Historical Spotlight: Brooklyn Bridge

Back in mid-June my husband and I went to New York City for the weekend. You might remember my previous posts spotlighting Coney Island and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Today I am going to share the last of the major stops on our trip and a little history to go along with it – the Brooklyn Bridge.

For most people, the Brooklyn Bridge is just one method to get from Brooklyn to Manhattan and back again, it had always been the only way that I thought of the bridge too. I didn’t even realize that you could walk across it until recently, but once I did I thought it would be kind of cool to do, just to say that we did it. So, we decided to walk the bridge from the Brooklyn side to Manhattan and it was quite an enjoyable experience – and there were a bunch of other people doing it too. It is busy for sure just like anything in New York, but it was quirky too – we actually saw a couple having their wedding portraits taken on the bridge and traffic just surged around them. It also gives a great view of the Statue of Liberty in the distance, the new World Trade Center building, and the Williamsburg Bridge. We also participated in a tradition that I didn’t know existed anywhere other than France, placing a lock on the bridge and dropping the key into the river. Well, I was in a conundrum trying to figure out how I was going to get my key to the water. It was far too great a distance to throw it across several lanes of traffic and it looked like I wouldn’t get near the water easily once we crossed the bridge – but guess what? Over a certain part of the bridge if you look down between the wooden slats, it goes all the way down to the water. So I crouched down and dropped it between the slats and watched it helicopter its way down to a tiny splash! The great thing about taking the time to cross the Brooklyn Bridge is that it is completely free! You could rent a bike and ride across or sign up for a walking tour, but it’s 100% free to do on your own.

Views of the Brooklyn Bridge
Photo Credit: Me!

Anyway, that’s enough of my story, here are some random but interesting facts I learned about the bridge:

• The original designer died before the bridge could be built, but it was such a freak accident. Apparently he was taking some final measurements and hit feet were struck by a boat. From there he caught tetanus and died!
• The son of the original designer I was just mentioning – ended up having such terrible side effects from traveling up and down the shafts for the foundation of the bridge that he ended up being partially paralyzed from it and his wife had to take over the day to day oversight!
• The walking bridge that we crossed – well it was originally designed for just that, pedestrians. And on the first day it was opened over 200,000 people walked across it!

*Fun Facts compiled from History.com*

Want to Learn More?

I again have to point you toward The Bowery Boys podcast for a lot more in-depth info that I’m presenting here. There are also a couple of books that look really fascinating: The Great Bridge by David McCullough is a non-fiction treatment; there is a YA historical novel by Karen Hesse that takes place around the bridge titled Brooklyn Bridge, and a hilarious children’s book titled You Wouldn’t Want to Work on the Brooklyn Bridge! by Tom Ratliff. I know the McCullough is on my TBR.

Have you walked the Brooklyn Bridge? What was your experience like?

 



Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

Historical Spotlight: Coney Island

Let’s take another trip with me today, shall we?

During my trip to NYC a few weeks ago, we spent part of one of the days at Coney Island exploring the amusement parks, the boardwalk, and the aquarium. While the experience itself wasn’t focused on exploring any particular historical aspect, I thought it might be fun to look at the history behind a couple of the things we did see while there.


Luna Park

The Cyclone
Photo Credit: Me

Luna Park is an amusement park, one of a few that remains on Coney Island. This is a non-traditional amusement park meaning that you do not pay an admission to enter the park, but can walk throughout and only pay for the rides you choose to ride or the games you play. Back during the early boom and industrialization of New York City, the city-folk would look to the shore or the hills as a means of escaping the heat/congestion/pollution of the city. Coney Island was exceptionally well placed for this and developers brought hotels and various attractions to this area to take advantage of that opportunity. Luna Park opened on Coney Island in 1903 and one of the drawing attractions were the myriad of electric lights that lit up the park. It closed its doors in its original iteration in 1946 and then reopened a new Luna Park in 2010 as they revive the amusement park culture.

Their signature ride, the Coney Island Cyclone rollercoaster was built in 1927 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The Cyclone is a traditional wooden rollercoaster and one of the iconic elements of Coney Island. It was nearly demolished in the 1970s when the land was going to be redeveloped but thanks to citizen support it was saved. We ended up not riding the coaster (I chickened out, I’m not a huge rollercoaster fan and I prefer the kind where you have over the shoulder restraints). For reference, as of 2016 it’s $10 per ride.

*Info compiled from Wikipedia and Luna Park websites.

Deno’s Wonder Wheel

The Wonder Wheel in all it's glory!
Photo Credit: Me

The Wonder Wheel totally took my breath away when I saw it. It is like no Ferris Wheel I have seen before because in addition to the stationary carts that are set around the outer edge of the wheel, there are additional carts that slide on a track from the outside of the wheel to an inner track on the wheel and then out again, depending on the location around the circle. Very cool, but I’m not going to lie, a little scary when the cart starts sliding! And you know, it goes 150 feet into the air too – no big deal, just sliding around up in the air!

