Audiobook Review: A Promise of Ruin by Cuyler Overholt

A Promise of Ruin by Cuyler Overholt
Book 2 in the Dr. Genevieve Summerford Mystery series
Unabridged, 12 hr. 20 min.
Recorded Books
Carly Robbins (narrator)
August 8, 2017
★★★★ ½☆

Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery

Source: Received from publisher for review

To stop the trafficking ring plaguing her city, Dr. Genevieve Summerford must dive into New York’s underworld

In early 1900s New York, the formidable crime syndicate known as the Black Hand has been terrorizing the city's Italian community with bombings and kidnappings. When a young Italian girl is found drowned and sexually defiled, Dr. Genevieve Summerford suspects the organization has expanded into forced prostitution, and she won't rest until the trafficking ring is brought to justice.

While A Deadly Affection (book 1) very much had its roots in the medical field that Genevieve was making inroads into, in A Promise of Ruin it plays second string to the kidnapping and trafficking storyline. Genevieve still attends to her clients and uses the knowledge to help some of the other characters cope with things they are dealing with, but it was not the focus here. Genevieve actually struggles with the fact that her psychiatry practice is not taking off and she is spending more time providing actual physical medical assistance, which felt very real. While this was something that I enjoyed in the first book, the characters held my rapt attention here and I didn’t miss it.

And oh the characters! I love the Genevieve and Simon back and forth. Their relationship is full of fun banter and tension between them that keeps the reader on their toes. We also get to know more about the retainers in the Summerford household who worry about Genevieve as one of their own; Katey is quite the spitfire and I loved how she helped resolve the mystery. Even the men and boys who are a part of the world Simon moves in were well fleshed out and entertaining. You gotta love those little boys!

There is much more focus on the police investigation (and Genevieve’s meddling in it), but it felt very well set in the time period and not out of place at all. I’m a huge fan of police procedurals and this worked here, although I hope the books to come to not all feature this. I have done some studying of the Black Hand and the Italian camorra and I enjoyed how these elements were seamlessly woven into the fabric of the story here. Additionally, a lot more of this novel is committed to Genevieve helping those from the lower classes, whereas previously we were more set in the upper class – it was very different.

I really enjoyed spending time with Genevieve and friends again and look forward to seeing where the next book take her – especially in terms of her relationship and her medical profession.

★★★★ ½☆

My opinions on the narration are very much in line with my thoughts on book 1, as they are both narrated by the same person, Carly Robins. Robins was able to relay the author’s pacing well in this audiobook presentation. There is an interplay between slow or fast reading based on the need of the scene. I appreciated the appropriate pause length between sentences – just the right amount of time. Robbins imbues her Genevieve with an earnestness, but also demonstrates fear or hesitation when appropriate. It certainly feels like she spent some time getting to know the characters before recording the passages. There is some voice work here to make characters unique, and this is one of the few times I have found myself feeling comfortable with a narration of characters of the opposite sex from the narrator. Additionally, I feel that she handled the variety of accents well as we have American, Irish, and Italian among the characters. An admirable job that never felt jarring or out of place.

You can check out a sample from the audiobook below (links to Audible):

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Annette’s Book Spot
• Gizmo’s Reviews

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Cuyler Overholt:

A Deadly Affection (Book 1)
[My Review]

Find Cuyler Overholt: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Copyright © 2018 by The Maiden’s Court

Audiobook Review: A Deadly Affection by Cuyler Overholt

A Deadly Affection by Cuyler Overholt
Book 1 in the Dr. Genevieve Summerford Mystery
Unabridged, 16 hr. 18 min.
Recorded Books
Carly Robbins(Narrator)
September 6, 2016
★★★★★

Genre: Historical Mystery

Source: Received audiobook from publisher for review

In 1907 New York, a psychiatrist must prove her patient's innocence...or risk being implicated in a shocking murder

As one of the first women practicing in an advanced new field of psychology, Dr. Genevieve Summerford is used to forging her own path. But when one of her patients is arrested for murder-a murder Genevieve fears she may have unwittingly provoked-she is forced to seek help from an old acquaintance.

