American History has many families of importance. There are families who have been in the country since the Mayflower and there are families who rose to importance during the Gilded Age. When people think of “Vanderbilt,” they think of the university, or maybe Gossip Girl and Nate’s relation to them. But how many people realize that Cornelius Vanderbilt came from essentially nothing and created an empire that still stands today? The Vanderbilt family had power running through the East Coast, granting them the privileges of building marvelous estates such as the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, 5th Avenue, and Newport, Rhode Island. Their success began with Cornelius Vanderbilt, while his descendants capitalized on his success and expanded his business and fortune.
Cornelius Vanderbilt, jestingly referred to as “the Commodore,” was born in Port Richmond, a small neighborhood nestled on the North Shore of Staten Island, on May 27th of 1794. He was the fourth of nine children and grew up as the son of an impoverished farmer and boatman, which led to his inevitable withdrawal from school at the mere age of 11, where he worked on the waterfront. In 1810, he bought his first boat with borrowed money from his parents and used the boat to ferry passengers between Staten Island and New York City. His nickname marked the respect and recognition others had for his achievements as a leader in the steamship industry.
Interestingly, Vanderbilt’s most significant wealth was through investments in the growing railroad industry. He aggressively expanded his holdings by consolidating various railroad lines which led to him gaining control of the New York Central Railroad. This led him to be one of the best business leaders in the Gilded Age.
Cornelius was known for his ruthless businessman techniques, however, he also engaged in philanthropic ventures including substantial donations to education and religious institutions. His most notable contribution was the endowment of a sum large enough to Central University that the college was renamed after him.
In 1882, William Vanderbilt, the oldest son of Cornelius Vanderbilt, bought an entire block between 51st and 52nd Street to build “Triple Palaces.” This estate consisted of three near-identical brownstone homes for him, his wife, and his two daughters. The two daughters were each given their own Fifth Avenue mansions. A wealthy New Yorker, Henry Clay Frick, would rent out one of the palaces on a ten-year lease while George Vanderbilt, grandson of Cornelius, built the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Henry often wished to buy the house but was barred from doing so due to William H. Vanderbilt’s will that forbids the house from being sold outside the family.
George Vanderbilt first visited Asheville, North Carolina, in 1888. He was thoroughly impressed with its natural beauty and purchased land until he amassed about 125,000 acres. George enlisted architect Richard Morris Hunt to design and build the 250-room chateau known as The Biltmore House. The Biltmore House opened to family and friends in 1895, but as America’s most eligible bachelor, George often found himself lonely.
This changed on April 28th, 1898, when he proposed to Edith Stuyvesant Dresser, a family friend admired for her beauty and personality. The couple shared a passion for learning and travel. After their marriage and honeymoon, Edith was welcomed home to the Biltmore Estate with a colossal horseshoe of goldenrod flowers etched with the phrase “Welcome Home.”
Cornelius Vanderbilt II, the supposed favorite grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, built The Breakers in Newport, RI. The Breakers became the epitome of everything a Gilded Age millionaire could desire during their summer getaway. The Breakers was constructed from 1893 to 1895 to replace a smaller house on the property destroyed by a fire. The house was structured with steel, brick, and limestone to prevent another disaster from occurring. Vanderbilt II kept the Italian Renaissance style with its Great Hall, which contained a 50-foot high ceiling. At the same time, the decor includes the Baccarat crystal for chandeliers in the dining room and platinum lead in the Morning Room. The Breakers have become the iconic image of the City-by-the-Sea.
In 1908, Cornelius II’s third son, Alfred, decided to build an estate for him and his wife, Elsie French. This was nestled in the heart of downtown, which looked out to Newport Harbor. This estate was finished one year later but was donated to the city without ever having been lived in. The reason for this remains a mystery. However, it is crucial to note that Elsie was fed up with her husband’s affair with Agnes O’Brien Ruiz, the wife of a Cuban attaché in D.C, and she filed for divorce around this time. The media drama that ensued led to Elsie’s untimely demise in 1909. According to some reports, it has been said that the estate was commissioned for his mistress, and when she died, he gave it to the town. Alfred died in 1915 because he was aboard the RMS Lusitania, which was torpedoed by a German U-boat. This house is now known as Auberge Resort and lends itself to the tourists of Newport for a perfect resting place after a long day shopping or cliff walking all over Newport, Rhode Island.
