's high expectations and she was generally snubbed by members of the Vanderbilt clan, although Willie K. did not seem to have a problem with her. Despite his family's dislike for her, Neily married Grace at her family's house, in a simple ceremony. Not a member of the Vanderbilt family was in attendance, although Willie sent his congratulations. Shortly after Neily's marriage to Grace, Cornelius suffered from a stroke, after which he could barely speak and was paralyzed from the legs down. The gates of the Vanderbilt mansions immediately and forever closed and only friends and family were allowed in. Corneil was forever prisoned in a wheelchair and he rarely left the New York City chateau or the "Breakers" villa. He refused to see Neily or Grace, who wanted to restore their connection with the Vanderbilt family because they needed money badly, and promptly tore up the letters they sent him. Alice did the same and she was constantly at the side of her bedridden husband. When the Vanderbilts were in New York City, the roads surrounding their chateau were shut down and traffic was routed around it. When in Newport, the Vanderbilts had the roads surrounding their house covered with special pads to keep the noise down. That all changed in 1899. Corneil Sat Up And Shouted For Alice, When She Arrived He Cried "I Think I Am Expiring" And Leaned Over And Died When Corneil died, he left an estate estimated at $75 million (it would have been considerably more had he not given most of his income to charity) of which his will told everyone how it would be divided. First, he left Alice $1 million outright and the use of a $7 million trust fund which produced an annual income of $250,000, Alice also was given The New York City palace and the "Breakers" villa. Son Reginald, daughter Gertrude and daughter Gladys each were given $4 million outright and a $4 million trust. Alfred, the Vanderbilt's second eldest son behind Neily, was named head of the family and was given $45 million. Neily was given $500,000 outright and a $1 million trust. Alfred Vanderbilt Was Called The Handsome Vanderbilt Alice immediately went into deep mourning, from which she never fully recovered. The income from the trust Corneil had left her allowed her to live comfortably in her two massive homes and she regularly gave large sums of money to her relatives and friends. No more social functions were ever held in her homes, except for the wedding of Gladys. When Alfred sank on the "Lusitania", Alice spent thousands of dollars trying to find his body, although it was never found and his funeral was held in the New York city mansion. When her favorite child, Reginald, literally drank himself to death in newport, his funeral was also held in the New York City mansion. By 1910, Alice had finally accepted Neily and Grace and started giving them money (if it weren't for her money they would have been broke). Once When Dining With Reggie's Wife Gloria, Alice Noticed Gloria Didn't Have Any Pearls, Alice Calmly Summoned A Footman And Told Him To Bring Some Scissors, When They Arrived Alice Cut Part Of Her Pearl Necklace Off And Handed It To Gloria Saying "There You Are Gloria, All Vanderbilt Women Have Pearls" Meanwhile, in New York City, commercial development had caught up with the Fifth Avenue mansions and owners were quickly selling their Fifth Avenue palaces to developers, who were replacing the beautiful mansions with huge skyscrapers. Behind Alice a large skyscraper had replaced the former home of her daughter, Gertude, and completely towered over Alice's home. Commercial Development Was Destroying The Beautiful Townhouses That Had Once Lined Fifth Avenue The Beautiful Vanderbilt Mansion, Dwarfed By Commercial Invasion By 1920 with taxes rising on the vanderbilt mansion, up to $130,000 a year, and taxes on the "Breakers" rising up to $83,000, Alice realized she could not afford her homes anymore. Every since the day of Corneil's death, Alice, the reigning Mrs. Vanderbilt, had worn nothing but black and pearls, living in the past, spending her days alone with her numerous servants at her fortress in New York City and "Breakers" villa, visited by only her family, never seen in the public eye. Alice decided to economize, when she was in the New York City mansion, she would only open the drawing room, office, breakfast room, pantry and her suite of rooms on the second floor. When in the Newport house, Alice only opened the library, office, reception room, breakfast room, pantry and her and Corneil's suite of rooms upstairs. Alice, Gertrude And Gladys In The Library At The "Breakers" Although this worked for a little while, By 1923 Alice was forced to put the New york City mansion on the market. Alice knew that no one would buy her home to use it as a residence, it was one of the most valuable parcels of land in the city. Holding no illusions to the survival of her house, Alice decided to remove whatever could be removed from the house and either donate it or sell it. Alice donated the massive entrance gates to the Central Park and gave a large fireplace that had been in the great hall to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, along with several carvings by Karl Bitter that had been on the porte cochere. The Fireplace Alice Donated And The Billiard Room Ceiling Panels That were Bought By Loew The mansion was bought by the Bergdorf Goodman, for $7 million, who stripped the home and sold off it's contents. The entire Moorish smoking room was bought by a theatre magnate Marcus Loew, who planned on putting it in his new theatre. Loew also purchased the entire petit salon and put it in the same theatre as the Moorish room. Also paneling from the upstairs billiard was removed and sold as well as the paintings in the ballroom. The Vanderbilt mansion was torn down and replaced with the Bergdorf Goodman Department Store. The Bergdorf Goodman Department Store Replaced The Vanderbilt Chateau Alice Bought The Former Gould Mansion For $800,000 And Quietly Moved In. The Home Contained A Ballroom, Drawing Room, Dining Room and Reception Room, All Of Which Would Never Be Used When Alice died, she left a total estate of $15 million, which interestingly contained $10 million in cash. She gave Gladys the "Breakers" and her new New York City townhouse as well as trust of about $5 million. Gladys was also the recipient of Alice's famous pearls. Neily had been given The Gwynne Building in Cincinnati and almost $1 million. Gertrude was given the remainder of the $7 million trust fund Corneil had left Alice, which totaled to some $3 million. A trust of $1.5 million was left to Reggie's two daughter, Cathleen and Gloria. Other bequests were made to relatives, servants and charities. Alice was buried in the Vanderbilt Mausoleum.

