Marble House
Encyclopedia
Marble House is one of the Gilded Age
mansion
s of Newport, Rhode Island
, now open to the public as a museum. It was designed by the architect Richard Morris Hunt
, and said to be inspired by the Petit Trianon
at Versailles
(which it resembles in little more than pilaster
s and balustrades). Grounds were designed by noted landscape architect Ernest W. Bowditch.
Marble House was built between 1888 and 1892 for William Kissam Vanderbilt
, grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt
. The house was a social landmark that helped spark the transformation of Newport from a relatively relaxed summer colony of wooden houses to the now legendary resort of opulent stone palaces.
It was reported to cost $11 million ($ in 2009 dollars) of which $7 million was spent on 500,000 cubic feet (14,000 m³) of marble
. Upon its completion, Mr. Vanderbilt gave the house to his wife Alva Erskine Smith
as her 39th birthday present. William Vanderbilt's older brother Cornelius Vanderbilt II
subsequently built the grandest of Newport cottages, The Breakers
, between 1893 and 1895.
After the Vanderbilts divorced in 1895, Alva married Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont
, moving down the street to Belcourt
. After his death, she reopened Marble House and added a Chinese Tea House on its seaside cliffs, where she hosted rallies for women's suffrage
. She sold the house to Frederick H. Prince
in 1932. Prince's estate gave the house and its furnishings to the Preservation Society of Newport County
in 1963.
In 1971 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
. Five years later the Department of the Interior
designated it, and the Bellevue Avenue Historic District
in which it is located, as National Historic Landmark
s.
Additionally, The Great Gatsby
was partially (some interiors) filmed here.
Gilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...
mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
s of Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, now open to the public as a museum. It was designed by the architect Richard Morris Hunt
Richard Morris Hunt
Richard Morris Hunt was an American architect of the nineteenth century and a preeminent figure in the history of American architecture...
, and said to be inspired by the Petit Trianon
Petit Trianon
The Petit Trianon is a small château located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France.-Design and construction:...
at Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
(which it resembles in little more than pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s and balustrades). Grounds were designed by noted landscape architect Ernest W. Bowditch.
Marble House was built between 1888 and 1892 for William Kissam Vanderbilt
William Kissam Vanderbilt
William Kissam Vanderbilt was a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family. He managed railroads and was a horse breeder.-Biography:...
, grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt , also known by the sobriquet Commodore, was an American entrepreneur who built his wealth in shipping and railroads. He was also the patriarch of the Vanderbilt family and one of the richest Americans in history...
. The house was a social landmark that helped spark the transformation of Newport from a relatively relaxed summer colony of wooden houses to the now legendary resort of opulent stone palaces.
It was reported to cost $11 million ($ in 2009 dollars) of which $7 million was spent on 500,000 cubic feet (14,000 m³) of marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
. Upon its completion, Mr. Vanderbilt gave the house to his wife Alva Erskine Smith
Alva Belmont
Alva Erskine Belmont , née Alva Erskine Smith, also called Alva Vanderbilt from 1875 to 1896, was a prominent multi-millionaire American socialite and a major figure in the women's suffrage movement...
as her 39th birthday present. William Vanderbilt's older brother Cornelius Vanderbilt II
Cornelius Vanderbilt II
Cornelius Vanderbilt II was an American socialite, heir, businessman, and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family....
subsequently built the grandest of Newport cottages, The Breakers
The Breakers
The Breakers is a Vanderbilt mansion located on Ochre Point Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island, United States on the Atlantic Ocean. It is a National Historic Landmark, a contributing property to the Bellevue Avenue Historic District, and is owned and operated by the Preservation Society of Newport...
, between 1893 and 1895.
After the Vanderbilts divorced in 1895, Alva married Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont
Oliver Belmont
Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont was an American socialite and United States Representative from New York.- Biography :...
, moving down the street to Belcourt
Belcourt Castle
Belcourt Castle is the former summer cottage of Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont, located on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island. Begun in 1891 and completed in 1894, it was intended to be used for only six to eight weeks of the year...
. After his death, she reopened Marble House and added a Chinese Tea House on its seaside cliffs, where she hosted rallies for women's suffrage
History of women's suffrage in the United States
Woman suffrage in the United States was achieved gradually, at state and local levels, during the 19th Century and early 20th Century, culminating in 1920 with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which provided: "The right of citizens of the United States to...
. She sold the house to Frederick H. Prince
Frederick H. Prince
Frederick Henry Prince was an American stockbroker, investment banker and financier.He was born in Winchester, Massachusetts, the son of Frederick O. Prince, former Mayor of the city of Boston and Helen Henry Prince. He studied at Harvard University, but left in his sophomore year to get an early...
in 1932. Prince's estate gave the house and its furnishings to the Preservation Society of Newport County
Preservation Society of Newport County
The Preservation Society of Newport County is a private, non-profit organization based in Newport, Rhode Island. It is Rhode Island's largest and most-visited cultural organization. The organization's mission is to preserve the architectural heritage of Newport County, Rhode Island, including...
in 1963.
In 1971 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Five years later the Department of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
designated it, and the Bellevue Avenue Historic District
Bellevue Avenue Historic District
The Bellevue Avenue Historic District is located along and around Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. Its property is almost exclusively residential, including many of the mansions built by affluent summer vacationers in the city around the turn of the 20th century, including...
in which it is located, as National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
s.
Additionally, The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby (1974 film)
The Great Gatsby is a 1974 romantic drama film distributed by Newdon Productions and Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Jack Clayton and produced by David Merrick, from a screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola based on F...
was partially (some interiors) filmed here.