Tag: Historic Places
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The Breakers (My Newport Adventures)
The Breakers is the crown jewel of Newport, and it’s totally crazy to experience. Cornelius Vanderbilt II, who owned the house with his wife Alice, clearly saw himself as a grand Renaissance prince. The Breakers was designed to look like an Italian Renaissance palace by Richard Morris Hunt and completed in 1895.
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Chateau-sur-Mer (My Newport Adventures)
Chateau-sur-Mer is probably the most Victorian of all houses in Newport. It was owned by William Shepard Wetmore, who made his fortune trading with then-exotic China. When it was built in 1852 – long before the big four – it was one of the most famous houses in Newport. William’s son, George Peabody Wetmore, inherited it in 1862, and he had…
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Rosecliff (My Newport Adventures)
Of all the mansions I saw in Newport, Rosecliff was my favorite. It was owned by Hermann and Tessie Oelrichs and designed by Stanford White, completed in 1902. Tessie Oelrichs liked to host parties, and Rosecliff was definitely designed to be her perfect venue. She hosted her first of many, highly-theatrical galas before Rosecliff had…
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Marble House (My Newport Adventures)
The Marble House (completed in 1892) was designed by Alva Vanderbilt, who was then the wife of William K. Vanderbilt. The house was designed by Richard Morris Hunt with decoration by Jules Allard and Sons. The Marble House is definitely over the top, yet it feels strangely accessible because none of the rooms are particularly…
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The Elms (My Newport Adventures)
The Elms was the first mansion I saw on my first day in Newport, and it was the perfect way to start my trip. The home was built in 1901 for Edward and Herminie Berwind, who made their fortune in the coal industry. It was later occupied by Edward’s sister Julia. The house was designed…
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An Introduction to Newport, Rhode Island
An introduction to Newport, Rhode Island and all the spectacular Gilded Age mansions within. Newport was once a summer destination for American elites.
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My visit to Lyndhurst, an American castle
Lyndhurst is an huge house in Tarrytown, New York. It was home to politician William Paulding, businessman George Merritt, and finally Gilded Age industrialist Jay Gould and his family. Lyndhurst has incredible Gothic Revival architecture, stained glass windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany and John LaFarge, and great furniture.
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How to Have a Great Historic Site Visit
Planning to visit a historic place? Learn what to expect and how to plan for the best visit ever.
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Historic Places Photo Gallery
I love old places, and I try to visit them wherever I go. This gallery shows some of the historic places I’ve visited recently. If you like my photos, you might also be interested in my other posts on the subject. What beautiful old places are there where you live? Send me some pictures so…
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Kip’s Castle – My Visit to a New Jersey Mansion
Updated with news photos from my Christmas 2017 visit to Kip’s Castle. Click on the photo gallery below! I recently took some time to visit a local landmark – Kip’s Castle in Verona, New Jersey. The former home of textile industrialist Frederic Ellsworth Kip and his family, Kip’s Castle is a sprawling stone mansion at the very top…
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Hudson River School Day
Thomas Cole and Frederick Edwin Church, the two most prominent Hudson River School painters, both had homes and studios in the Catskill area of New York. One summer day, I went up there to visit the two houses, which are now museums open to the public for tours. This was my experience.
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Why I’m a fan of preservation and “Preservation” magazine
In one of the first philanthropic acts of my grown-up life, I recently joined the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a non-profit organization that provides funding and support for the protection and restoration of historical landmarks throughout the United States. As a membership benefit, I just received my first issue (Winter 2015) of Preservation magazine in the…