When millionaire William Watts Sherman decided to build a large, imposing residence at the corner of 838 Fifth Avenue, located in the h...

In 1914 millionaire Arthur Curtiss James commissioned the architectural firm of Allen & Collens of Boston to design a large mansion on a 80 by 110 foot plot formerly occupied by the old Union Theological Seminary for him and his wife, Harriet. The mansion would not fill the entire plot allowing for a small garden on the northern side. Although A Confirmed Republican, Arthur Curtiss James Supported Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Fight Against Prohibition The Mansion Would Be The James's Main Home And Their Favorite Home, Thus It Had To Be Just Right It was said that while Allen & Collens built the house, James supervised ever detail and even came up with the floor plans himself. First Floor (Top), Second Floor (Middle) And Third Floor (Bottom), The Floor Plan Was Designed Around The Large Great Hall The interiors were also supervised by Mr. James, although more so by Allen & Collens. They were done in the English Renaissance style with the exception being the gothic great hall. Guests would enter through a single storey vestibule into a large entrance hall. From the entrance hall guests would be led to the largest room in the house the great hall. The 2 Story Great Hall, Which Doubled As A Ballroom On Occasion, Was Done In A Very Gothic Style The Dining Room Was Done in Beautiful Carved English Limewood With Marble Floors, The Portrait On The Mantlepiece Was a Reproduction Painting From The Palace Of Versailles And The Chairs Were Copies Of The Ones On Mr. James's yacht The Stair Hall Was Done In Tennessee Marble With a Large Stained-Glass Window And A Wool Tapestry Decorating The Walls. The home, when completed, had cost James $1 million although this did not bother him at all for he had a fortune of some $26 million and controlled numerous railroad lines. Besides their New York City residence the Jameses also had a estate in Newport called "Beacon Hill" famous for it's blue gardens and estate in Florida and on the Hudson. "Beacon Hill", The James's Cottage In Newport RI, The Scene Of Their Famous Blue Garden Ball, Which Trumped Mamie Fish's Ball The James's also had a large yacht, which they sailed constantly, named "Aloha". It commanded a crew of 39 people and was considered one of the most luxurious yachts in the world. The James relied on it to get them to their estates. In june 1941, James had a fatal heart attack and he died in New York City, just three weeks after his wife's death. In his will he left %10 of his fortune to his nieces and nephews while the rest went to charity. The mansion was demolished soon after to make way for a large apartment tower.

When millionaire art collector Henry Osborne Havemeyer died, he left not only a spectacular fortune of almost $30 million to his wife, Louisine Elder Havemeyer, but also a sumptuous, art-filled mansion, facing the Central Park. Louisine also inherited the nearby stables, which they had shared with Col. Payne and their Long Island estate. Mrs. Havemeyer Was Instantly Turned Into One Of The City's Wealthiest Women Upon The Death Of Her Husband Mrs. Havemeyer's Imposing New York City Mansion Was Filled With Her And Her Husband's Large Art Collection The Stables That Were Shared With Col. Payne Were Quickly Turned Into Garages To House Mrs. Havemeyer's Fleet Of Rolls Royce The Havemeyer mansion sat on one of the most valuable plots of land in the city. The area surrounding the mansion soon became occupied by large, imposing townhouses, designed in all sorts of styles and periods. Next door the dingy brownstone that had occupied the lot made way for the grand residence of Mrs. Parsons. Mrs. Parsons's Marble Residence Was Surprisingly Modern Compared To The Other Townhouses That Surrounded It Next to Mrs. Parsons the residence of R. Livingston Beeckman had risen and on the other side of the Havemeyer mansion, down the avenue, had risen the palace of Mrs. Astor and her son John, along with the residence of William Watts Sherman. Soon The Avenues Surrounding Mrs. Havemeyer Were Filled Fine Townhouses And Grand Mansions, Occupied By The City's Wealthiest People Mrs. Havemeyer continued to use her husband's fortune to support several of the causes her husband had supported, such as the Republican Party and Trinity Church, and would regularly give away around $1 million a year. The interiors of her New York City mansion would regularly be host to numerous fundraisers and charity balls, sometimes raising up to $80,000 in one night. The Drawing Room Of The Havemeyer Mansion Was Often Used To Hold Fundraisers And Charity Dinners While Mrs. Havemeyer was busy raising money and hosting fundraisers, the world around her and her house was changing. By the 1920's The great mansions that had lined the avenue surrounding the Havemeyer mansion were now being replaced with massive skyscrapers and tower-like apartment buildings. When The Massive Apartment Tower Rose Across The Street From Mrs. Havemeyer, The Surrounding Residents Got Their First Taste Of Commercial Invasion With rising taxes putting an end to many of New York City's great homes, Mrs. Havemeyer and a few others stayed on. Thanks to Mr. Havemeyer's fortune, Mrs. Havemeyer was able to still afford her New York City home and live in the same kind of luxury she always had lived. The Beeckman Mansion (Now Occupied By Mrs. Henry White), Parsons Mansion And The Havemeyer Mansion Were The Only One Left On Their Block Skyscrapers Were Starting To Replace The Grand Townhouse Along Fifth Avenue And Many New Yorkers Traded Their Townhouses For Apartments When Mrs. Havemeyer died in 1927, The New Yorkers who were still clinging to their townhouses knew exactly what would happen to the Havemeyer Mansion. Apparently Mrs. Havemeyer knew too, because in her will she had the house scrapped of all of it's decorative features and donated them to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She left an estate of $9 million, small compared to the fortune she had been left by her husband, but she had given many gifts in her lifetime and had still continued to donate and spend around $1 million a year, even with taxes on her mansion rising to $100,000 a year. She left $1 million to her children and another million to various charities. She donated most of the mansion's furniture to museums and the art collection went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Havemeyer Mansion Was Quickly Torn Down, Along With The Parsons Mansion And Replaced With Another Vulgar Skyscraper The Only One That Remains Is The Former R. Livingston Beeckman Mansion, Now The Mission of Serbia

With his business interests booming, Senator William A. Clark decided to move his business empire to New York City. Upon arriving, Clark ...

