Latest news with #Vanderbilts
Washington Post
31-07-2025
- Washington Post
Walk the scenes of ‘The Gilded Age' in Newport's preserved mansions
Visiting Newport, Rhode Island, can feel like stepping onto a film set because many scenes from HBO's hit show 'The Gilded Age' were filmed in the town's gigantic 19th-century mansions. Even beyond the shiny veneer of a TV, Newport is remarkably well preserved, a living monument to an era of extreme opulence and ambition. The town swung into social significance in the late 19th century, when America's wealthiest industrial families built extravagant summer homes — which they dubbed 'cottages' — by the sea. Families including the Vanderbilts and Astors transformed the town's landscape, commissioning architects such as Richard Morris Hunt and Stanford White to design sweeping, European-inspired estates replete with marble and crystal. Though the Gilded Age was relatively brief, its legacy endures through architecture in the town of Newport. Guided experiences, such as those from Newport Jaguar Tours ($406 for two on a three-hour tour) and the Preservation Society of Newport County's 'Inside the Gilded Age Tour,' ($250 per nonmember for a nearly four-hour tour; $200 for members) allow fans to explore the show's filming locations, but visitors can also stroll the Cliff Walk and tour the mansions on their own. Here's where to go, what to see and where to stay when you want to go a little deeper into the intriguing and decidedly gilded world of the Russells and the Van Rhijns. These enormous, extravagantly built and decorated homes are as large as they are impractical — and they're basically required viewing. Many of these mansions sit within walking distance (or a short drive) from one another on Bellevue Avenue and the surrounding streets, so you can wander down the water-facing street and stop at one wedding-cake-like estate after another. The majority of Newport's mansions are managed and maintained by the Preservation Society of Newport County and are $25 per person to visit. Fans of 'The Gilded Age' will recognize various rooms and vistas at the Breakers, the Elms, Rosecliff, Marble House and Chateau-sur-Mer, all of which were used in the show. The Breakers: Undoubtedly the grandest of the Newport mansions (and the town's most visited), the Breakers was built for Cornelius Vanderbilt II by Hunt. Styled after an Italian palazzo, the 70-room enormity was outfitted with electricity (still a novelty when the home was completed in 1895), 27 fireplaces, a hall with a 50-foot ceiling, mosaics hand-set by artisans brought over from Europe, and numerous Baccarat crystal pieces. The Breakers commands a higher ticket price at $32 per person, or for a $57 ticket that also allows access to two other mansions. Fans of the HBO show may recognize the mansion's space that stood in for George Russell's billiard room in New York. The Elms: Completed in 1901 for Edward Julius Berwind, a coal magnate, the Elms offers one of the most compelling tours in Newport, the belowstairs Servant Life Tour. The guided tour (roughly 75 minutes, $25) is a deep dive into the round-the-clock labor that kept these mansions and their occupants' busy social calendars functioning. The Elms's sprawling kitchens were used as the set of the Russells' kitchen in the HBO show. Rosecliff: Built in 1902 for Theresa Fair Oelrichs — a silver heiress and Gilded Age society hostess who threw legendary parties including with magician Harry Houdini as the guest of honor — the brick and white terra-cotta-tile-clad mansion was designed by White, one of the era's well-known architects. It was styled after the Grand Trianon of Versailles. The 1974 film version of 'The Great Gatsby' was filmed here. Other mansions: Don't limit yourself to just scene-touring. The Isaac Bell House is a relatively modest home compared to its marble neighbors. However, the 1883 home is one of the country's best surviving examples of shingle-style architecture. Rough Point, built in 1892 for Frederick William Vanderbilt, is best known as one of the residences of Doris Duke and is preserved as if the tobacco heiress just stepped out for a swim in the ocean. Founded in 1912, the Newport Art Museum holds a collection of over 3,000 works, with a hearty 19th-century collection. For the $15 entry fee, you can check out a retrospective of the work of a Gilded Age painter and longtime Newport resident whose family's summer 'cottage,' the Ledges, is not far away. 