Day 83: All That Glitters

The old adage, "Money can't buy happiness," was played out in vivid colors for us today. We visited five of the Gilded Age Mansions in Newport, Rhode Island. Most of these "summer cottages," as they were called by their ultra-wealthy owners from New York and Boston, were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s and used exclusively in the summer months for a glittering social season. Houseguests included presidents, heads of state, world-renowned artists, composers and celebrities of stage and screen. Many of the homes we saw today had upwards of 50 rooms and a minimum staff of 36. No extravagance was spared; lavish bathrooms with the most modern components, 22k gold gilding on ornately carved chandeliers and wall decorations, secondary stairs and passageways that concealed servants' movements and prevented owners and their guests from being disturbed by views of other people working. And yet we found the personal stories of the titans of industry and their families to be somewhat pathetic. Adultery, bitter divorce, cumbersome and even strangling social rules, ridiculous comparisons and competition as to opulence and popularity, many cases of childlessness and/or tragedy...so many things that got in the way of simple joy, emotional security and contentment.

The mansions we saw, named The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms, Rosecliff and Chateau-sur-Mer, are beyond description in their beauty, luxury and setting (three are cliffside looking out over the Atlantic). And the tales about the legendary parties and the acquirement of the incredible artwork currently on display was very entertaining. The homes are now owned and maintained by the Newport Preservation Society. There are a total of nine in the tour circuit, and many other privately owned mansions are in the area. We picked the most well-known of the Preservation Society's homes to tour, two of which belonged to members of the Vanderbilt family. A few of the bits we learned about them:
* A typical social season, which included at least 10 dinner parties (for crowds ranging between 60 and 300) at each house, required an operating budget--including servants, decorations, food--of at least $7 million in today's dollars. That's for each house!
* Marble House, perhaps the most ornate of those we toured, was owned by Alva Vanderbilt, whose husband gave it to her as a 39th birthday present. When their marriage fell apart three years later, the house was never again used in the social season. It cost more than $2 million to build at the turn of the century (estimated at more than $300 million today)--all for three summers of socializing.
* World War II and a draw among the wealthy to more "rustic" recreational settings brought about the decline of the Newport scene. The Elms, one of the largest homes, was slated for demolition when the Preservation Society stepped in and rescued it in the 1960s. Much of its furnishings, having been auctioned off in the previous weeks, were returned when word spread that the house would be saved.
* Foot-wide wallpanels of silver in a drawing room of The Breakers were observed to never tarnish. A few years ago, scientific testing on the phenomena determined that they were not silver, but platinum.
* Some of the mansions' service areas were tiled, floor to ceiling (and sometimes on the ceiling itself) with white, hospital-style tile. It reflected the increasingly scientific approach to the management of these houses, with an attention to sterile environments and orderliness.

Over the years, we've seen these homes on various PBS and Travel Channel shows. Touring them in person was so much fun, and the girls loved having their own headsets for the self-guided audio tours. By the final house, Kendall was leading the way, telling us which buttons to push. We left the Newport mansions feeling blessed, rich in love and family, and grateful for the simple things. We know this trip falls into the category of the extraordinary, but we don't take it for granted. And we certainly don't need it (or marble halls and gold chandeliers!) to be content.

The Breakers...just a little cottage!

Marble House...aptly named, as it's made of marble inside and out.

Chateau-sur-Mer...a little different than the others in that it was built in the mid 1800s and was a year-round residence, not just a summer past-time. In fact, it was the very first mansion in Newport and at one time included the property on which The Breakers now stands.

Kelsey and Kendall had fun burning off some energy in the gardens.