Sophia Sherman 146th Birthday

Happy 146th Birthday Sophia! Today, 146 years ago, Sophia Brown was born to John

Carter Brown and his wife Sophia Browne. This outspoken woman, later to marry 

William Watts Sherman, though small in stature, weighed a whopping 270 pounds! 

So heavy was the weight of her flesh that she had to have a special water balanced-elevator

installed in her Newport mansion, known as the William Watts Sherman House, to help

her get to the second and third floors, what a lady!

Socialite and Heiress. Daughter of John Carter Brown (1797-1874) and Sophia Browne Brown (1825-1909); favorite granddaughter of Nicholas Brown II, founder of Brown University and Head of The Brown Family Dynasty for three generations. Last wife and longtime widow of William Watts Sherman (1942-1912), a New York City businessman who for fifty years served as treasurer of the Newport Casino. Known for her commanding and brashly outspoken personality; she could instantly be unusually kind and caring. Weighing an enormous 270 pounds ~ she had a special water lift of equal size designed and built for her beloved Newport residence to help her get up the three flights of floors. The fiery duster of enormous physical weight disdained the press and photographers, applying on a heavy thick veil and hat whenever she left her mansion. Raised in a strict Episcopalian family, she was an intense Bible basher ~ insisting that music, alcohol, tobacco, divorce, shouting and flirtation were all sins. Naturally eccentric since her early days, she never drank anything but mineral water. Like many of the gothic victorian homes she lived in as a girl, she filled her home to the brink with over-gilded furniture and antiques. Being helped everywhere by a large gilded cane and two burly attendants; she rarely left her Newport home, if ever going to her townhouse at the corner of 838 Fifth Avenue. Her Newport home, known as 'Sherman Villa', designed and built by H. H. Richardson, encompassed over thirty rooms and fifteen guest bedrooms. In the 1930's, with dancing becoming the new fashion, she hired Newport architect Dudley Newton to design and construct a heavily-gilded ballroom wing onto the side of her mansion. Living another seventeen years at her Newport villa, she died of a three-year illness at her beloved Newport home, being buried next to her elderly husband at Island Cemetery in Newport, Rhode Island.

What a lady! 

Biography, Courtesy of FindAGrave;

Written and Complied by Tyler Y. Hughes.

Perle: My Story

The Fabulous story of Washington's "Hostess with the Mostess", Perle Mesta, and the trials and encounters she had to face to become the dominant hostess of Capital Hill. Born to a wealthy businessman, Perle grew up attending Republican Conventions with her father, William B Skirvin, but later switched to the Democratic Party when she married George Mesta. She was rewarded for her fundraising efforts with an ambassadorship to Luxembourg by President Harry Truman, whom she maintained a close friendship with. Switching back to the Republican Party in the 1960's, she was a heavy supporter of President Eisenhower, who was a neighbor of her's in Newport and the husband of her intimate friend Mamie. Above all, Perle was most known for her entertaining. Her secret to successful entertaining she once said was "a warm hostess, cool music, hot food and cool guests". Whether entertaining at her DC apartment or her Newport home 'Midclyffe', any party she held was bound to be great. Perle: My Story documents the life of this wonderful lady; a must read for anyone who loves learning about American society in the 1940-60's.

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

Never a Dull Moment in Newport!

Mrs Robert R Young and Mrs John Nicholas Brown at the Newport Music Festival 

A wonderful newspaper article about Newport. It's main 

topic is over the Newport Music Festival and Breakers Fundraising

ball. It also mentions several of the up coming galas at 

the grand cottages. In it; Mrs Jane Langley has just bought

'Berkeley Villa' and also just arrived from showing her

paintings in Palm Beach. Harvey Firestone Jr has also bought 

a house in Newport, once owned by the Drexel family. Mr and Mrs John R

Drexel make an appearance at the opening of the Music Festival with

their daughter Noreen. 12 or more of Newport's cottages have been 

owned at some time by a member of the Drexel family, including

'Fairolme', owned by Mrs Robert R Young, whose husband

owned the New York Central. Mrs John Nicholas Brown, who is

president of the festival and cousin of Mrs Drexel, greets guests as they enter 

the hall of the 'Breakers'. Mrs Auchincloss serves as co-chairwoman of 

a music gala. 