Desperate to clear her patient's name and relieve her own guilty conscience, Genevieve finds herself breaking all the rules she's tried so hard to live by. In her search for answers, Genevieve uncovers an astonishing secret that, should she reveal it, could spell disaster for those she cares about most. But if she lets her discovery remain hidden, she will almost certainly condemn her patient to the electric chair.

I’ve always been hit-and-miss with my enjoyment of historical mystery novels. They tend to fall into one of two categories for me: trying to hard to play CSI in an historical setting or perfectly striking a balance between propelling the mystery forward while still staying within the bounds of historical reality. Too often I find the former and that has kept me away from the genre more often than not. I am pleased to say that I’m glad I took the risk on A Deadly Affection because it blew me away! I will absolutely be reading the rest of the books that come out in this series and here is why.

I loved the heroine, Genevieve Summerford. She was a “modern woman” and forward thinker, but it didn’t feel like she was always trying too hard to be WAY ahead of her time, which is an issue I often have with my historical heroines. She is a female doctor in the field of psychiatry (which is modern enough at that time) and she is trying something new, group therapy for women who are otherwise painted with the masculine brush of expectation. Throughout the novel, Genevieve is intermittently unsure of herself and her path and then finds confidence when things go right or she begins to put pieces together. Basically, to me, she felt like an everyday woman caught in the middle of a tough situation and finds ways to grow from it and come out of it for the better. It was someone that I could identify with even if she would have lived 100 years ago.

The field of medicine and psychiatry were still in the stages of exploring things that we take for granted today. Overholt walked the magical line of keeping the reader just off of knowing exactly what was going on with the medical portion of the storyline so that you wanted to know more and didn’t feel like it was old news that you were just playing along with. I never entirely felt like I knew what was coming and I enjoyed the feel of learning about it along with the characters. The drama of this novel played out like part medical drama and part police procedural which the author balanced rather evenly.

There is just a touch of romance here, but it isn’t a focal point of the story. At this point, it’s more of an important element of backstory and to help understand the characters, but I could see it coming into play later on in the series, whether as actual romance thread or as a roadblock/point of contention between characters.

The plot and pacing are spot on here. There was never a time with this novel that I felt bored or prone to skim though. There was enough twists and turns to the story that you were kept on your toes and never quite were able to pinpoint what the resolution to the murder mystery was going to be (that is one of my other pet peeves with the mystery genre in general is when you can solve it way too early in the story).

I will eagerly await book two which will be released later this year, although I might try to hold off to get it on audiobook because it was a great performance as well.

★★★★ ½☆

The narrator was able to relay the author’s pacing well in this audiobook presentation. There is an interplay between slow or fast reading based on the need of the scene. I appreciated the appropriate pause length between sentences – just the right amount of time. Robbins imbues her Genevieve with an earnestness, but also demonstrates fear or hesitation when appropriate. It certainly feels like she spent some time getting to know the characters before recording the passages. There is some voice work here to make characters unique, and this is one of the few times I have found myself feeling comfortable with a narration of characters of the opposite sex rom the narrator. An admirable job that never felt jarring or out of place.

You can check out a sample of the audiobook below:

 

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Second Run Reviews

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Cuyler Overholt:

A Promise of Ruin
(Book 2 of the Dr. Genevieve Summerford Series)
Coming August 2017

Find Cuyler Overholt: Website | Twitter | Facebook

 

Copyright © 2017 by The Maiden’s Court

Wish List 5: Gilded Age Non-Fiction

Once a month I am planning on sharing with you all 5 of my biggest wish list books broken up by theme. I know that you all need more on your TBR!!! This month I’m featuring non-fiction books about the Gilded Age.

Gilded: How Newport Became America's Richest Resort by Deborah Davis

A beautifully written history of high society in Newport, Rhode Island, from the acclaimed author of Party of the Century.

