The Cornelius Vanderbilt II Mansion New York City

In the early 1890's millionaire Cornelius Vanderbilt II commissioned a block long renovation to his already large New York City mansion that changed the world's view of the Vanderbilt's forever. In 1883 Vanderbilt had had a large townhouse built on the corner of 57th street that could suit him and his large family comfortably. But by the 1890's he felt that others were trying to trying to outdo him and his family, so he commissioned society architect George Post to build him a block long mansion and Richard Morris Hunt as advisor.

                                                       The First Vanderbilt Mansion at 57th Street


When it was completed, it extended the entire block of 57th street giving it a superb view of the Pultizer Fountain and was the largest house ever constructed in New York, a title which it still holds today.

                                                      The Mansion extending the entire block

Although the family entrance remained on the west side there was a new formal entrance on the east side with a large porte cochere. The floor plan of the house shows that tthe rooms on the first floor were centered around the large great hall and ballroom. Upstairs were the numerous family bedrooms and guest rooms along with the play room and servants rooms.

The interiors we done by the famous interior design firm of Julus Allard and filled with the family's large collection of french rococo style antiques. From the formal entrance guests walked into a stone  vestibule and were led up stone steps to the water color reception room.

The water color room was basically a reception room where formal guests would wait to be greeted by the Vanderbilts, on the wall is a photo of Mrs. Vanderbilt in her younger years as well as water color paintings.

Through the family entrance guests entered the Great Hall. The Great Hall was done with caen stone and had a beautiful spiral staircase. 

                                                            

                                                                

                                                                The Great Hall

To the left of the great hall was the Dining room which also doubled as the art gallery. The dining room could seat 200 people at a Vanderbilt party and almost 300 people when the table was broken up.

                                                           The Dining Room/Art Gallery

Behind the dining room was the somking room done in a very moorish style with a very ornate chandelier.

In the middle of the House was the ballroom. The ballroom could hold 650 people and had walls that could open up into other rooms to increase the already large room of 64 by 50 foot long.

                                                               Ballroom

On the right side were two salons and a drawing room.

                                                                 The Petit Salon

                                                            The Grand Salon

Upstairs were the family bedrooms, servant's rooms and guest rooms. In 1899 Cornelius died he left an estate of over $72 million to his family and charity. His wife Alice Gwynne received a $7 million trust fund, the New York City Mansion and the Breakers cottage in Newport. For years alice resided gloomily in her two homes. Ever since the day of Cornelius's death Alice, the reigning Mrs. Vanderbilt,  had worn nothing but black and pearls, living in the past, spending her days alone in her fortress of a mansion on Fifth Avenue and in The Breakers Villa, visiting only her family, never seen in the public.

                                        The New York City Mansion in 1925

                                       The Breakers mansion Newport in 1925

In 1925 it had become so expensive to run both home that they both starting to look worn. To run the Breakers it took 37 servants, 13 grooms and 12 gardeners. To run the 137 room Mansion in New York City took 37 servants. The $t million dollar trust fund Alice had been left produced and annual income of $250,000 which soon was just enough to cover the taxes on both houses. The taxes on the Breakers was $83,000 a year while taxes on the New York City Mansion which had been $38,000 in 1890 had risen to $130,000. In 1925 Alice was forced to sell the home for $7 million dollars to The Bergdorf-Goodman department store which demolished it and built upon it another department store which still occupies the spot today.  

George J Gould mansion Fifth Avenue

The George J Gould Mansion was first a very gothic looking mansion with a carriage house in the back.

                                                  

                                                           The original mansion


But soon the home outgrew the family and they had a much larger home constructed on the property.
The large home would be designed by Horace Trumbauer and would be in the Modern Renaissance Style and would be 5 stories high with the fifth floor hidden behind the copper crest of the roof.

Mixed into the floor plan were several large entertaining spaces such as a ballroom and reception room.

On the first floor there was a vestibule on either sides of the vestibule were a dressing room and pantry. The vestibule led to a long stair hall to the right was the dining room and to the left was the reception room.

                                                                      Stair Hall

                                                                    Dining Room

                                                               Reception Room

Upstairs a long hall separated the two main entertaining rooms: The drawing room and ballroom.

                                                                 The Ballroom

                                                                   The Drawing Room

                                                              2nd Story Hall


On the next floor was Mr and Mrs Gould's master suites each with adjoining bath and dressing room and separating the suites was a large Adam style sitting room. The next two floors had guests and servants rooms.

                                                         Mr Gould's Bedroom

                                                     Mrs Gould's Bedroom

                                                      Adam Style Sitting Room


Today a apartment building stands on the site although the did use Trumbauer's copper crests as decorative balconies.

Edith Wetmore's Newport Chateau

This stunning "cottage" was the seat of the Wetmore family. The wealthy Wetmore family's fortune was made by William Shepard Wetmore from the China Trade. In 1852 Mr. Wetmore hired Seth Bradford to build for him a lovely chateau in which he could live year round. The result was a romantic chateau on a spectacular piece of land.

The floor plan was though a little unusual for homes of that time.

After William died it passed to his son, George, who added a porte cochre,

and redid his bedroom.

Soon after this he died and it passed to his teenage daughters Maude and Edith. Maude was a staunch member of the Republican Party and used the vast fortune she inherited to help it in any way she could, she rarely spent time at Chateau Sur Mer instead living in a fashionable mansion on fifth avenue. Edith on the other hand loved Chateau Sur Mer and filled it with her vast collection of art. Edith made many large additions to it and hired Richard Morris Hunt to do them. One addition was the building of a ballroom wing, this not only added a ballroom but additional bedrooms on top of them.

She also had the exterior completely redone and got rid of the curved up roof.

She also had the old entrance turned into a new marble hall. After all of the renovations were done Edith finally settled in and began entertaining. The floor plan was much better than before and helped Edith's entertaining.

The stairs were a wonderful suprise to anyone staying at Chateau Sur Mer, since the were so beautiful and so big. The stairs had been copied off of the original stairs at Chateau Sur Mer and extended all three floors of the house

The next entertaining room is the Library. The Library houses the Wetmore Family collection of antique scripts, poems, books, volumes, letters, and financial documents. The library was also were Edith and her closest friends ( Daisy Van Alen, Eileen Solcum, Mrs. Peyton Van Rensellar, and Maude  if she was in town ) had tea in the mornings and also were the men went after a dinner party.

The most frequently used entertaining room was the dining room. The dining room had antique wallpaper that had graced William's New York City residence's library and was moved to Chateau Sur Mer after he sold it to move permanently to Newport. The fireplace has a oak carved sculpture that William had bought at the auction of a London townhouse.

The largest room was the ballroom. The ballroom houses the sofas and chairs Edith had bought at an auction of a large townhouse in London and Edith had bought every single one of them, she also bought the wallpaper of the same houses sitting room and put it on the walls of the ballroom. The fireplace has an antique clock that was a Wetmore Family heirloom.

The longest room in the house is the Marble Hall. The marble hall has red damask silk walls and is sort of an art gallery. By the large window is Edith's favorite sculpture the mythological god Apollo nude and below the sculpture and around the room are red leather sofas which originally were in William's New York City residence's hall.

Also on this floor are the green parlor which was very rarely used because it was not very large.

Upstairs was Edith's large master suite which included her large bedroom, marble bathroom, dressing room and her boudoir.

Edith lived in the house until her death, since she had no children she donated her vast fortune between the preservation society and the metropolitan museum of art. Her large collection of art was auctioned off, most bought by the preservation society with the funds Edith had left them and the house was also auctioned off to the preservation society which still owns it today.