'Howard Gardiner Cushing: A Harmony of Line and Color,' on display through the end of the year, features many of the artist's works that have not been exhibited in over 50 years or have been in private collections. Cushing's legacy in Newport remains strong, and last year the artist's great-grandson Howard Cushing opened a new waterfront hotel in town, Gardiner House. Constructed on what was a parking lot, Cushing's 21-room boutique hotel draws its inspiration from the Ledges, which remains in the family as a private home. Newport's stunning Cliff Walk is a 3½ mile public path that winds its way between the Atlantic Ocean and the town's Gilded Age mansions. Fans of 'The Gilded Age' will recognize the walk as the location of one of Peggy and Dr. Kirkland's tête-à-tête. A stone staircase leading from the cliffs down to the ocean, known as the 40 Steps, was a popular Gilded Age gathering spot for servants working in the oceanfront mansions. Today the Cliff Walk is an entirely free way to experience Newport's dramatic coast and admire the architectural grandeur of the ocean-facing mansions. About a mile away, at the Newport International Tennis Hall of Fame, visitors can check out the grass courts from Season 2 of the HBO show. A few of Newport's mansions have been turned into hotels, allowing guests the opportunity to sleep within the town's gilded past. Castle Hill Inn, the onetime home of Alexander Agassiz, who made a fortune in copper mining, is now one of Newport's most sought-after hotels. Located about a 20-minute drive from some Bellevue Avenue mansions, the inn is on a sweeping parcel of 40 acres overlooking the sea. The sprawling lawn, dotted with Adirondack chairs, is something of an institution in the town, open for drinks to guests and nonguests alike. Overnight guests will find wood-paneled interiors and antiquities Agassiz collected on his scientific explorations in Asia. Closer to Newport's downtown is the Chanler at Cliff Walk. Built in 1873, the home was originally the summer estate of Rep. John Winthrop Chanler (D-New York) and was among the first of the summer cottages to be built atop Newport's cliffs. Today Chanler's home is a 20-room boutique hotel with a distinctly Gilded Age aesthetic.
Business Insider
24-07-2025
- General
- Business Insider
Photos show the extreme inequality between rich and poor Americans during the Gilded Age
The Gilded Age was a period of enormous wealth for some and extreme poverty for others. Photos show how the poor lived in cramped tenements while the rich built multiple mansions. The Gilded Age's wealth inequality eventually led to reforms in the Progressive Era. All that glitters is not gold. The Gilded Age, a period of rapid industrialization and extravagant displays of wealth, gets its name from Mark Twain's 1873 novel about greed and corruption. While gilded ceilings and furnishings are coated in gold, appearing shiny and luxurious, they serve as a metaphor for the dark underbelly of exploitation and inequality that allowed the richest 0.01% of Americans to hold 9% of the country's wealth by monopolizing entire industries while the poor sank deeper into poverty. Photos show the gaping economic disparities that existed during the Gilded Age. During the Gilded Age, Fifth Avenue in New York City was known as "Millionaires' Row." Wealthy families like the Astors, the Goulds, and the Vanderbilts built enormous homes on " Millionaires' Row" modeled after European palaces and chateaus to display their riches. Manhattan's Eighth Avenue, however, was full of slum dwellings. Members of high society owned several homes and rotated between them throughout the year. Newport, Rhode Island, was a popular location for summer "cottages" like The Breakers, a 138,300-square-foot mansion built by Cornelius Vanderbilt II, and Marble House, a mansion with 140,000 square feet of living space built by William K. Vanderbilt and Alva Vanderbilt. Meanwhile, many itinerant workers experienced homelessness. The term "homelessness" was used in the US for the first time during the Gilded Age in the 1870s, according to a 2018 study published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The rapid period of urbanization and industrialization made some business tycoons rich and spurred others from less fortunate circumstances to move to cities in search of work, where they slept in shelters or on the streets. Gilded Age mansions featured dozens of rooms for entertaining, dining, and sleeping. The Breakers mansion, which was completed in 1895, featured 70 rooms, including the Great Hall, Billiard