By KIMBERLEY HAAS
The Breakers mansion is a grand summer “cottage” that symbolizes the Vanderbilt family’s social and financial pre-eminence in the Gilded Age and you can tour this luxurious estate by the sea.
Built between 1893 and 1895 at the cost of over $7 million, this National Historic Landmark located at 44 Ochre Point Avenue in Newport, RI, was the summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II. He became the president and chairman of New York Central Railroad in 1885.
The Vanderbilt family was one of the wealthiest and most prominent families in America.
According to The Preservation Society of Newport County, the Breakers was everything a millionaire of the Gilded Age could want in a summer getaway with its Italian palazzo design and views of the ocean.
Builders included electricity and there were gas lights installed as well.
The 70-room mansion was secured by a large gate.
Upon arrival, guests could marvel at the sculptures as they got off their carriages.
The Breakers mansion was given its name for the waves that continually crash into the cliffs below, according to Newport-Discovery-Guide.com. You can see the mansion from the 3.5-mile long Cliff Walk.
This is the view of the backyard.
This is what the back of the mansion looks like.
Visitors can stroll around the 13-acre property and look at the beautiful flowers.
There is a peaceful fountain by one of the back corners of the main building.
The Breakers was designed by Richard Morris Hunt and is decorated with French and Italian fashions. The well-known Gold Room was built in Europe, shipped to the United States, and then re-assembled in Newport.
According to The Preservation Society of Newport County, presidents, royalty, and guests from around the world have visited this property. And you can, too.
This is an excerpt from their website:
“In 1948, Countess Széchenyi, a daughter of Cornelius and Alice Vanderbilt to whom ownership of The Breakers had passed, allowed the fledgling Preservation Society of Newport County to begin offering tours of the first floor to the public. In return, the Preservation Society agreed to pay $1 per year and cover operating expenses and maintenance. In 1972, the Preservation Society purchased the house and property from her heirs. The Breakers was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994.”
Tickets can be purchased through the society online. Adult tickets are $29, and children between the ages of six and 12 have a $10 admission price.
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