When William Henry Vanderbilt, the richest man in the world at the time, died, he left the most of his $200 million estate divided equ...

The declining of New York City's grand Fifth Avenue mansion could be dated all the way back to 1913, when congress passed America's brand new Income Tax (another way the Government chooses to tax American citizens). This process was speeded up with the end of World War I, when land prices skyrocketed. "Traditionally, the Great Depression is cited as the cause for the end of the Great House era. However, the economic collapse was merely the "coup de grace" for an already defunct tradition . The Declining Years actually began around the end of World War I. Several factors contributed to the demise of the Great House: a shortage of servants brought on by the severely restrictive Immigration Act of 1919; the first income tax was instituted in 1913; and immediately following the end of the war, escalating land values in Manhattan discouraged even the very rich from building single-family residences" Michael C. Kathrens With all of these factors contributing, it became very hard for even the super wealthy to maintain their palaces along Fifth Avenue. Alva Belmont's Chateau, The Mansion That Started The Great House Era, Was The First To Go, Demolished in 1926 Not Far Behind Was The Astor Mansion At 65th Street, Which Made Way For The Temple Emanu-El In 1926 Click HERE To Read More About The Astor Mansion The following year, Alice Vanderbilt, widow of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, finally was forced to give up the block-long Vanderbilt mansion to developers. The massive home was the largest home ever built in New York City. The home made way for the Bergdorf Goodman Department Store. Alice moved to the much smaller George Gould mansion. The Massive Vanderbilt Fortress, Overlooking The Grand Army Plaza, Made Way For The Sleek Department Store That Stands There Today Click HERE To Read More About The Vanderbilt Mansion With The fall of the Vanderbilt Mansion, so went the rest of the area. Quickly following the Vanderbilt mansion's demolition, was the leveling of the Arabella Huntington mansion, also in 1927, the Elbridge T Gerry mansion and then the Mary Mason Jones mansion, both in 1929. Quickly, mansion after mansion along Fifth Avenue was demolished to make way for massive skyscrapers and commercial buildings. The surviving homeowners were practically fighting a war. Mrs Cornelius Vanderbilt III, Grace, Refused To Give Up Her Brownstone Fort At 640 Fifth Avenue, The Last of The Vanderbilt Homes (Photo From Robert Bruce) The Vanderbilt Mansion, 640 Fifth Avenue, Was The First Of The Vanderbilt Homes Along Fifth Avenue, It Was Also The Last 640 Fifth Avenue, Towered Over By Hundred of Skyscrapers, The Mansion Was Finally Demolished In 1947 Click HERE To Read More About 640 Fifth Avenue The 6-Story William Watts Sherman Brownstone, Then Occupied By His Widow, Seemed Small Compared To The 20-Story Skyscrapers Around It, The Home Was Demolished In 1950 Click HERE To Read More About The William Watts Sherman Mansion The George F. Baker Jr Mansion, Occupied By His Widow Until 1958, It Survives Today As The Russian Orthodox Church The William Starr Miller Mansion, Later Owned By Grace Vanderbilt After She Sold 640 Fifth Avenue, Still Survives Today As The Neue Gallery Click HERE To Read More About The William Starr Miller Mansion Another dowager who refused to give up her home was Harriet Alexander, widow of Charles B Alexander. Although her home was engulfed by commercial invasion, she still ran the house just as it always had. She eventually got sick of the skyscrapers and moved to Paris, although she still kept her New York City mansion. Harriet Alexander Was Determined Not To Let Her Home Have The Same Fate As The Other Demolished Mansions The Alexander Mansion (right) Up Against The Bergdorf-Goodman, The Mansion Was Demolished In 1940 Click HERE To Read More About The Mrs Charles B Alexander Mansion TO BE CONTINUED.....