Mr and Mrs John R Drexel III with their daughter Noreen were guests at the Music Festival 

A concert in the ballroom of 'Marble House', one of the ocean cottages built by Mr and Mrs Willie K  Vanderbilt 

Click HERE For The Link 

'Avalon', Newport. RI

In the early 1950's, James 'Jimmy' Van Alen, who had summered in Newport since birth, and his wife Candace 'Candy' Van Alen purchased a historic looking estate spread out along Ocean Avenue, called 'Avalon'. The estate had originally been built in 1906 by Grosvenor Atterbury for Edward S. Rawson, who expanded the Mediterranean villa in 1917. He sold the 34-acre estate in 1920 to Vera S. Cushman of New York ~ one of the early leaders of the YWCA(Young Women's Christian Association. In 1952, the Van Alens purchased 'Avalon' from the Cushman Family. 

Jimmy and Candy were hopelessly in Love, being married for 43 years

Candy was one of Newport's most outspoken socialites, it was her idea that Jimmy find a Tennis Hall of Fame

Jimmy always admired Tennis, playing the game as a boy on the tennis courts at 'Wakehurst'

Twelve years after purchasing 'Avalon', the Van Alens purchased the next door old 'Wrentham Estate', a stone and shingled house designed by Richard Morris Hunt, for $85,000 and turned the land surrounding the house into a gaming preserve for his hunting guests. Shortly after they
added a guest wing to house. opposite the ballroom. Soon after this, Jimmy was elected as President of the Newport Casino, which was literally a dump. He and Candy purchased the house, completely restored it, and turned it into the brand new International Tennis Hall of Fame. 

The International Tennis Hall of Fame, which helped to preserve the Newport Casino, all thanks to Jimmy

Jimmy and Candy were perfect for each other; they both lived in the moment, both loved Newport, both were energetic; smart; they shared a love of writing; good times; and adventure. Surprisingly Candy, unlike Jimmy's first wife Eleanor, got along with Jimmy's wife, Mrs Louis Bruguiere, Newport's reigning dowager matron. Frequently, Candy was invited by Mrs Bruguiere to co-host with her at 'Wakehurst' or at the New York townhouse. 

Mrs Louis Bruguiere, 'Daisy', the Dowager Queen of Newport's 'Old Guard'

Hitting the Van Alens like a bullet, In early December of 1976, as they were returning from Madrid, a fire started at Avalon. Sally Rodrigues, the caretaker, saw lights flickering off and on around in the mansion and figured that a burglar had tripped the alarm. As she rushed toward the house with her shotgun, she saw smoke bursting out from the garage. Grabbing her two year old daughter, she rushed to a neighbors house and called the Fire Department. When they arrived, the house was engulfed in flames. Eileen Slocum, one of the Van Alens' closest personal friends, was returning from Providence when she heard the fire alarms. She called the fire department and found out it was 'Avalon'. Knowning many of the Van Alens' most prized possessions were in the house, Slocum immediately flagged down a fire truck. "I hopped onto the fire engine and said, "Take me to the front door ~ there is a a beautiful set of china just inside!". By the time she got there, the home was almost unrecognizable. Slocum and the firemen spent the next hour and half pulling out what furniture and artifacts they could. 

Eileen Slocum, on of the Van Alens' closest personal friends, was largely responsible for saving
the Van Alens collection of artwork and antiques

Luckily, most of the ground floor rooms were still intact, and the Van Alen decided to build a new 'Avalon' around the rooms, making it a very spacious, albeit a much less attractive, mansion.

Candy giving the giving the golden trophy to the tennis match winners

The Van Alens continued to live at 'Avalon' throughout their life. In 1991, Jimmy, who was 
practically blind, accidentally stepped off his bedroom balcony onto the gravel driveway and died while recovering in the hospital. Candy continued summering at 'Avalon', spending her winters at the Van Alen estate 'Penny Pond' on Long Island. In 1992, she had the Van Alen Room dedicated at the Tennis Hall of Fame in honor of her husband. 