Newport is the legendary and beautiful home of American aristocracy and the sheltered super-rich. Many of the country's most famous blueblood families, the closest thing we have to royalty, have lived and summered in Newport since the nineteenth century. The Astors, the Vanderbilts, Edith Wharton, JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Doris Duke, and Claus and Sunny von Bulow are just a few of the many names who have called the city home. Gilded takes you along as you explore the fascinating heritage of the Newport elite, from its first colonists to the newest of its new millennium millionaires, showing the evolution of a town intent on living in its own world. Through a narrative filled with engrossing characters and lively tales of untold extravagance, Davis brings the resort to life and uncovers the difference between rich and Newport rich along the way.

An engrossing multigenerational saga that tells the real story of the rich and famous in Newport.  34 evocative black-and-white photographs.
Written with insight and dramatic flair, Gilded gives you a rare peek into the cloistered coastal playground of America's moneyed elite.

Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt: The Story of a Mother and Daughter in the “Gilded Age” by Amanda Mackenzie Stuart

When Consuelo Vanderbilt's grandfather died, he was the richest man in America. Her father soon started to spend the family fortune, enthusiastically supported by Consuelo's mother, Alva, who was determined to take the family to the top of New York society—forcing a heartbroken Consuelo into a marriage she did not want with the underfunded Duke of Marlborough. But the story of Consuelo and Alva is more than a tale of enterprising social ambition, Gilded Age glamour, and the emptiness of wealth. It is a fascinating account of two extraordinary women who struggled to break free from the world into which they were born—a world of materialistic concerns and shallow elitism in which females were voiceless and powerless—and of their lifelong dedication to noble and dangerous causes and the battle for women's rights.

Rogues and Heroes of Newport's Gilded Age by Ed Morris

Newport, Rhode Island, was the summer playground of the Gilded Age for the Astors, Belmonts and Vanderbilts. They built lavish villas designed by the best Beaux Arts-style architects of the time, including Richard Morris Hunt, Charles McKim and Robert Swain Peabody. America's elite delighted in referring to these grand retreats as "summer cottages," where they would play tennis and polo and sail their yachts along the shores of the Ocean State. The coachman had an important role as the discreet outdoor butler for Gilded Age gentlemen--not only was he in charge of the horses, but he also acted as a travel advisor and connoisseur of entertainment venues. From the driver's seat, author and guide Edward Morris provides a diverse collection of biographical sketches that reveal the outrageous and opulent lives of some of America's leading entrepreneurs.

Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor by Rosina Harrison

In 1928, Rosina Harrison arrived at the illustrious household of the Astor family to take up her new position as personal maid to the infamously temperamental Lady Nancy Astor, who sat in Parliament, entertained royalty, and traveled the world. "She's not a lady as you would understand a lady" was the butler's ominous warning. But what no one expected was that the iron-willed Lady Astor was about to meet her match in the no-nonsense, whip-smart girl from the country.

For 35 years, from the parties thrown for royalty and trips across the globe, to the air raids during WWII, Rose was by Lady Astor's side and behind the scenes, keeping everything running smoothly. In charge of everything from the clothes and furs to the baggage to the priceless diamond "sparklers," Rose was closer to Lady Astor than anyone else. In her decades of service she received one 5 raise, but she traveled the world in style and retired with a lifetime's worth of stories. Like Gosford Park and Downton Abbey, Rose is a captivating insight into the great wealth 'upstairs' and the endless work 'downstairs', but it is also the story of an unlikely decades-long friendship that grew between Her Ladyship and her spirited Yorkshire maid.

When the Astors Owned New York: Blue Bloods & Grand Hotels in a Gilded Age by Justin Kaplan

This newest book by Pulitzer Prize winner Justin Kaplan is a sparkling combination of biography, social history, architectural appreciation, and pure pleasure.

Endowed with the largest private fortunes of their day, two heirs of arch-capitalist John Jacob Astor battled with each other for social primacy. William Waldorf Astor (born 1848) and his cousin John Jacob Astor IV (born 1864) led incomparably privileged lives in the blaze of public attention. Novelist, sportsman, and inventor, John Jacob went down with the Titanic, after turbulent marital adventures and service in the Spanish-American War. Collector of art, antiquities, and stately homes, William Waldorf became a British subject and acquired the title of Viscount Astor.

