Beechwood

One of the most well- known of Newport's 'cottages', 'Beechwood' was built by a New York merchant in the 1850's. It was purchased by Caroline Astor in the 70's, and used by her as a summer palace till her death in 1908. Soon after purchasing the property, Caroline had hired society architect Richard Morris Hunt, the favorite of the Vanderbilts, to carryout a $2 million renovation ~ which included the addition of a ballroom, where for more than three decades she entertained her notorious '400', the exact number of people her New York ballroom was capable of holding, as queen of New York society. When she died in 1908, the estate was left to her beloved son John IV. Continuing his mother's pattern of summering at the estate, he married there in 1911 to young Madeleine Force, who was younger than his son Vincent. The following year on April 15, 1912, John went down on the Titanic. 'Beechwood' was left to his wife, with more than $5 million. Passing from her to John's stepson Vincent, it was sold by him. Purchased later by Mr and Mrs James Clark, it was again sold on Mrs Clark's death. Later established as a house museum, it was in 2010 bought by billionaire Lawrence Ellison, who is undergoing restoration on the estate