Candy at The Van Alen Room Dedication

In 2002, Candy died. 'Penny Pond' was subdivided and demolished. 'Avalon' was sold four years later for $10.4 million, the highest sale in Newport. The home was demolished shortly afterwards. 

'Beaulieu'

Of all the homes in Newport still in private hands, 'Beaulieu' is amongst the most famous. Presently the year-round residence of Ruth B. Wheeler, the home has a rich and interesting history, being home to not only Astors and Vanderbilts, but also the scene of hundreds of lavish 

parties and events. 

Ruth Buchanan Wheeler, one of Newport's most outspoken matrons, is famous for her Lunch parties

Photo: Nick Mele

First coming to Newport in 1960, They quickly decided they wanted to live here

Ruth and her first husband Wiley T. Buchanan, who was serving as President Eisenhower's Chief of Protocol , first came to Newport 1960, coming with President Eisenhower who summered there, first at the Naval Base and later at the 'Eisenhower House'. They were staying with friends at 'Clarendon Court' when they decided to take a walk along the Cliff Walk. Soon they came upon a decaying estate next door, which had been unseen by them due to the large, overgrown grass and forest of trees surrounding it. The windows were smashed in, the porched gone, graffiti all along the walls the gardens infested with weeds, the home crawling with bugs and rats. The interior was destroyed and had had severe water damage, so bad it looked like there had been a fire. That home was 'Beaulieu'.

Wiley was determined to save the home, which he shortly after bought for around $100,000.

Within a year, the home was as gorgeous as ever. The Buchanans had replaced the porch, added a kitchen, restored all the rooms with french antique panelling and fixtures, rewired the house with electricity, replaced all the windows, restored the gardens, fixed the roof, fixed the plumbing and painted the exterior. They hired legendary designer Valerian Rybar to decorate the interior. Brought in a team of 13 gardeners to maintain the grounds and an additional 15 servants to work inside. Extended the garage and greenhouse. They brought 'Beaulieu' back to life.

Life at 'Beaulieu' with the Buchanans was formal, yet cozy

Ruth Buchanan, later Wheeler with marriage to Ed Wheeler after remaining a widow for more than a decade, is now in her 90's

Today, Ruth lives alone in her elegant home. Visited by family and friends, her newest thing is

to host Sunday luncheons. At 'Beaulieu' the work is never done, as Ruth comments "We are always having to replace something". Yet despite the tremendous amount of work it takes, 'Beaulieu' still remains one of Newport's finest private estates.

'Clarendon Court'

'Clarendon Court', Newport RI. Built by Horace Trumbauer. In the 1970's

it was the home of Martha Crawford Von Bulow, known as 'Sunny', whose

estranged husband famously tried to poison her, which forced her into a coma. 

Sunny managed to live into her 70's, dying in 2008, still her in sleeping-beauty 

coma. Click HERE and HERE For more

Picnics on the Grand Newport Estates

Back in the 1960's, there was a severe problem with lack of privacy. It started when average Newporters, walking along the Cliff Walk, decided to venture out onto the grand estates that bordered the Cliff Walk. Most just wandered the grounds, though some families had the nerve to set up picnics and some even went up and looked inside the windows. One such incident happened at 'Vinland', the Twombly cottage, when a man went right up to a window and starting peeking in, right over Mrs Twombly's shoulder. To solve the problem Doris Duke bought two large doberman, built a large barbed wire fence and had the outlines of her property covered in broken glass.  And then there was the incident at 'Wakehurst'.

