The Breakers

Newport, Rhode IslandPhoto Source: https://www.antiquesjournal.com/pages04/Monthly_pages/july06/july06_images/breakers.jpg

Background

• Summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt (1843-1899)– Member of prominent American Cornelius family

• Located in prestigious summer house area– Considered social capital of America at the time

• When property was originally purchased in 1855, an 1877 wooden house was present on the land

• This house burned down in 1892 and Vanderbilt decided to build the Breakers in its place

• Open to the public and can be visited daily

The Estate

• 13 acre parcel of land overlooking Atlantic Ocean• Italian Renaissance design

– Designed by famous architect Richard Morris Hunt– Construction began in 1893; finished in 1895

• Approximately 250 ft by 150 ft and contain approximately 70 rooms– 5 levels: three main stories along with an attic and a basement

• House contained electric power, with gas power as a backup system– Symbolized importance and emergence of technology during the time

period– Additional symbol of wealth because of large costs of new technology

Exterior of the House

• Foundation of the house made out of brick, concrete, and Indiana limestone– No wood was used in the construction of the

house to make it as fireproof as possible per Mr. Vanderbilt’s request

• Limestone walls• Terra Cotta Red Tile roof• Marbles plaques• Wrought iron gates and fences

Modern Aerial View

Photo Source: http://stjamesusa.blogspot.com/2011/07/breakers.html

Side Aerial View

Photo Source:http://stjamesusa.blogspot.com/2011/07/breakers.html

Side Close Up View of House

Photo Source: http://stjamesusa.blogspot.com/2011/07/breakers.html

View from Rear of House

Photo Source: http://stjamesusa.blogspot.com/2011/07/breakers.html

Interior of the House

• 5 levels:– Basement– First Floor– Second Floor– Third Floor– Attic

• Very lavish and extravagant attention to detail within the home portrayed through furniture and décor of the home– Ex. Motifs on doors in the Great Hall include Galileo, Dante,

Apollo, Mercury, Richard Morris Hunt, and Karl Bitter; each served a different meaning

First Level

• Rooms on first floor include:– Entrance Foyer, Gentlemen’s Reception Room, Ladies’

Reception Room, the Great Hall, Arcade, Library, Music Room, Morning Room, various porches, Billiard Room, Dining Room, Breakfast Room, Pantry, and Kitchen

• Very luxurious, mostly public rooms used for entertaining the family and guests who were invited to the estate

• Rooms on this floor, being public areas of the house, were used to display infinite wealth through elaborate furnishings, decorations, and designs– Ex. 33 ft stained-glass window in Grand Foyer

First Floor Plan

Photo Source: http://robindegroot.ca/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/The-Breakers-main-floor-plan.jpg

Formal Dining Room

Photo Source: http://stjamesusa.blogspot.com/2011/07/breakers.html

Grand Foyer

Photo Source: http://stjamesusa.blogspot.com/2011/07/breakers.html

Second, Third, and Attic Floors

• These levels of the house were used primarily for bedrooms and servant quarters, as well as storage areas.– Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt’s bedrooms were located

on the second floor

Uses of the Property

• The Breakers was used by the Vanderbilt family as a summer home due to the milder summer temperatures in the northeastern United States as compared to the south

• Grand design and multitude of public rooms on the ground floor suggest the home was also used for entertainment and housing of guests– Possibly dinner parties, political functions, or visits

from influential figures in society

What We Can Learn from the Home

• Due to the elegant and over the top design of the house, we can obviously assume (and already know from prior knowledge) that the Vanderbilt family is extremely wealthy. Additionally, we can assume that this house was meant to be a status symbol and a symbol of the immense wealth that the family has accumulated. Additionally, although there is an entire floor of public rooms, it is evident through the design of the house that the public and private spheres of the house were meant to remain separate and privacy was important to the Vanderbilt family. The majority of the entertainment was done on the main floor, therefore restricting non-overnight guests to that floor. The only guests who would have ventured to other parts of the house would have been those who were spending the night there. The outward appearance was very important to the Vanderbilt family and their secondary, summer residence clearly indicates that.

Carriage Used By Vanderbilt Family

Photo Source: http://www.newportmansions.org/explore/the-breakers

Explanation of Carriage

• Located a short distance from the home on the property of the Breakers was a carriage house, where carriages such as the one shown on the previous slide were kept for the use of the family. The family could send for a carriage at any time and it would be brought to the house to take the family wherever it was they would like to go. These carriages were drawn by horses, which were kept in a stable located within the carriage house.

Source: http://www.newportmansions.org/explore/the-breakers

Works Cited

• United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service– National Historic Landmark Nomination form

(gave complete details of the home and the rooms within, PDF file)