Room, Music Room, Morning Room, and Library, as well as bedrooms for the Vanderbilts and their 40 staff members. In New York City's tenement apartments, entire families crammed into one room. The poor hygiene, sanitation, and ventilation in tenement dwellings made disease outbreaks spread quickly. Photographer Jacob Riis documented the squalid conditions in slums and tenements in New York City, which he published in a book titled "How the Other Half Lives" in 1890. Business tycoons like Jay Gould commuted to their New York City offices via train or steam yacht. Gould refused to ride the railroad tracks near his Lyndhurst Mansion estate in Tarrytown, New York, because they were owned by his archrivals, the Vanderbilts. Instead, he commuted into New York City via the Hudson River on his steam yacht, the Atalanta, with his 100-pound Wooton desk in tow. Others worked in sweatshops. In addition to photographing tenements and slums, Riis took photos of sweatshops to show the difficult conditions workers endured. Members of high society attended galas at opulent settings like the Hotel Astor. The Hotel Astor was built in Times Square in 1905 after the neighboring Waldorf and Astoria hotels merged into the Waldorf Astoria in 1897. Hotel staff members who kept the silver gleaming and the liquor flowing remained largely out of sight. Workers were photographed buffing and polishing silver tableware in the kitchens of the Hotel Astor in 1905. Children of the wealthy, like Consuelo Vanderbilt, lived privileged lives, though they didn't always have personal autonomy. Consuelo Vanderbilt, daughter of William K. Vanderbilt and Alva Vanderbilt, grew up in the height of luxury, but was largely dominated by her mother. In 1895, Alva Vanderbilt forced her daughter to marry the Duke of Marlborough despite her love for another man. Among poor populations, child labor was commonplace. Around 18% of children aged between 10 and 15 in the US were employed between 1890 and 1910, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, often in factory and mining jobs. The extreme inequality of the Gilded Age led to political and social reforms in the Progressive Era that followed. The Progressive Era ushered in changes such as women's suffrage, labor unions, and laws such as the Clayton Antitrust Act designed to prevent a select few companies from amassing monopolies. The age of the "robber baron" began to fade, and their mansions on "Millionaires' Row" were torn down to make room for New York City's continuing expansion.
Bloomberg
13-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Rags to Riches from Rome to the China Seas
The hot Roman summer sun can ignite daydreams and, a few weeks ago, while visiting a friend at an art gallery on the Via Giulia, I walked by the nearly half-a-millennium old Palazzo Sacchetti and pondered the fate of the families who owned it, lost it, sold off parts of it and passed into history. My colleague Adrian Wooldridge has written columns about contemporary European and Italian dynasties and their effective stewardship of family businesses. But my thoughts were all about the romance of declines and falls — and what lessons there might be for today. The musings took me from Rome across 6,000 miles to the south China coast and a little beyond. I've never been to Zhangli village in Fujian province, just outside the city of Quanzhou, which the Venetian merchant Marco Polo described as one of the world's greatest ports in the 13th century. I'm not taking you that far back in time, just to the middle of the 19th and the construction of a set of 23 red brick mansions, arranged along five rows and spread across 16,300 square meters (around 175,000 square feet. That's about the same area of the Biltmore Estate, the private home erected by the Vanderbilts in Asheville, North Carolina, at roughly the same period. The Chinese property, with its curved roofs, internal courtyards and halls for ancestor worship, belonged to a family with the Spanish surname Velasco. I know about it because Mariano Velasco was my great-great grandfather.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
These 'Old Money' Names Embody the Affluent, Quiet Luxury Aesthetic