In the early 1890's millionaire Cornelius Vanderbilt II commissioned a block long renovation to his already large New York City mansion that changed the world's view of the Vanderbilt's forever. In 1883 Vanderbilt had had a large townhouse built on the corner of 57th street that could suit him and his large family comfortably. But by the 1890's he felt that others were trying to trying to outdo him and his family, so he commissioned society architect George Post to build him a block long mansion and Richard Morris Hunt as advisor. The First Vanderbilt Mansion at 57th Street When it was completed, it extended the entire block of 57th street giving it a superb view of the Pultizer Fountain and was the largest house ever constructed in New York, a title which it still holds today. The Mansion extending the entire block Although the family entrance remained on the west side there was a new formal entrance on the east side with a large porte cochere. The floor plan of the house shows that tthe rooms on the first floor were centered around the large great hall and ballroom. Upstairs were the numerous family bedrooms and guest rooms along with the play room and servants rooms. The interiors we done by the famous interior design firm of Julus Allard and filled with the family's large collection of french rococo style antiques. From the formal entrance guests walked into a stone vestibule and were led up stone steps to the water color reception room. The water color room was basically a reception room where formal guests would wait to be greeted by the Vanderbilts, on the wall is a photo of Mrs. Vanderbilt in her younger years as well as water color paintings. Through the family entrance guests entered the Great Hall. The Great Hall was done with caen stone and had a beautiful spiral staircase. The Great Hall To the left of the great hall was the Dining room which also doubled as the art gallery. The dining room could seat 200 people at a Vanderbilt party and almost 300 people when the table was broken up. The Dining Room/Art Gallery Behind the dining room was the somking room done in a very moorish style with a very ornate chandelier. In the middle of the House was the ballroom. The ballroom could hold 650 people and had walls that could open up into other rooms to increase the already large room of 64 by 50 foot long. Ballroom On the right side were two salons and a drawing room. The Petit Salon The Grand Salon Upstairs were the family bedrooms, servant's rooms and guest rooms. In 1899 Cornelius died he left an estate of over $72 million to his family and charity. His wife Alice Gwynne received a $7 million trust fund, the New York City Mansion and the Breakers cottage in Newport. For years alice resided gloomily in her two homes. Ever since the day of Cornelius's death Alice, the reigning Mrs. Vanderbilt, had worn nothing but black and pearls, living in the past, spending her days alone in her fortress of a mansion on Fifth Avenue and in The Breakers Villa, visiting only her family, never seen in the public. The New York City Mansion in 1925 The Breakers mansion Newport in 1925 In 1925 it had become so expensive to run both home that they both starting to look worn. To run the Breakers it took 37 servants, 13 grooms and 12 gardeners. To run the 137 room Mansion in New York City took 37 servants. The $t million dollar trust fund Alice had been left produced and annual income of $250,000 which soon was just enough to cover the taxes on both houses. The taxes on the Breakers was $83,000 a year while taxes on the New York City Mansion which had been $38,000 in 1890 had risen to $130,000. In 1925 Alice was forced to sell the home for $7 million dollars to The Bergdorf-Goodman department store which demolished it and built upon it another department store which still occupies the spot today.

When William Henry Vanderbilt, the richest man in the world at the time, died, he left the most of his $200 million estate divided equally between his 2 eldest sons, Cornelius "Corneil" and William "Willie". Cornelius was older than William so Alice, Cornelius's wife, assumed that Cornelius was head of the Vanderbilt family, plus Cornelius had also been given an extra $2 million plus the portrait and marble bust of Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt, objects that had always been given to the head of the family. Willie was perfectly fine with letting Cornelius be head of the family, but Willie's wife, Alva, was not okay with letting them rule the family and launched a campaign to make her husband and their children the leaders of the Vanderbilt clan. Alice also launched on a campaign, to put Alva firmly in her place, and Alice had just the plan to win. Corneil Was Considered A Saint, Giving Most Of His Not-Needed Income To Charities. Alice Was Beautiful, Pious And Rich, Spoiled By Her Constantly Dotting Husband, She Was Accustomed To Getting What She Wanted. Corneil and Alice had met while teaching Sunday school at St. Bartholomew's Church, also known as "The Vanderbilt Powerhouse" because all the Vanderbilts attended and gave very generously to it, and had quickly married. Alice had been born to a prominent lawyer who left her a small fortune on his early death. Corneil had been born to William Henry and was the favorite grandson of the Commodore, who left him some $5 million on his death when Corneil's brothers got only $2 million. Upon their marriage Alice and Corneil quickly settled into a large brownstone, near Mrs. Astor at 34th Street. With fashion flowing north, Corneil moved his family to a large mansion, near the Central Park, next door to Mary Mason Jones's "Marble Row". Corneil And Alice's First New York City Townhouse Ca. 1882 Corneil and Alice were content to live in their large townhouse with their family. Besides New York the couple resided in a large cottage in Newport, which they had bought and renovated. Their cottage which was called the "Breakers" contained the largest dining room in Newport. "Breakers" The Newport Cottage Of Corneil And Alice When William Henry died he had left almost $130 million divided equally between Corneil and Willie, which made it unclear who was the head. With Corneil's fortune to back her up, Alice decided to show Alva who was in charge and commissioned massive alterations to their New York City townhouse. The Vanderbilts bought the entire row of houses behind them and brought in George B. Post and Richard Morris Hunt to build them a palace that would occupy the entire block. When it was completed , the chateau would be the largest home ever built in New York City, with 137 rooms, 37 bedrooms, 16 baths, a library, numerous salons, a baronial dining room, smoking room and a magnificent ballroom. The New Vanderbilt Mansion Exemplified Power And Wealth, Just What Alice Was Hoping For The Vanderbilt's Kept Their Original Entrance And Used The Porte Cochered Entrance For Formal Events The Formal Entrance Was very Elegant And Featured Carvings By Karl Bitter Hunt and Post had carefully crafted the interiors, which were designed for large scale entertaining, to create a breath of luxury. The floor plan is designed where the huge ballroom can be expanded to create an even large room for dancing. The inclusion of two salons showed how much the Vanderbilts admired European architecture, although surprisingly unlike many aristocrats and millionaires, there was no room designated specifically for art work, but, like Mrs. Astor, they chose to have a room that would have two purposes, that room was the dining room. First (Top) Second (Middle) And Third (bottom) Floor Plans The magnificently crafted interiors were to be used by the finest people in the world, so they had to be not just luxurious, they had to be fantastic. The ground floor held the entertaining rooms. The ballroom, salons, drawing room, dining room, office, water color room, breakfast room and the pantries were all on the ground floor. The Terrace And Steps Leading To The Water Color Room Were Done In Beautiful Caen Stone The Fabulous Entrance The The Water Color Room The Wonderful Water Color Room Held A Portrait Of Alice A Corner Of The Wonderful Water Color Room The Magnificent Caen Stoned Great Hall Reaching Up To The Top Of The House The Beautifully Crafted, Caen Stone Staircase Had Been Built In Italy And Had Been Especially Imported For The Vanderbilts The Fantastic Dining Room Also Doubled As An Art Gallery On The Mantlepiece Of The Dining Room Was A Family Portrait The Moorish Smoking Room Featured A Detailed Chandelier The Grand Salon Was Mrs. Vanderbilt's Favorite Room In The Entire House The Petit Salon's Fireplace Had A Picture Of Gertrude Vanderbilt The Ballroom Had Walls That Could Be Expanded To Create An Even Larger Space Shortly after work had been completed on the New York City palace, the Vanderbilt's commissioned Richard Morris Hunt to design them a new residence in Newport which they named again "Breakers". The original residence the Vanderbilts had bought had burned down in a fire, so the new one would need to be fireproof. When it was completed, "Breakers" became the largest residence in Newport. The New "Breakers" Instantly Became A Newport Tourist Attraction The Vanderbilts lived formally in their castles and entertained lavishly. Although Alva gave better parties, Alice was considered the more respected matron. But none of this lasted long because one thing shattered the Vanderbilt's perfect life, and her name was Grace Wilson. Grace Wilson Of The Marrying Wilsons Of the Vanderbilts 6 children, Cornelius "Neily" had been the least rebellious. That all changed when he soon began courting Grace Wilson, against Alice and Corneil's wishes. The problem was that not only was Grace 8 years older than Neily, but she had also been previously involved with the Vanderbilt's oldest son, William, who had died of typhoid shortly after graduating college. Grace did not meet the Vanderbilt's high expectations and she was generally snubbed by members of the Vanderbilt clan, although Willie K. did not seem to have a problem with her. Despite his family's dislike for her, Neily married Grace at her family's house, in a simple ceremony. Not a member of the Vanderbilt family was in attendance, although Willie sent his congratulations. Shortly after Neily's marriage to Grace, Cornelius suffered from a stroke, after which he could barely speak and was paralyzed from the legs down. The gates of the Vanderbilt mansions immediately and forever closed and only friends and family were allowed in. Corneil was forever prisoned in a wheelchair and he rarely left the New York City chateau or the "Breakers" villa. He refused to see Neily or Grace, who wanted to restore their connection with the Vanderbilt family because they needed money badly, and promptly tore up the letters they sent him. Alice did the same and she was constantly at the side of her bedridden husband. When the Vanderbilts were in New York City, the roads surrounding their chateau were shut down and traffic was routed around it. When in Newport, the Vanderbilts had the roads surrounding their house covered with special pads to keep the noise down. That all changed in 1899. Corneil Sat Up And Shouted For Alice, When She Arrived He Cried "I Think I Am Expiring" And Leaned Over And Died When Corneil died, he left an estate estimated at $75 million (it would have been considerably more had he not given most of his income to charity) of which his will told everyone how it would be divided. First, he left Alice $1 million outright and the use of a $7 million trust fund which produced an annual income of $250,000, Alice also was given The New York City palace and the "Breakers" villa. Son Reginald, daughter Gertrude and daughter Gladys each were given $4 million outright and a $4 million trust. Alfred, the Vanderbilt's second eldest son behind Neily, was named head of the family and was given $45 million. Neily was given $500,000 outright and a $1 million trust. Alfred Vanderbilt Was Called The Handsome Vanderbilt Alice immediately went into deep mourning, from which she never fully recovered. The income from the trust Corneil had left her allowed her to live comfortably in her two massive homes and she regularly gave large sums of money to her relatives and friends. No more social functions were ever held in her homes, except for the wedding of Gladys. When Alfred sank on the "Lusitania", Alice spent thousands of dollars trying to find his body, although it was never found and his funeral was held in the New York city mansion. When her favorite child, Reginald, literally drank himself to death in newport, his funeral was also held in the New York City mansion. By 1910, Alice had finally accepted Neily and Grace and started giving them money (if it weren't for her money they would have been broke). Once When Dining With Reggie's Wife Gloria, Alice Noticed Gloria Didn't Have Any Pearls, Alice Calmly Summoned A Footman And Told Him To Bring Some Scissors, When They Arrived Alice Cut Part Of Her Pearl Necklace Off And Handed