In New York during the 1890s and after, the two feuding Astors built monumental grand hotels, chief among them the original Waldorf-Astoria on lower Fifth Avenue. The Astor hotels transformed social behavior. Home of the chafing dish and the velvet rope, the Waldorf-Astoria drew the rich, famous, and fashionable. It was the setting for the most notorious society event of the era—a costume extravaganza put on by its hosts during a time of widespread need and unemployment. The celebrity-packed lobbies, public rooms, lavish suites, and exclusive restaurants of the grand hotels became distinctive theaters of modern life.

 

Have you read any of these? Any other books you would add to this list?

Here are some of the wishlists from a few of my friends this month:

• Magdalena @ A Bookaholic Swede - Book with Ominous Forest Covers
• Holly @ 2 Kids and Tired - Books about Sisters
• Colleen @ A Literary Vacation - Women of the Civil War
• Erin @ Flashlight Commentary - Crusade Fiction
• Stephanie @ Layered Pages - Mysteries & Thrillers

Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

New Book Alert & Cover Reveal: The Gilded Cage by Judy Alter

I often bring new and upcoming books to your attention, but I rarely get to be part of bringing a cover unveiling to you all and that is what I get to do today!  I get to help unveil the cover of The Gilded Cage by Judy Alter.  But let's build up the suspense a little bit by learning about this upcoming book first.  I'm excited about the fact that this is a Gilded Age book not set in New York or Newport like the majority are, but instead Chicago!

Book Blurb:

Born to a society and a life of privilege, Bertha Honoré married Potter Palmer, a wealthy entrepreneur who called her Cissy. Neither dreamed the direction the other’s life would take. He built the Palmer House Hotel, still famed today, and become one of the major robber barons of the city, giving generously to causes of which he approved. She put philanthropy into deeds, going into shanty neighborhoods, inviting factory girls to her home, working at Jane Addams’ settlement Hull House, supporting women’s causes. 

It was a time of tremendous change and conflict in Chicago as the city struggled to put its swamp-water beginnings behind it and become a leading urban center. A time of the Great Fire of 1871, the Haymarket Riots, and the triumph of the Columbian Exposition. Potter and Cissy handled these events in diverse ways. Fascinating characters people these pages along with Potter and Cissy—Carter Harrison, frequent mayor of the city; Harry Collins, determined to be a loser; Henry Honoré, torn between loyalties to the South and North; Daniel Burnham, architect of the new Chicago—and many others. 

The Gilded Cage is a fictional exploration of the lives of these people and of the Gilded Age in Chicago history.

Advanced Praise for The Gilded Cage:

“The Gilded Cage is a wonderful recreation of early Chicago and the people who made it what it is. Central character Cissy Palmer is a three-dimensional, real, vibrant person. The Gilded Cage is fiction, but firmly based on fact—the Chicago Fire, the prisoners from the War Between the States interred in Chicago, the newcomer Potter Palmer, the explosive growth of wealth in a prairie town, deep poverty adjacent to great riches—the American experience laid bare. You don’t have to be a Chicagoan to love this book.” -Barbara D’Amato, author of Other Eyes

AND NOW WHAT YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!! THE COVER OF THE GILDED CAGE!

The Gilded Cage by Judy Alter

Publication Date: April 2016
eBook & Paperback

Genre: Historical Fiction

About Judy Alter:

Judy Alter is the award winning author of fiction for adults and young adults. Other historical fiction includes Libbie, the story of Elizabeth Bacon (Mrs. George Armstrong) Custer; Jessie, the story of Jessie Benton Frémont and her explorer / miner / entrepreneur / soldier / politician husband; Cherokee Rose, a novel loosely based on the life of the first cowgirl roper to ride in Wild West shows; and Sundance, Butch and Me, the adventures of Etta Place and the Hole in the Wall Gang.

Find Judy Alter: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads

Follow the Tour!