There's an old saying: money talks, but wealth whispers. Essentially, it insinuates that folks with 'new money' (i.e., the nouveau riche) are flashy and ostentatious with their wealth, sporting extravagant jewelry, flashy cars, and prominent designer labels so that everybody is well aware of their lofty financial status. But 'old money' — the families who have been unimaginably rich for generations — don't feel the need to flaunt it because, well, everybody already knows. And lately, social media (especially TikTok) has been blowing up with the 'old money' aesthetic, sometimes known as 'quiet luxury.' The idea is simple: understated elegance that exudes class and sophistication without screaming for attention. That same aesthetic translates beautifully to baby names. While baby names like Dior or Mercedes are giving in-your-face extravagance, old money baby names are more subtle; they sound more prestigious than pretentious. These timeless, classic baby names are less 'look at my Louis Vuitton' and more 'my parents pay $75K a year for my private elementary school tuition.' Old money names convey high class and high status — not so much trendy as steeped in tradition. Think of the Vanderbilts, the Astors, the Rockefellers, the Carnegies: old money baby names give a distinctive 'this museum/university/library is named after my great-grandfather' vibe. There are no cutesy or 'kreatyve' spellings with old money names, either; these are solid classics that will fit as well on a monogrammed school uniform as they will on the nameplate of an oil tycoon. However, many of these old money picks do lend themselves well to less formal-sounding nicknames in case your offspring desires a more casual vibe. Want even more formality? Combine two for the first and middle — like Brighton Conrad or Victoria Greer! Babies given these quiet luxury baby names were born with a silver spoon in their mouths, but they don't need to tell you that; if you know, you know. It's obvious, anyway — from the way they carry themselves, to their impeccable social graces, to the company they keep. Because kids from old money know that it's not the label that matters: it's the legacy. Read on for some of our favorite old money baby names with that distinctively luxurious 'rich kid' vibe. More from SheKnows A Top Baby Name Site's 'Playground Analysis' Just Revealed the 'Real' Most Popular Names of 2024 - & They Aren't What You Think Best of SheKnows At 19, I Broke Up With Social Media – & Chose Myself AP Scores Just Came Out — Here's What to Do If Your Teen's Upset About Theirs Celebrate Freedom With These Perfectly-Patriotic Americana Baby Names Imogen is a Shakespearean gem, created by the Bard himself for Cymbeline. It's believed to be a variant of the Celtic name Innogen, meaning 'maiden' or 'daughter.' This name carries an effortlessly-elegant, literary aura — the type of name you'd imagine belonging to a heroine in a classic English novel. Marshall started as an English occupational surname meaning 'horse servant' or 'keeper of horses,' derived from Old French mareschal. Over time, it evolved into a title of high office (think: military marshal) and a dignified given name with strong Southern old money ties. Schuyler is a gender-neutral pick of Dutch origin meaning 'scholar.' It arrived in America with Dutch settlers and became an influential surname, as in the prominent Schuyler family of early New York. Its understated intellectual vibe and historical roots lend it quiet prestige. You could spell it the more phonetic way for English-speakers — Skyler — but it doesn't quite have the same aristocratic ring to it that way. Conrad is a powerful German name meaning 'brave counsel,' used by Holy Roman Emperors and German nobility throughout the centuries. It carries a serious, weighty feel. Greer just sounds sophisticated, like someone you'd meet at a posh boarding school favored by the who's-who. Surprisingly, it has the same meaning as Gregory — alert or watchful — because it stems from the same root name Γρηγόριος (Gregorios). That transferred into the Scottish surname Gregor, which then morphed into Greer. The more you know! Since it's a surname, it can be used for any gender, but tends to lean feminine in the present day. Felix comes from Latin meaning 'happy' or 'fortunate,' and it has been used as a given name since Roman times. Its crisp, international sound and classic meaning make it a name that transcends trends while still feeling distinguished. An aristocratic and refined choice, Katherine — most often associated with the Greek καθαρός (katharos), meaning 'pure' — has the advantage of multiple nicknames to fit whatever personality your Katherine turns out to have. Kat, Katy, Kathy, Kath, Kate … or you could soften its presence a bit by spelling it with a C, as in Catherine. Parker began as an English surname