The Breakers United States

Legendary

A grand 19th century mansion formerly owned by the Vanderbilt family.

Photo by Xiquinho Silva

The Vanderbilts called this house a summer "cottage." It has 70 rooms, 48 of them bedrooms, and the building alone covers nearly an acre.

It's named for the ocean waves that crash against the cliffs below the lawn.

Cornelius Vanderbilt II was one of the richest men in America. His grandfather built a fortune in steamships and railroads, and Cornelius inherited much of it.

In 1885, he bought a wooden mansion on this spot in Newport, Rhode Island. In November 1892, a fire started in the kitchen and burned it to the ground.

The timing made things interesting. That same year, his younger brother William had just finished Marble House, a palace of his own down the road.

Cornelius decided to build something bigger. He hired Richard Morris Hunt, one of the most famous architects in the country.

Having just watched his house burn, Cornelius had one big rule: this one could not catch fire. Hunt built it from steel, brick, and limestone, and placed the boilers underground, away from the house.

The kitchen went in a separate wing, sealed off behind heavy doors. Even the bathtubs were special, piped with both fresh water and seawater, since saltwater baths were considered healthy.

Hunt designed the mansion in the Italian Renaissance style, based on the 16th-century palaces of Genoa and Turin in Italy. Craftsmen from around the world worked on the marble, mosaics, and gold-covered rooms.

Construction ran from 1893 to 1895. Hunt died in Newport that summer while overseeing the finishing touches, and The Breakers was his last great building.

Cornelius didn't get to enjoy it long. He died in 1899, and his wife Alice kept the house until her death in 1934.

It passed to their youngest daughter, Gladys. In 1948, she rented it to the Preservation Society of Newport County for $1 a year so the public could tour it and help raise money to save other historic buildings.

The Society bought the house and most of the original furniture in 1972. It's now the most visited of Newport's mansions.

Stand in the Great Hall, about 50 feet tall, and look up at the painted ceiling. Find the bathtubs with four taps, hot and cold for both fresh water and seawater. Then walk out onto the back terrace for the view that gave the house its name, with the waves breaking on the rocks below.

Sources: Newport Mansions, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Wikipedia.

Who was Cornelius Vanderbilt II?

Cornelius Vanderbilt II, born on November 27, 1843, was a famous American businessman from the wealthy Vanderbilt family. He was the eldest son of William Henry Vanderbilt and the grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, who built the family's fortune. Cornelius Vanderbilt II led the New York Central Railroad, helping to expand the family's wealth and influence in the railroad industry. He was also known for his lavish lifestyle and built grand homes like The Breakers in Newport, Rhode Island.

Besides his business work, Cornelius was involved in charitable activities, supporting places like Yale University. He died on September 12, 1899, leaving a legacy of business success, impressive architecture, and philanthropy. His life shows how the Vanderbilt family became prominent in American society in the late 19th century.