The Wonder Wheel was built on Coney Island between 1918 and 1920 and was opened to the public in that later year. The wheel was originally called Dip-the-Dip and was a new kind of thrill ride at the time. It was named a New York City landmark in 1989 and became the central attraction of the Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park that was put together under a new Wheel owner in 1983. The park is primarily a children’s amusement park now with a few adult rides, but the Wonder Wheel is its focal point. It is currently $7 per ride, but absolutely worth every penny (and you must trying the sliding cars!). You get an amazing view of all the amusements and the pier and boardwalk.

Bonus note: don’t worry about getting stuck up high on this ride – they can rotate it around by hand crank if it should stop – the only time that was ever used was during the 1977 blackout in NYC.

*Info compiled from Wikipedia and Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park websites.

Nathan’s Famous 

Our Nathan's Experience
Photo Credit: Me

It just so happens to be the 100^th anniversary of the Nathan’s restaurant chain and their original site just happens to be at Coney Island! Pretty cool coincidence that we were headed there this year. Now, I am the first to admit that I am not a hot dog fan. I can count on one hand the number of times I have had a hot dog in the last 10 years, and it always tends to be somewhere that is iconic and I have to do it for the experience (the last time was when I went to Fenway Park for the first time and gave my husband a heart attack when I asked him to get me one from the roving venders!). The company was founded by Nathan Handwerker and the original hot dog was created based on a recipe from his wife. The stand now sells a whole selection of hot dogs, hamburgers, sides, and many other quick, to go sandwich options. The first recorded hot dog eating contest was in the 1970s, held on July 4^th, which has become a tradition each year.

Did you know silent film star Clara Bow was discovered while working at the Coney Island Nathan’s?

Our first stop in Coney Island was Nathan’s – I got a corn dog and my husband got a chili dog and we split some fries. Now, I don’t get hot dogs very often as I said, but this corn dog was awesome! Great tasting hot dog with a crunchy and sweet corn meal breading.

*Info compiled from Nathan’s Famous website.

 

View of Coney Island amusements and beaches from the pier
Photo Credit: Me

Those are the only historical elements of Coney Island that we experienced particularly during our trip – but there are the beaches, the side shows, and many other things that you could experience. It is a wonderful place to visit. We enjoyed the boardwalk and just standing out on the pier looking out into the water and taking in the sunshine. It was such a beautiful day to visit the area.

 
Want to Learn More?

There is a really cool podcast available on iTunes called The Bowery Boys that features New York history and they did 2 episodes on Coney Island – one on the Golden Age and one on the 20^th century iteration. Check them out!

There are some cool books too that look at Coney Island history. I picked up Lost Brooklyn by Marcia Reiss, which doesn’t just focus on Coney Island, but the whole region of Brooklyn, but parts of Coney Island are prominently featured. Lots of beautiful pictures of buildings and rides that are not there anymore. Coney Island: Lost and Found by Charles Denson and Coney Island: The People’s Playground by Michael Immerso also look at the development of Coney Island.

 
Tell me, have you been to Coney Island before, and if so, what were some of the things you enjoyed?


Other historical stops on my New York trip: The Lower East Side Tenement Museum and the Brooklyn Bridge (post to come).
 

 


Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

Virtual Tour: Lower East Side Tenement Museum

Museum entrance
Photo Credit: Me

There are a lot of museums in New York, like more than I would ever be able to count, but I’m pretty sure that you can find a museum here for whatever you are into. One of the places that has been on my list for a couple years now is the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. This is one of those boutique style museums – small in size, but big in heart and focused on a very narrow topic. At this museum they represent the immigrant life experiences living in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and particularly the goings on at 97 Orchard St where their building is located. They interpret and present the lives of real families and businesses that resided in that building over the course of several decades and bring the different experiences to life. As a museum they have been recognized by or are affiliated with The National Trust for Historic Preservation, The American Alliance of Museums, and The National Park Service. My husband and I had the time in our schedule to visit this museum last month and I wanted to share a little bit about our visit as well as a virtual tour of sorts of the museum.

Unlike many museums where you can just wander through on a self-guided tour, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum is entirely fully guided. You must sign up for one of their many tours to go beyond the museum shop. I HIGHLY recommend that you book your tickets in advance online because they do have a set number of spots for each tour and appear to sell out many of their tours. You can buy tickets at the museum if you go on a whim, just know some tours might be already sold out. Speaking of the tours, the hardest part is choosing which one (or ones) you want to go on. They have several tours that feature the inside of 97 Orchard Street (divided up by floors) and a few walking tours of the neighborhood as well. Each tour offers a different type of immigrant experience and I wish I had more time to see more than one. Here are some of the tour offerings they currently have:

• Shop Life – tours the lower level of the building which features a German run saloon and highlights other immigrant run businesses at the turn of the century

• Hard Times – tours the 2^nd floor of the building and focuses on surviving the depressions. The families featured on this tour are the Gumpertz family (a German-Jewish family) and the Baldizzi family (Italian-Catholic).