meaning 'keeper of the park.' It was originally an occupational name for gamekeepers on noble estates. Today, it feels fresh and rooted all at the same time, and works seamlessly as a unisex choice with an upper-crust prep-school vibe. If you're looking for a feminine name with a strong and regal feel, you absolutely cannot go wrong with Victoria. Its meaning (victory, of course!) is clear, and its royal, upper-crust association is unmistakable thanks to the long reign of Queen Victoria. Whether it's spelled with one L or two, Phillip is derived from the Greek Φίλιππος (Philippos), and it has a very unique meaning: 'friend of (or fond of) horses.' It has been used widely throughout history by Macedonian, French, and Spanish kings, and most recently showed up in British royalty by way of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Its deep roots give it a strong, formal feel. Penelope is a timeless Greek name meaning 'weaver.' In mythology, Penelope was the clever and faithful wife of Odysseus, weaving by day and undoing her work by night to keep suitors at bay. Its combination of mythological strength and vintage charm give it a refined and elegant feel. Wells is a sleek, polished English surname with a quite simple meaning: 'spring' or 'stream.' It evokes images of grand countryside estates and is often seen as an understated, stylish choice among modern old-money families. Sloane is an Irish surname meaning 'raider,' though its current reputation is anything but rough. In Britain, the term 'Sloane Ranger' describes the classic old-money set around Sloane Square in London, cementing its posh reputation. It's sleek, modern, and quietly powerful. Hudson is an English surname meaning 'son of Hudde,' with Hudde being a medieval nickname for Hugh or Richard. It carries an outdoorsy, rugged sophistication thanks to namesakes like the Hudson River, yet maintains an urbane, tailored edge. You could also go with Judson, though we think that leans a little more neo-cowboy. Warren is an English surname that gets it roots from the Norman French word warrene, meaning a park or enclosure for animals. It's also the name of famous financier Warren Buffett, which lends a prestigious association. Warrick or Warwick are two possible alternatives that share a similar vibe. While Whitney skews mostly female these days, it can be — and has been — used as a male or a female name. It comes from the Old English phrase for 'white island,' and carries an association with the famous Whitney Museum of American Art, founded by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. In America, we favor Pierce; in British, it's more typically seen as Piers. Regardless, this strong name comes from the Medieval form of Peter, meaning 'rock.' Sabine is a French and German name derived from the ancient Italian Sabines, meaning 'a Sabine woman.' Its continental flair and rarity in the U.S. give it an effortlessly-chic, European old-money feel. It reminds us of Sabrina, but fancier. Tierney is an Irish surname meaning 'lord.' Though it's rare as a first name, its strong yet approachable sound — and association with powerful Irish clans — makes it an unexpected yet refined choice. The lovely Margot (remember, don't pronounce the T!) is the French short form of another classy name: Margaret. It's an old name that was popular in the 1930s, nearly dropped off the charts for about 50 years, and is now experiencing a huge surge in popularity; from 2013 to now, it has gone from #943 on the list of most popular baby names to #193. Gregory comes from the Greek name Gregorios, meaning 'vigilant' or 'watchful.' It has a long ecclesiastical history with multiple saints and popes, giving it a dignified, scholarly bearing that feels quietly influential rather than flashy. Adelaide is a regal name of German origin meaning 'noble kind.' It was borne by Queen Adelaide, wife of Britain's King William IV, and the city in Australia was named in her honor. Elegant, vintage, and noble, it's the epitome of refined femininity — and practically screams 'old money.' Brighton is an English place name meaning 'bright town.' Known as a stylish seaside resort favored by British aristocracy for centuries, Brighton carries a breezy sophistication with an undercurrent of old-world glamour. Cecelia (or Cecilia) comes from the Roman family name Caecilius, meaning 'blind.' Despite its not-so-spectacular meaning, the name evokes grace and sophistication thanks to Saint Cecilia, patron of music. Its melodic sound gives it a