Locations

Newport, Rhode Island

As the United States becomes increasingly more divided leading up to the the Civil War wealthy southern families established summer cottages in Newport to escape the heated southern humidity. Newport is as much a character as it is a location in Mrs. Vanderbilt particularly the three mansions: Mrs. (Alice) Vanderbilt's The Breakers, Alva Vanderbilt's Marble House, and Mrs. Astor's Beechwood. Each was built in order to overshadow the next.

The Breakers

Majestic in its symbolism of a forgone era this 70 room 13 acre waterfront cottage was completed in 1895 after the original cottage was destroyed by fire in 1892. The property was originally purchased in 1885 by Cornelius Vanderbilt II and Mrs. (Alice) Vanderbilt.

The original Breakers which burned down in 1892. In 1885 upon the death of Alva Vanderbilt's father-in-law, William Henry Vanderbilt, resulting in her husbands massive inheritance Alva designed her Marble House with the aim to surpass this wooden cottage. Unfortunately for Alva, by the time she debuted Marble House the original Breakers had been destroyed and a year later Mrs. (Alice) Vanderbilt began construction, once again establishing herself as the one and true Mrs. Vanderbilt.

Marble House

Inspired by Versailles' Grand Trianon the mansion was the first stone palace in Newport situated among wooden houses. At a cost of $11 million this fifty room mansion constructed with 500,000 cubic feet or marble was quickly eclipsed by Mrs. (Alice) Vanderbilt's Breakers in 1895. The following year Alva remarried and moved to Belcourt mansion one mile away. For those few years Alva resided at Marble House for the summer season and after 1896 and the erection of the Breakers Alva never lived there again. Interestingly her housemaids used it to do laundry as the plumbing was state-of-the-art at the time.

Beechwood

For 25 years Mrs. Astor reigned as the Queen of Society eight weeks each summer from this Italian mansion. Her infamous Summer Ball was the highlight of the season for her 400 Club, an American social register for families who had a minimum of three generations of prominent lineage.

Blenheim Palace

A cousin to Versailles in style and size it was built in the early 18th century and is the official residence of the Marlborough Dukedom. The palace and the status of its resident instantly attracted Alva, but unfortunately not her daughter, Consuelo. While Alva needed the Duke to steal the position of Queen of Society from Mrs. Astor, more importantly she realized that her chateau in New York and her Newport mansion had both been dwarfed by Mrs. (Alice) Vanderbilt and unless her palace was the grandest she would never be known as Mrs. Vanderbilt and therefore she would never become the Queen of Society. If Alva needed the Duke, the Duke desperately needed Alva -- specifically her money as the Dukedom had become insolvent.

Biltmore Estate

Biltmore Built by George Washington Vanderbilt, the youngest son of William Henry Vanderbilt, this 250 room estate is located on 8,000 acres in the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountain,

Mrs. Astor's New York TownhouseThe four story brownstone in the foreground was overshadowed by her bother in law, John Jacob Astor III's more modern French mansion on one side and his Astoria hotel on the other eventually forcing Caroline Astor and her husband, William Backhouse Astor, Jr. to move further uptown and into a far more upscale home.

Mrs. Astor's more modern New York Chateau which she split into two homes to share with her son John Jacob Astor IV who would infamously die on the Titanic in 1912.

Ogden Goelet Ochre Court

Newport Mansion - Brothers Ogden and Orme Goelet played a vital role in cementing the rivalry between the House of Vanderbilt and the House of Astor. Ogden married May Wilson while Orme married Carrie Astor (daughter of Mrs. Astor) and so when Neily Vanderbilt wanted to marry Grace Wilson he was forced by his parents to leave her or be completely disinherited as the heir apparent.

Alva Vanderbilt's New York Chateau became the center of High Society in 1893 when she out manuvered Mrs. Astor in a coup attempted at securing the title as the Queen of High Society. While she was somewhat successful in challenging the royal post she lived the rest of her life in the shadows of her sister in law, Mrs. (Alice) Vanderbilt.

Mrs. (Alice) Vanderbilt's New York Mansion was actually only one third its size when Alva Vanderbilt built her Chateau. Alva was soon in second place again when Mrs. Vanderbilt expanded her mansion to almost double the size of Alva's and did so again in 1895 when Mrs. Vanderbilt's Breakers surpassed Alva's Marble House both in scale and elegance. Alva's need to reign would cause her to make one of the greatest mistakes of her life when she tries to marry her only daughter into British nobility setting in motion misunderstandings and misgiving among the fourth generation of the first American princes and princesses.

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