It To Gloria Saying "There You Are Gloria, All Vanderbilt Women Have Pearls" Meanwhile, in New York City, commercial development had caught up with the Fifth Avenue mansions and owners were quickly selling their Fifth Avenue palaces to developers, who were replacing the beautiful mansions with huge skyscrapers. Behind Alice a large skyscraper had replaced the former home of her daughter, Gertude, and completely towered over Alice's home. Commercial Development Was Destroying The Beautiful Townhouses That Had Once Lined Fifth Avenue The Beautiful Vanderbilt Mansion, Dwarfed By Commercial Invasion By 1920 with taxes rising on the vanderbilt mansion, up to $130,000 a year, and taxes on the "Breakers" rising up to $83,000, Alice realized she could not afford her homes anymore. Every since the day of Corneil's death, Alice, the reigning Mrs. Vanderbilt, had worn nothing but black and pearls, living in the past, spending her days alone with her numerous servants at her fortress in New York City and "Breakers" villa, visited by only her family, never seen in the public eye. Alice decided to economize, when she was in the New York City mansion, she would only open the drawing room, office, breakfast room, pantry and her suite of rooms on the second floor. When in the Newport house, Alice only opened the library, office, reception room, breakfast room, pantry and her and Corneil's suite of rooms upstairs. Alice, Gertrude And Gladys In The Library At The "Breakers" Although this worked for a little while, By 1923 Alice was forced to put the New york City mansion on the market. Alice knew that no one would buy her home to use it as a residence, it was one of the most valuable parcels of land in the city. Holding no illusions to the survival of her house, Alice decided to remove whatever could be removed from the house and either donate it or sell it. Alice donated the massive entrance gates to the Central Park and gave a large fireplace that had been in the great hall to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, along with several carvings by Karl Bitter that had been on the porte cochere. The Fireplace Alice Donated And The Billiard Room Ceiling Panels That were Bought By Loew The mansion was bought by the Bergdorf Goodman, for $7 million, who stripped the home and sold off it's contents. The entire Moorish smoking room was bought by a theatre magnate Marcus Loew, who planned on putting it in his new theatre. Loew also purchased the entire petit salon and put it in the same theatre as the Moorish room. Also paneling from the upstairs billiard was removed and sold as well as the paintings in the ballroom. The Vanderbilt mansion was torn down and replaced with the Bergdorf Goodman Department Store. The Bergdorf Goodman Department Store Replaced The Vanderbilt Chateau Alice Bought The Former Gould Mansion For $800,000 And Quietly Moved In. The Home Contained A Ballroom, Drawing Room, Dining Room and Reception Room, All Of Which Would Never Be Used When Alice died, she left a total estate of $15 million, which interestingly contained $10 million in cash. She gave Gladys the "Breakers" and her new New York City townhouse as well as trust of about $5 million. Gladys was also the recipient of Alice's famous pearls. Neily had been given The Gwynne Building in Cincinnati and almost $1 million. Gertrude was given the remainder of the $7 million trust fund Corneil had left Alice, which totaled to some $3 million. A trust of $1.5 million was left to Reggie's two daughter, Cathleen and Gloria. Other bequests were made to relatives, servants and charities. Alice was buried in the Vanderbilt Mausoleum.

Upon William Henry Vanderbilt's death, he left his side of the Vanderbilt triple palace in New York City, which he had built for him and his daughters, to his youngest son George Vanderbilt. Upon George Vanderbilt's death it was to pass to George's eldest son, if he had a son. George Vanderbilt died without a son, so the Vanderbilt mansion at 640 Fifth Avenue, along with $1 million, passed to the eldest son of the eldest son of William Henry Vanderbilt, Cornelius Vanderbilt III and his wife, Grace Wilson. Neily, As Cornelius Vanderbilt III Was Called, Was The Handsome Son Of Cornelius Vanderbillt II, Who Disinherited Him Because of His Marriage To Grace Wilson Grace Wilson Vanderbilt, Of The "Marrying Wilsons", Would prove Them All Wrong And Succeed Them All As The Last Mrs. Vanderbilt Neily had been disinherited by his father, who disapproved of Grace and her family. Since Cornelius didn't like Grace, none of the Vanderbilts did and she was shunned by the entire family. Not even Neily's stern mother, Alice, who was considered a saint, would see them. The only Vanderbilt who would talk to them was Neily's uncle, William Kissam Vanderbilt. "Why, It's The Back Hole of Calcutta" Grace Exclaimed Upon Entering The Mansion "I Couldn't Possibly Live Here" At Grace's desiring, Neily quickly had plans drawn up for major alterations to the mansion at 640 Fifth Avenue. Once done, he turned the plans over to famed architect Horace Trumbauer, who would carry out the renovations. The cost of the renovations would total to $500,000, which at that price the newspapers commented "For that amount, as fine a private home as the average wealthy man could wish for could be built in the most exclusive residential part of the upper east side" Horace Trumbauer (middle) Had Done Numerous Commissions For Several Of The Super Wealthy, Such As The Wideners And The Stotesburys Once Completed The House Was One Of The Most Luxurious And Grand Homes In All Of New York City 2 years later the house was ready for occupancy and the Vanderbilt's immediately opened the house with a large ball. The exterior had been completely stripped of most of it's decorative features and the home had been expanded in the back. The most obvious addition was the large, one story entrance pavilion. Grace Always had A Red Carpet Rolled Out From the Entrance Pavilion To Greet Arriving Guests And Lead Them Inside The interiors had been completely gutted, the only thing salvaged was the large, malachite vase that had stood in the original entrance vestibule. The new interiors included on the ground floor a marble-lined hall, two dressing rooms, a three-story great hall, a ballroom, music room, dining room, family dining room, library, art gallery and the red and gold ante room. The second floor held Neily and Grace's private master suites, each with their own bath and dressing room, Grace's pink boudoir, Neily's