timeless, vintage charm. Chauncey is an English surname and given name of uncertain meaning, possibly from a Norman place name. In the U.S., it was favored among patrician families in the 18th and 19th centuries, giving it an old-school prep feel that exudes quiet status. Morgan is Welsh, meaning 'sea-born' or 'sea circle.' Originally masculine, it has become widely used for all genders. Its Celtic roots, sleek sound, and banking dynasty associations lend it an undeniably powerful old-money vibe. Winston is an English name meaning 'wine's town,' but its association with the great Sir Winston Churchill lends it an upper-crust air. It feels impeccably polished and intellectual, yet grounded. Charlotte is the French feminine diminutive of Charles, meaning 'free man.' It has long been used by royalty, most notably Queen Charlotte of England (and now, Princess Charlotte too!). Today it remains a classic, with its soft, elegant sound and royal pedigree. Plus, it has lots of cute nicknames like Charlie, Carly, and Lottie. Camden is a Scottish surname meaning 'winding valley,' but it also evokes the artsy-yet-posh neighborhood of Camden in London. It's polished, stylish, and works well for either gender, though it leans masculine in the U.S. Corinne is the French form of the Greek name Korinna, meaning 'maiden.' It was popularized in the English-speaking world by Madame de Staël's 1807 novel Corinne. Its gentle, lyrical sound and French origin give it a sophisticated allure. Forbes is a Scottish surname meaning 'field' or 'district.' As a given name, it exudes old-money vibes thanks to its use among powerful banking and publishing families. It's rare and a little formal-sounding as a first name, lending an exclusive feel. Meredith is a Welsh name meaning 'great ruler' or 'protector of the sea.' Originally used for boys, it has shifted to almost entirely feminine in modern usage — in the U.S., at least. Preston is an English surname meaning 'priest's town.' It carries a stately, collegiate feel — think sprawling green campuses, ivy-covered stone buildings, and crisp tailored blazers. Grant is a Scottish surname meaning 'great' or 'large.' Its straightforward strength and historical use as both surname and given name give it a solid, commanding presence. (If you've ever seen the classic movie Overboard, you might remember that it featured a wealthy character named Grant Stayton III!) Claire is the French form of Clara, meaning 'clear' or 'bright.' Its crisp, simple elegance has made it a timeless classic across generations and social classes, but it always retains an air of graceful sophistication.
Business Insider
02-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Vintage photos show Gilded Age mansions on 'Millionaires' Row' that have since been demolished
During the Gilded Age, wealthy families built extravagant mansions in New York City. Fifth Avenue was known as "Millionaires' Row" with homes belonging to the Astors and Vanderbilts. Most Gilded Age mansions in New York City were torn down to make way for new developments. Business tycoons in the Gilded Age lived in style, but it came at a cost. New York City's Fifth Avenue was once home to "Millionaires' Row," where the wealthiest magnates of the Gilded Age built palatial homes as symbols of their success. At the same time, the Gilded Age was a period marked by staggering income inequality. A 2021 article in The Journal of Economic Inequality found that in 1913, the richest 0.01% of Americans held 9% of the country's wealth. The article also estimated that the modern imbalance is even higher than the Gilded Age, with 10% of US wealth controlled by the top 0.01%. As the lopsided extravagance of the Gilded Age began to give way to the social and political reforms of the Progressive Era, the gargantuan mansions began to fall out of fashion. Not to mention, the cost of employing enough staff to manage them made the homes difficult to maintain. Most of the Gilded Age mansions in New York City were demolished to make way for commercial or apartment buildings, but many still stand in Newport, Rhode Island, where families like the Vanderbilts and the Astors spent their summers in similar luxury. Take a look at just some of the houses that once lined "Millionaires' Row." William H. Vanderbilt's Gilded Age residence on Fifth Avenue in New York City was known as the Triple Palace. William H. Vanderbilt was heir to Cornelius Vanderbilt 's railroad and steamship fortune as his oldest son. Built in 1882, the Triple Palace housed the