On the HFVBT Website

On Twitter: #TheGildedCageCoverReveal

Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

Virtual Tour of Marble House–Newport, Rhode Island

Marble House front façade
Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Our next Newport mansion virtual tour will take us to Marble House, the home (briefly) of William and Alva Vanderbilt. Now, if Vanderbilt sounds familiar, William’s brother, Cornelius, was the owner of The Breakers, which we took a look at earlier. Marble House is among my favorites – the interior is just absolutely breath-taking – it’s all in…you guessed it – marble!

Left: William Vanderbilt                         Right: Alva Vanderbilt
Photo Credits: Wikipedia

Marble House is located at 596 Bellevue Avenue, just down the street from Rosecliff. Here’s a little social history first. Like the other mansions in Newport, this was used only as a summer cottage by the couple for 3 years from its completion in 1892 and 1895. The Vanderbilt’s divorced in 1895 and it pretty much sat relatively empty (as Alva had ownership of the home and she moved in with her new husband), except to be used as a glorified closet for the Belcourt Castle. Around 1908, when Alva’s new husband, Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont, passed away. Alva then began to use the home to host rallies for women’s suffrage. If you tour the home today you can see many of the “Votes for Women” memorabilia and even buy replicas of the china pattern.

Votes for Women China Pattern – You can buy your own!
Photo Credit: Newport Style

Like many of the other great “cottages”, Marble House was inspired by one of the great European architectural beauties – the Petit Trianon at Versailles. The house was designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, who became the architect for The Breakers subsequently. In contemporary dollars, the house cost approximately $11 million – in today’s money that would be approximately $260 million!!! And as you might expect, over three quarters of the budget went to the purchase of marble.

Marble House is comprised of 50 rooms, making it certainly a very large mansion. These rooms are spread out over four stories; however the building gives the appearance of only two. The kitchen and service areas are in the basement and the servant’s quarters are on the top level. On the first floor is the reception rooms (entrance, grand staircase, grand salon-ballroom-reception room, the Gothic Room, library, and dining room. The second floor was for the bedrooms and guest rooms. As you may imagine, many of these rooms reflect a French flavor – my favorite is probably the bedroom of Alva Vanderbilt – it is a gorgeous lilac color!

Alva Vanderbilt’s Bedroom
Photo Credit: Newport Preservation Society

You can’t visit Marble House without noticing the one object that clashes with all of that Gilded Age splendor – the Chinese Tea House located toward the back of the property along the cliff. The Tea House is designed to reflect a 12^th century traditional Chinese tea house and was when Alva hosted many of her suffrage rallies.

The Chinese Tea House at Marble House
Photo Credit: Wikipedia

In 1919, when Alva moved to the European continent, the house was closed and stood vacant until 1932 when it was sold to the Frederick H. Prince family. They maintained ownership of the house until 1963 when it was given over to the Newport Preservation Society and subsequently opened for tours. Interestingly, the Society was able to purchase the house thanks to funding from Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, the youngest child of William and Alva Vanderbilt.

If you visit Marble House today you can purchase a one house ticket or as part of the 5 property Gilded Age package. You can tour the grounds by yourself and the house via a self-guided audio tour. If you would like refreshment, you can grab lunch at the Tea House on the property. Marble House is one of the three properties that is open through the winter season and is beautifully dressed up.

Again, for some reason, I cannot find the photos I have taken of Marble House, but how about a look at this video? It was filmed during the holiday season but you can get a good idea of how the mansion would have looked in general (since Christmas would never have been held there as they didn’t live in Newport in the winter).

You can find out more about Marble House by visiting the Newport Preservation Society.

Have you ever visited Marble House? What do you think of it?  How about the lilac room?

