Hmmm, where to start with the Vanderbilts? The first one was Cornelius. He was born to dirt-poor dirt farmers on Staten Island. When he was 16, he acquired a little sailboat and started a shipping company. One thing led to another and he became wealthy, holding around 5% of the US currency at the time. This made him the sole success story arising from Staten Island.
Surprisingly for a wealthy person, he was mean and excelled at cheating his business partners and abusing his family. In these endeavors, he was aided by the spiritual mediums he consulted regularly.
When he died (finally!) he disinherited his daughters and gave the rest to his son, William.
William liked trains and bought many of them, along with the railroads that ran them. Nicer than his father, he endowed Vanderbilt University (which remains in existence to this very day!), New York’s Metropolitan Opera and the YMCA.
William had children, among them was Frederick, who inherited a ton of money. He toiled in the family business and also liked gardening, so he bought 600 acres in Hyde Park. Which finally brings us to the cottage. Whew!
With only 54 rooms, the cottage, which was not designed by Frank Wright, was suitable for short term visits only.The cottage has a nice lawn, about 20 acres or so.Plenty of gardens. Here is a test to determine if you’re wealthy: do you have a 15,000 sq ft greenhouse, heated in winter, for the sole purpose of providing fresh cut flowers? If the answer is yes, you are wealthy.Fred valued his alone time, so the dining room could accommodate only 16. 12 at the main table and 4 at the overflow table. The ceiling was plundered from an Italian palazzo and re-assembled in Hyde Park. Fred didn’t like the original centerpiece artwork, so he commissioned a new one from the famed American artist, Edward Simmons.The cottage was considered innovative at the time, for its inclusion of a “living room.”The Gold Room, used by the women for gossip parties.The bedroom of Louise, Fred’s wife (they didn’t sleep together, because…well…that’s just icky.) She has a barricade around her bed, because Marie Antoinette had one and Louise idolized Marie.This is Fred’s bedroom. Early humans were small by modern standards and required only small beds. No California Kings needed. By the way, Fred and Louise strictly adhered to hygiene standards and had fresh sheets after each use, even after a brief nap!No house can be without a grand staircase, which the servants (of which there were normally 20) were not permitted to use.
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2 responses to “The Vanderbilt Getaway”
Rikki Thompson
Do rich people also like absurdly gaudy red carpet and gaudy furniture?
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