Vanderbilts and two of their daughters in separate but connected sections. Located at 640 and 642 Fifth Avenue, the Triple Palace was torn down by 1949 and replaced with office buildings. Designed by architects John B. Snook and Charles B. Atwood, the Triple Palace featured stained-glass windows, a shared courtyard, and an art gallery spanning three stories with 207 paintings sourced from Europe, Untapped New York reported. William H. Vanderbilt's son, William K. Vanderbilt, built a mansion nearby at 660 Fifth Avenue. William K. Vanderbilt and his wife, Alva Vanderbilt, enlisted architect Richard Morris Hunt to build them a French chateau-inspired home out of white limestone in order to cement their place in high society. They spent $3 million to construct the mansion in 1882, which would cost around $98 million today, Vogue reported. Since the Vanderbilts' fortune consisted of "new money," their "Petit Chateau" was considered tasteless by elite "old money" families like the Astors. The 60-room, three-story mansion was demolished in 1926. William K. Vanderbilt's brother, Cornelius Vanderbilt II, built a French chateau-style mansion so large it took up an entire New York City block. Located on Fifth Avenue between 57th and 58th Streets, architect George B. Post designed the original mansion in 1883, and Richard Morris Hunt designed an expansion in 1893. At the time, it was thought to be the largest single-family home in New York City, Untapped New York reported. In 1928, it was replaced with a Bergdorf-Goodman department store. Braisted Realty Corporation purchased the Vanderbilt home in 1926, and it was demolished soon after. Bergdorf-Goodman's flagship store, which is still open today, was erected on the site in 1928. The mansion's gilded Louis XVI-style parlor didn't last, but other parts of the Vanderbilts' mansion remain in New York City. Its grand wrought-iron gates were installed outside Central Park's Conservatory Garden. Sculptural reliefs from its covered entrance now decorate the lobby of the Sherry-Netherland Hotel. The marble and mosaic mantlepiece from the entrance hall is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Copper magnate William S. Clark built a 121-room mansion so excessive that it earned the nickname "Clark's Folly" before it was torn down in 1927. The mansion took 14 years to build and included four art galleries, a swimming pool, and its own private rail line to transport the coal needed to heat the enormous home, according to the Museum of the City of New York. It cost around $6 million to build when it was finished in 1911, or around $203 million today. It was demolished in 1927 and replaced by a luxury co-op building. Richard Morris Hunt designed a double mansion for the Astor family at 840 and 841 Fifth Avenue in 1896. After her husband, William B. Astor, died, Caroline Schermerhorn Astor lived in one section of the mansion, and her son, John Jacob Astor IV, lived in the other. Caroline Schermerhorn Astor was known for curating "the Four Hundred," a list of high-society families who came from "old money" and shunned those with newer fortunes. She hosted many high-profile events in her Fifth Avenue mansion, where the ballroom could hold 1,200 people, DuJour reported. John Jacob Astor IV, The mansion was demolished in 1926. In 1926, the American Art Association auctioned off the contents of the Astor mansion before its demolition, including its paintings, furniture, and architectural elements like decorative ceilings. The Temple Emanu-El synagogue now stands in its place on Fifth Avenue. Brokaw House at 1 East 79th Street belonged to Isaac Vail Brokaw, who made his millions as a clothing manufacturer. It took three years to build Brokaw House, which was completed in 1890 by the architectural firm Rose and Stone, according to the New York Preservation Archive Project. Modeled after a French chateau, the four-story mansion featured an Italian marble entrance hall, stained-glass windows, ornate wood carvings, and a full staff. After Brokaw's death, the mansion was used as office space before it was torn down in 1965. Completed in 1905, steel magnate Charles M. Schwab's house measured 50,000 square feet. Schwab opted to build his mansion further west, on Riverside Drive, where it covered an entire city block between 73rd and 74th Streets. The mansion included a pool and bowling alley, The New York Times reported. In 1936, Schwab offered to sell the home to the city of New York to serve as its mayoral residence, but the city declined.
