Marble House Tour and Newport Scenic Drive

To my knowledge, Marble House was built as a 39th birthday present from William K. Vanderbilt to his first wife, Alva. And, how could they afford this magnificent house in the first place, you ask? Well, William’s grandfather was Cornelius Vanderbilt. In case, you didn’t know, Cornelius Vanderbilt was an American shipping and railroad magnate back in the 1800s and one of the richest men in the world at the time.
When Cornelius Vanderbilt died in 1885, he left a bulk of his fortune to his older children, William Henry and Cornelius. William Henry happened to be William Kissam’s dad. In the Glitter and the Gold, a book written by their daughter, Consuelo, she intimated that, as soon as her parents inherited some of that fortune, Alva embarked on her spending spree journey. Some of which was a yacht named after herself, the Alva, and of course this beautiful mansion on Bellevue Avenue, a prestigious street in Newport.
The family’s world expedition allowed Alva to admire impressive architecture and to dream big on her quests. Consuelo mentioned in her book that Marble House was inspired by Le Grand Trianon in the park of Versailles. Another source of information also mentioned, while on the deck of her yacht, Alva was fascinated by the view of the Parthenon perched on a hilltop.
To achieve her dream of grand design, Alva worked closely with one of the renowned gilded age architects, Richard Morris Hunt, who happened to have designed their main mansion back in New York. Richard Morris Hunt. Does that name ring a bell? He was the architect of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.
I believe the construction of Marble House took place between 1888 and 1892, and cost an astonishing 11 million dollars, 7 of which was spent on 500,000 cubic feet of marble.
The halls and staircase were built with yellow marble, the dining room red.
The Gothic room on the first floor that’s located underneath Consuelo’s bedroom was their living room. It was there the Duke of Marlborough proposed to Consuelo.
Today, Marble House is a designated National Historic Landmark, preserved for future generations to explore and appreciate. As we walk through its halls, we can imagine the lavish parties, the societal influence, and the historical significance that this mansion holds.
(Please ignore the timestamp on the driving video. This was taken on June 20, 2024. The camera kept adding wrong date to the clips. lol)