 

Copyright © 2014 by The Maiden’s Court

Virtual Tour of Rosecliff–Newport, RI

Rosecliff from the front lawn
Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Rosecliff is the third of the Newport Gilded Age mansions for us to explore here. It is probably my least favorite – I can’t quite put my finger on why, but it might be because it just doesn’t feel quite as grand when compared to the others. However, it is still absolutely beautiful. Rosecliff is located at 548 Bellevue Ave and was built between 1899 and 1902. The home cost $2.5 million at that time (approximately $68 million today). Theresa Fair Oelrichs and her husband Hermann Oelrichs were the first family to live there with their one son – that is a huge house for 3 family members! Mrs. Oelrichs came into her money through her father, who made his fortune in the Comstock Lode silver find. Mr. Oelrichs was a business man and shipping magnate.

Left: Hermann Oelrichs, Right: Theresa Fair Oelrichs

Rosecliff’s design is inspired by the Grand Trianon, but on a smaller scale, by architect Samuel White. Its footprint is in the shape of an H with three floors. There are three main bedrooms and several guest rooms on the second floor, with over 20 servant bedrooms on the third floor. Other rooms of note are the billiard and dining rooms; however, the most impressive of its rooms is the ballroom.

The ballroom in Rosecliff is the largest of the ballrooms in Newport and accordingly it was put to good use in entertaining. Mrs. Oelrichs was one of the top hostesses in Newport, actually among the top three. One of the most notable parties hosted at Rosecliff was the “Bal Blanc” party in celebration of the Astor Cup Races in 1904 which decorated everything in silver and white. I can just imagine how beautiful that would have been!

Rosecliff has been featured as a setting in several movies including:

• The Great Gatsby (1974) – Many scenes of Jay Gatsby’s house

• True Lies – The Ballroom and Grand Staircase

• And Amistad and 27 Dresses.

The Newport Preservation Society was given Rosecliff in 1971 by the Monroe family (who eventually acquired the home after it changed hands many times after being sold by the Oelrichs’. It was then opened to the public. The house is currently open for tours seasonally (not in the winter) and tickets can be purchased for a combination tour with the other mansions in the Gilded Age package. Rosecliff also hosts these special events: The Newport Flower Show, Newport Wine and Food Festival, Mother’s Day Brunch, the Easter Egg Hunt & Brunch, various Fashion Shows, and can be rented for spectacular weddings! Who doesn’t want to celebrate in a beautiful setting – the wedding might be a little steep, but the other events are fairly reasonable to attend. I’m actually thinking of doing Mother’s Day brunch with my mom and mother-in-law-to-be next year.

This video below gives you a nice tour of the grounds of Rosecliff:

You can find out more about Rosecliff through the Newport Preservation Society.

I have been to Newport several times, however of course I can’t find my photos of Rosecliff (every other house, yes, but not Rosecliff).

Have you ever visited Rosecliff or been to any of the special functions in Newport?

 

Copyright © 2014 by The Maiden’s Court

Virtual Tour of The Elms–Newport, Rhode Island

The Elms from the back lawn
Photo Credit: Me

The second Gilded Age “cottage” on our Newport tour is The Elms, home to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Julius Berwind. The Elms is probably my favorite of these great mansions, both for the look of the building as well as the grounds. The Elms is located at 367 Bellevue Ave. and was built between 1899 and 1901. At the time, it cost approximately $1.4 million – in today’s US dollars that would be somewhere around $24 million! The family had a much smaller house on this site previously, but tore it down to build something more acceptable for one of the richest men in Newport at that time. Architect Horace Trumbauer designed the house in the image of the chateau d’Asnieres in France.

Mr. Berwind, Homeowner of The Elms
Photo Credit: Wikipedia

As I mentioned above, The Elms is gorgeous. You approach the house up this driveway that is surrounded by these giant trees – previously the eponymous elm trees. It is however the back of the home where the most beauty is – in my opinion. As you come down the stairs from a wide terrace, there is a large stretch of beautiful manicured lawn that leads down to a sunken garden. Every time I go to The Elms I have to go down to the sunken garden and can just imagine how much fun it would have been to play down there. Besides the obvious flowers and topiaries, there are several fountains, a little grotto, stone gazebo and weeping beech trees.