private sitting room and sound proof laboratory, the breakfast room and the children's rooms. The next two floor held the guest rooms, guest sitting rooms, bathrooms, dressing room and the female servant's rooms. The basement held the male servant's rooms, kitchens, laundry rooms and other service rooms. The Stone Steps In The Entrance Pavilion Led Up To The The House, A Portrait of The Commodore Greeted The Guests The Great Hall Held The Large, Malachite Vase That Had Been In The Original Vestibule Before The Renovations The French Ballroom Could Hold 500 People And Was Used At Least Once A Month For Balls, Events or Parties The Music Room Had A "Parquet De Versailles" Floor That Was Considered Too Beautiful To Cover Up The Art Gallery Held The Art Collection That William Henry Vanderbilt had Spent His Life Collecting The Library, Which Held Barely Ant Books, Was Where Grace Had Tea Every Morning, Around The Room Were Pictures Of The Famous People Grace Had Entertained The French Dining Room Had A Table That Could Extend Out To Hold 50 People, All At Once, At One Of Grace's Many Dinner Parties The Family Dining Room Was Where The Family Had Their Private Meals On The Rare Occasion That They Weren't Entertaining, The Paneling Had Come From Their Original New York City Townhouse By the time the house was completed, Grace had already been recognized as the new Queen of New York City Society, replacing Mrs. Astor, who had died back in 1908. Grace began to host several balls and dinners during the New York City season. An invitation to her house, would secure social success. Every year, at the opening of the Metropolitan Opera House, Grace's arrival was always the one most looked forward to. Her box at the Met was located on the famous first tier of boxes, the famous "Diamond Horseshoe" as it was called (Mrs. Astor had always claimed that the "Diamond Horsehoe" had been named after her famous 200 stone diamond necklace, which she had always worn at the opening of the opera). The Opening Night At The Metropolitan Opera House Was The Highlight Of The New York City Social Season Shortly after they moved into the Vanderbilt mansion, Neily began to realize the mistake he made, sacrificing a fortune for a pretty face, because once a pretty face was gone, it was gone. Grace began to grow uglier and uglier with the years. She began to grow white hair early in life and she left it alone, except for dying it a special Chinese Tea. She began to gain weight from all the French cooking at her dinners and, because servants did everything for her, she did absolutely nothing to lose weight. Grace Vanderbilt At The Opening Of The Metropolitan Opera House, Which She Never Missed, Always Receiving Guests In Her Private Box Grace had a very organized schedule, which was, one ball a month, two large dinner parties a week and smaller dinners and brunches daily. At Grace's dinner parties were the usuals: Berwinds, Goelets, Hammonds, Aldrichs, Burdens, Harrimans and Biddles. At her large dinners there was normally around 100 people, most of whom Grace scarcely knew, but at her small dinners of normally 50 people, Grace knew everyone there. Pictured Above Is One of Grace's Small Dinner Parties, In Attendance That Night Were Mrs. Winthrop Aldrich, Sir And Lady Cadogan, Mr. And Mrs. Hammond, Rep. Joseph C. Baldwin (R-NY), Madame Deprez And J. Watson When in Newport, Grace rented "Beaulieu" cottage, formerly the home of John Astor III and William Waldorf Astor, which she later purchased. It was at "Beaulieu" that Grace gave her first major party, where she had the play "The Wild Rose" come to Newport and perform for her guests. "Beaulieu" Cottage Was Right Down The Street From Neily's Parent's Cottage, "The Breakers", Which Was Still Occupied By Alice Eventually Alice excepted Grace and Neily, although the relationship was frosty. Alice, who was considered one of the most wealthiest women in the world, began to help Neily and Grace out financially, which they needed. Frosty Alice Had Worn Nothing But Black And Pearls Every Since The Death Of Cornelius Vanderbilt Grace also wanted a yacht, like her sister May Goelet, and she had Neily commission a large boat, which they called "The North Star", named after Cornelius Vanderbilt I's yacht. The yacht was fitted with the finest materials and included a drawing room, library and dining saloon. Each Year, At Grace's Urging, The Vanderbilts Sailed "The North Star" To Those Ports Where They Would Most Likely Be Seen By Royalty To escape his wife and the entertaining that she brought with her, Neily joined the army. World War I proved to be his finest hour. Neily also developed horrible habits of smoking and drinking regularly. He was quite mean to his son, who claimed he liked Neily better when he was drunk than when he wasn't. Neily Became Known As "The General", Something Grace Was All Too Pleased To Call Him In Front Of Guests Neily also thought he might like to enter politics, so he attended the Republican National Convention in Saratoga Springs, although he realized it was too expensive for him saying "Look I may be a Vanderbilt, but I am not a Rockefeller!" Most of the time, Neily just retreated to his other yacht, the Winchester. The "Winchester", Which Neily Had Purchased From Vincent Astor, Was Mostly Paid For By Alice And Neily's Sister Gertrude Whitney While Neily would be sailing around on his yacht, Grace would be back in New York City entertaining . Every year at the New York City mansion and "Beaulieu", Grace would be entertaining up to 10,000 people a year. Every night at dinner parties, Grace would have a red carpet rolled out across the sidewalk to lead the guests inside. Greeting guests inside, she would be beside two footmen in livery, welcoming them inside. Although she hated the press, they loved her. She was mostly photographed at the opening of the Metropolitan Opera. Grace Vanderbilt Never Missed The Opening Of The Metropolitan Opera House, Not Until Her Death Would She Ever Miss One When Alice died in 1934, she left Neily the Gwynne Building in Ohio and about $7 million, if it hadn't been for her money, Grace and Neily would have been broke. Grace and Neily were spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on parties, jewelry, taxes, clothes, food, servants and numerous amounts of other things, although this didn't stop Grace. Grace Arriving At The Opera With Her Three Famous Signatures: The Bandeau or "Headache Band"On Her Head, Her Diamond Stomacher And The Famous Silver Fox Wrap When Grace