History of Marble House
Mr. William Vanderbilt and his wife Ms. Alva Vanderbilt commissioned architecture Richard Morris Hunt to built Marble House in Newport, RI in 1888. Finally, in 1892 construction on the mansion was completed. At the time Marble House cost $11 million to construct. Mr. Vanderbilt gave the house to his wife as her 39th birthday present, and it was she who owned it, not her husband.
William Vanderbilt was the younger brother of Cornelius Vanderbilt II who owned the other mansion on Bellevue Ave known as The Breakers. And, worked at his family’s famous railroad company. If you read my post on The Breakers then you know how The Breakers is one of my favorite mansions in Newport. But, all the mansions have something unique about them.
The design of Marble House
The front of Marble House is made of a cool looking white marble and has 4 huge towering Corinthian columns. I love the entrance of Marble House and the tree’s that surround the front of the mansion.
Each room of the house looks so opulent, and you can easily image the owners in the 1920’s holding parties in their house. The house is over 100 years old, and it makes me wonder if it’s haunted. You never know!
The Petit Trianon at Versailles inspired the structure of the mansion.
The sculpture work and furnishings were crafted by Jules Allard & Sons, who were a popular Paris interior decorating company at the time. The company worked on decorating many of the mansions in Newport. I loved the rooms of Mr. and Ms. Vanderbilt. Their rooms look like something right out of French palace. But, I guess in the Gilded Age the Vanderbilt’s were American royalty.
They filled the inside of the mansion with furniture designed in the Louis XIV/XV style. The rooms look like something you would find in Versailles.
The Kitchens
My favorite part of the Newport mansions is visiting the kitchens. I guess in Newport copper pots and pans were a big thing back in the olden days. But, they look so beautifully hanging around in the kitchens. The kitchens in The Breakers is larger than Marble House.
Mr. William Vanderbilt only had the chance to spend two summers in his grand house. Alva divorced William on the claims on adultery, and she stayed in the house. Later on, Alma went on to marry one of William’s best friends.
Consuelo Vanderbilt- The Future Duchess of Marlborough
William and Alva’s daughter Consuelo went on to marry the Duke of Marlborough and moved into one of my favorite places to visit in England named Blenheim Palace. Sadly, she did not have a happy marriage, and didn’t want to marry the Duke of Marlborough when the proposal idea was introduced. Consuelo’s mother forced her to marry the Duke. She had been in love with another man she planned to elope with, but her mother was against it. I have read so many books on Consuelo Vanderbilt, and she is one of the many wealthy heiresses who helped save many estates in England when dukes looked for wealthy American women to marry. Luckily, Consuelo later divorced the Duke and married someone she loved. So, in the end she had a happy ending in a way.
The Chinese Tea House
Alva Vanderbilt use to host suffragette meetings in the tea house she had built after her divorce. Nowadays, they have a small cafe inside with ready made food and drinks. It looks beautiful from the outside overlooking the sea.
Here are my other posts on The Breakers Mansion ( https://ceciliasluxelife.comthe-breakers-mansion-newport-ri/) And, The Elms ( https://ceciliasluxelife.comthe-elms-mansion-in-newport-ri/)
for more information about tickets/opening times visit: https://www.newportmansions.org/explore/marble-house
for a travel guide on Newport : https://ceciliasluxelife.comnewport-ri-travel-guide/
Marble House Mansion in Newport,RI.Marble House Mansion in Newport,RI