Some of the garden elements at The Elms
Photo Credit: Me

The inside is stunning too – my favorite room is the conservatory – which looks out over the backyard and also contains fountains and some lounge chairs that look so comfy. Among the other rooms that are located on the first floor are the ballroom, library, and marble foyer. The second floor houses the bedrooms for the family and guests, while the third floor housed the indoor servants. The Elms was one of the first homes to be entirely wired for electricity, with no alternate form of power/lighting. Mr. Berwind was all about technology and having the best upgrades (something his sister, Julia, would not continue in the 25+ years she lived there following her brother’s death in 1936).

There is also a carriage house on the property which was turned into an automobile garage at a later date. The outdoor staff lived above the carriage house.

The carriage house patio where you can lunch
Photo Credit: Me

After the death of Mrs. Julia Berwind, the home was auctioned off and in 1962 it came quite close to being demolished. It ended up being sold to the Newport Preservation Society for $116,000 – the equivalent of just shy of a million dollars in 2014 US dollars. The home has been open for tours since.

Speaking of tours – you can visit the Elms as a one house tour or as part of the Gilded Age tour package. During the high season the home is open daily, during the off season it is open only on weekends. There is an additional tour you can purchase called the Servants Life Tour which will take you down into the bowels of the house as well as up to the third floor dormitories allowing you to see what it would have been like to be a servant. Lunch (sandwiches, salads, and snacks) can be purchased and consumed in the carriage house.

The grotto of the sunken garden
Photo Credit: Me

I have been to this home in both the summer and winter seasons and it is beautiful at all times. If you go, you definitely need to plan some time to spend out in the gardens. My other favorite place is one of those places that weren’t really meant to be seen. There is a cul-de-sac that terminates at the delivery entrance that is covered with a very large trellis that is covered by wisteria and other climbing vines.

My fiancé and me under the wisteria covered cul-de-sac
Photo credit: Me

You can read more about The Elms at the Newport Preservation Society page.

Here is a video that might be worth checking out. It is a short clip from the Servants Life Tour to give you a little behind the scenes peek.

What do you think of The Elms?  Have you been here?

 

Copyright © 2014 by The Maiden’s Court

Virtual Tour of The Breakers - Newport, Rhode Island

There are so many wonderfully beautiful grand mansions in Newport, Rhode Island – some from the Victorian Age and some from the Gilded Age. I have had the great opportunity of visiting them a couple times over the years and thought it would be cool to look at the history of some of these mansions over the next few weeks and tour them a little bit.

The Front of the Breakers as you proceed up the driveway
Photos by Me

The most renowned of the mansions is The Breakers, located at 44 Ochre Point Ave. Cornelius Vanderbilt II, his wife, Alice, and seven children resided in this 70 room “cottage” 2-3 months out of the year.

Left: Cornelius Vanderbilt II            Right: Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt
Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The house was built in 1893 by architect Richard Morris Hunt in the style of an Italian palazzo. The first and second floors were primarily used for the family, while the third floor, attic, and basement were primarily for the servants and additional bedrooms. The Breakers sits right on the Cliff Walk and faces out toward the Atlantic Ocean.

The back lawn and view of the Breakers from the lawn.
Photos by Me

Vanderbilt died 4 years after the completion of the house. Upon his death, ownership of The Breakers passed on to his wife Alice until her death in 1934 and then to their daughter Gladys. In 1972, the Newport Preservation Society purchased the home, allowing the family to continue to live on the third floor.

Also part of the Breakers property, is the Carriage House, located down the street where the horses and carriages were kept. Family members could call down and request a carriage or Alice would send down her schedule book with times to have the carriage requested.

The Breakers is the most visited mansion of the Newport Mansions and is open daily as a single house visit or part of the Gilded Age tour package.  You can read more about The Breakers at the Newport Preservation Society page.

They don’t typically allow photography or videography inside the mansion, so the video I found only is of the outside and the grounds.

However, when we attended for Christmas, we were allowed to take some photos of the decorations.

The Great Hall of The Breakers for Christmas
Photos by Me

Can you imagine living here? Have you visited The Breakers?

 

Copyright © 2014 by The Maiden’s Court