and Neily's son, Neil, announced he would be working as a newspaperman, they promptly kicked him out. Neil had had an unfortunate childhood, Grace had been a distant mother and Neily had wanted nothing to do with his children, so he was not surprised when they kicked him out. Neil Vanderbilt Would Go On To Be Married Very Many Times, Much To The Disapproval Of Grace While Grace was entertaining and mixing with royalty, the world around her was changing. Over time the residences around the 640 Fifth Avenue mansion had been replaced with large skyscrapers and soon the 640 Fifth Avenue mansion became lost in a sea of skyscrapers. The Other Side Of The Vanderbilt Triple Palace Was Getting Ready To Be Torn Down And Replaced With A Large Apartment Building Slowly they came down, one by one Vanderbilt Row disintegrated and soon only Grace and Neily's aunt, Florence Twombly, were left. 640 Fifth Avenue became a shrine of a bygone era, the only private residence left on that side of town. In The Middle Of A Sea Of Skyscrapers Was Grace Vanderbilt And Her Imposing Mansion, 640 Fifth Avenue When Neily died, he left an estate of $4 million. Grace inherited $2 million and $900,000 to his two children. It had turned out that shortly before his death, Neily had sold 640 Fifth Avenue to developers to raise money. Under the terms of the agreement Grace would get to remain at 640 Fifth Avenue until two years after Neily's death. Grace continued to entertain just as lavish as she always had, hosting her last ball in 1941. Finally she too had to give up. The Movers Came And Packed Up The Large Art Collection, Which Was Being Given To The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Along With The Malachite Vase The Vanderbilt Mansion Under Demolition, 600 Workmen Instructed To Tear Apart 640 Fifth Avenue, The Last of It's Kind The Great Hall Of The Mansion Was Completely Torn Apart, Not One of It's Decorative Features Saved Grace Vanderbilt moved to another New York City townhouse, which was now in the heart of the fashionable district, which had formerly belonged to William Starr Miller, Grace called it "The Gardener's Cottage" because it contained only 28 rooms, compared to the 85 rooms at 640 Fifth Avenue. The William Starr Miller Mansion, Which Grace Bought For $800,000, She Regally Brought Her Butler And Her Bathroom The William Starr Miller Mansion Today, Surrounded On All Sides By Skyscrapers, Which Tower Over The Mansion It was at the Miller mansion when Grace passed away with her family by her side, worrying if the money would last. Grace once said "Poor Marie Antoinette, If the Revolution ever came to America I would surely be the first to go"

In 1889 millionaire Collis P. Huntington purchased six adjoining lots on the southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street for his second wife Arabella and commissioned architect George B. Post to build a large residence in which he could house his large collection of antiques. Huntington new what he was doing when he purchased these lots from editor Robert Bonner because the surrounding area was becoming highly fashionable, prominent residences were popping up all over the place. For example catercorner the lot was the large mansion of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, across the street was the mansion of Hermann Oelrich and sideways was the mansion of Harry Payne Whitney. Soon after they hired Post he declined on the grounds that what Arabella wanted was to large so they went to Richard Morris Hunt who declined as well saying that they should give Post another chance, finally his plans were accepted and soon was finished in 1891. The house when completed in 1891 The interiors were said to have been poorly done and it a shame that Hunt did not have a hand in it. It was so bad that writer James Maher described it as "a wayward railroad station". The plan is awkward especially the cellar plan with rooms all jumbled together. But nevertheless the Huntingtons moved in and resided there but gave rarely any parties for even though their house was large it wasn't enough to get them in society so the atmosphere tended to be very quiet. The first floor contained a large great hall that housed the art collection, a dining room, salon, reception room and library that was in a separate wing of the house. Entrance Corridor Salon Great Hall Great Hall Skylight The Grand Staircase The Dining Room In 1900 Huntington died, leaving some $15 million of his $50 million to Arabella and the Fifth Avenue mansion while some $25 million was left to his nephew Henry E. Huntington. Arabella started buying major amounts of artwork with the large fortune she had been left and filled the Fifth Avenue mansion with artwork that was much more better and extremely more expensive than what she had bought before. Arabella became so enraptured with art that she even bought a hotel in Paris just to fill it with her artwork. In 1913 Arabella shocked everyone by marrying Henry, which reunited the Huntington fortune. Henry was know as a big spender and built a huge estate in San Marino, California to entice Arabella to move out west. She rarely went out there and only to oversee construction, she much more liked to live in New York and Paris and never visited the house. Arabella spent most of her time in the New York Mansion while Henry lived in California. By 1920 they were practically separated. Meanwhile commercial invasion continued in New York. By 1923 nearly every residential property surrounding the mansion had been demolished except for The Three residences behind Arabella, the two middle ones belonging to William Waldorf the end one belonging to H. Storr Wells The Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion now occupied by his widow Alice And the Hermann Oelrich mansion which was now a bank. Sadly, though, in 1924 Arabella died in the mansion on September 14. Three years lather the mansion was demolished and replaced with Tiffany & Co. and New York City lost another one of it's Gilded Age mansions. *Note all photos of the interior come from American Architect and Building the rest come from the Museum of the City of New York

When "The Queen of Fifth Avenue", as Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt III was called, finally gave up her brownstone palace to developers in 19...

The rise and fall of the Vanderbilt family still pervades American historical lore and the remnants of Cornelius Vanderbilt II's Fifth Avenue Mansion can still be found throughout Manhattan.