'Wakehurst' had been in the Van Alen family for over 100 years

Daisy Post Van Alen Bruguiere was Newport's leading grand dame and society matron

"Some years ago, A large family

piled out of their beaten-up van

onto the grounds of 'Wakehurst',

Mrs Bruguiere's estate, and proc-

eeded to have a picnic. The grand

told her servants to leave the strangers

along but to get the car's license

number and to have her butler

follow them. The following Sunday 

she arrived at their home in her

chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce

and her footman proceeded

to set up an elaborate picnic for

Mrs Bruguiere, complete with

gold dinner service, french china 

and crystal cups. The owner

came out and asked what she was 

doing. "You honored me

with a visit last week and I wanted to

return the compliment" Mrs

Bruguiere replied and continued

her solitary meal" 

The Last Home of Grace Vanderbilt

In 1942 the movers came to Vanderbilt stronghold at 640 Fifth Avenue, the last private residence

on that avenue, surrounded on all sides by towering skyscrapers. The grand furniture and artwork gracing the golden salons and marble halls was boarded and packed up, most of them antiques and heirlooms, and shoved into the moving trucks. Earlier that week, Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt III, Grace, had bought for $120,000 the former Miller mansion at 1048 Fifth Avenue and planned on making that her new residence. The mansion at 640 Fifth Avenue had been sold awhile back by her husband before his death to raise capital, the conditions being they continue to live there till 2 years after his death. 2 years later, with less than $2 million, the time came for New York's reigning grand dame to move. 

Grace Wilson Vanderbilt, called 'Her Grace', was the only lady ever able to replace THE Mrs Astor

The Vanderbilt mansion at 640 Fifth Avenue was simply 'Lost in a sea of skyscrapers' 

Most of the furniture, because of it's history, was turned over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as there was no room for it at 1048 Fifth Avenue. The only Vanderbilt heirloom being kept was the famous painting of Commodore Vanderbilt. 

Two weeks after moving in, Grace held a grand opening party, with 128 guests in attendance. Then later came her opera ball for 276 guests. Then after that came another fundraising ball, all the while she was still living excessively, even still rolling out the red velvet carpet across the sidewalk for her guests. At dinners there was always a footmen for each guest (never under 60), and she still had kept her dining room table that could seat sixty. And after the New York season was over, the house would still be flooded with mothballs, the furniture covered in white muslim and the chandeliers bagged, as she headed out for Newport. One wondered where she was getting the resources to do all this. 

The big spending matron was, in reality, a tight-fisted penny-pincher 

Since she had moved out of 640 Fifth Avenue, Grace was determined to stretch her money as far as she could. With the $2 million from her husband, and an additional $1.7 million left from her father, Grace lived a great illusion. For starters, most of the downstairs furniture was rented: The grand piano, the stove, the tapestries, the books, the artwork, even some of the fixtures were rented. She reused most of her gowns, having tailors mend and adjust them into new costumes and covering them in jewels to make them look new. She had cut the staff from the original 26 people that worked at 640 Fifth Avenue down to a staff of a skeleton crew. It consisted of The butler, chef, assistant chef, housekeeper, a downstairs maid, upstairs maid (which doubled as her lady's maid), kitchen maid, 2 footmen, a handyman, secretary and a chauffeur. Whenever she had large amounts of guests, she had the butler and chauffeur double as footmen, while also calling in waiters. She rarely purchased anything, and slowly and quietly began selling small amounts and pieces of her jewelry for extra cash. She cut her son's allowance of $200 a month down to $100 a month. She sold the 30 Rolls Royce limousines her husband had, keeping only one. 

It was all just an illusion

In 1949 Grace gave her last party, her famed opera ball, and after that she unable to attend the opera, arriving last time in a wheelchair. She was rarely visited, and then only by intimate friends and family. Her son's visits were once or twice a year. The dame was growing feeble and blind. In 1950 she quit the lease on all the downstairs furniture, leaving the first floor empty, except for a few pieces of furniture she owned. The portrait of The Commodore was given to Vanderbilt University, along with a few other heirlooms. In 1952 Grace Vanderbilt died, worrying if the money would last. Afterwards her son, left literally penniless, auctioned off 1048 Fifth Avenue and sold everything.

LIFE: The Senator Weds

The Kennedy-Bouvier wedding in Newport RI was one of society's most famed events. 

The popular First Lady would become one of Rhode Island's most famed citizens.

Click HERE For An Article From LIFE Magazine About The Wedding.