• Sweatshop Workers – tours the 3^rd floor and focuses on the garment industry and the Levine and Rogarshevsky families. This is the tour we took, so more on that in a minute.

• Irish Outsiders – tours the 4^th floor of the building and highlights the Irish immigrant experience in the city and the Moore family.

Most of the tours are $25 for adults with special tour pricing for some special tours and events. I would really love to do one of their Foods of the Lower East Side walking tours the next time I go and taste some of these wonderful foods while also getting my history in. They also have special costumed events and even evening special events, so if you live in the city, definitely check them out!

The Original Staircase
Photo Credit: LESTM Instagram

As I mentioned above, we went on the Sweatshop Workers tour. We were among the first tours of the day so we had the benefit of it being a little less crowded and cooler. I recommend starting your day off at the small theater in the museum before your tour starts to get in the right state of mind before embarking. If gives a little overview of the museum and life in New York at the time being featured. As you might just be going on one tour which highlights a specific experience, this will give you a well-rounded intro. Most likely you will make your entrance into the building from the modern outdoor staircase – but we were given the opportunity to climb one flight of the original old staircase, which was pretty cool. We were also able to walk through what they call their “ruin room” – which is one room that they left in the state it was found when they walked in it for the first time in 1988. And let me tell you, it gave me the heebie jeebies!

The "Ruin Room" - Isn't it creepy?
Photo Credit: LESTM Instagram

For our tour, we first visited the Levine family who ran a small garment shop out of their home in the late 1800s. Mind you, I think they said the apartments were 500 square feet, 3 rooms total, and your family is living there and there are probably another 10 people who come in during the day that are working in this apartment too doing piecework. It is stifling hot in the summer and low light. It would have been cramped!  And this was before the "modern" updates to the apartments were required! 

The Levine apartment with costumed interpreters at work on the clothing.
Photo Credit: LESTM Instagram

After learning about this family’s life, we went across the hall to the Rogarshevsky home – this would have been after 1911 when the safety standards changed apartment life and many of the sweatshops had moved uptown. It is a little cleaner and roomier as the family members went to work elsewhere. Our tour guide was excellent – he had great knowledge and was able to answer all the questions we asked. This tour was just over an hour and I love that so much of the information and many of the artifacts have come from actual descendants of the families that lived in these homes.

The Rogarshevsky home - a little more spacious!
Photo Credit: LESTM Instagram

We finished our tour with some time at the museum shop. It was a little crowded here as the check-out line and the ticket line are virtually one and the same and the tours originate at the shop. But, there are some great books and items for sale here all about the immigrant experience. Can’t make it to the museum? Shop the store online!

A couple things to keep in mind if you are interested in attending this museum:

1. There are a lot of stairs – you are going to walk up or down stairs no matter which tour you choose. The only one that is wheelchair/handicapped accessible is the Shop Life tour as there is an elevator outside down to the lower level. Here is further info about their museum accessibility.
2. No air conditioning – they have fans in some of the rooms, windows are open, and they do pass out paper fans, but it was still very warm and the air felt close when we went in June.
3. Each tour is an additional charge, so it can add if quickly if you want to see everything or if you are bringing a family, however there is a discount for additional tours on the same day.
4. Most tours are recommended for ages 8+ and no children under 6 are admitted except on one family friendly costumed tour, Meet Victoria Confino.
5. No photography allowed inside the building – all the interior images seen in this post come from the Instagram account for the museum – follow them for some great shots!
6. Don’t bring large backpacks, bags, etc. if you can help it, they will require you to place them in lockers – they are free, but you will need a quarter to release the key to reserve the locker.

Overall, we had a great time at the museum and I would go back in a heartbeat for some of their other tours or special events. My husband, who is not the history nerd I am, was not looking forward to this part of our trip, but he said, it wasn’t as bad as he expected, which is a GLOWING review from him!  I was also very excited to learn that this museum is still a growing one - they have been working on plans to include immigrant experiences in their local area that occurred after the building ceased to be a tenement house which will include: lives of Jewish Holocaust survivors, migrants from Puerto Rico, and Chinese migrants encapsulated at 103 Orchard Street just doors away.  It shows how this is a living museum that grows and changes with the times to encapsulate all its local history.  You can read more in this press release.


Follow the Tenement Museum on Social Media: Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 
Other historical stops on my New York Trip: Coney Island and the Brooklyn Bridge (post to come).


 


Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

Virtual Tour: The Natchez Trace Trail

The Natchez Trace has been mentioned directly or in passing in a couple of different books I have read recently, and I really didn’t have much of an idea of what this really was. Apparently, it is a trail!

The Natchez Trace is a 440 mile trail that stretches from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. It began as an early Native American and natural animal trail and in the 18^th and 19^th centuries became more trafficked by European traders. As with any highly traveled roads during this time period – they were also highly trafficked by robbers and highwaymen. Many travelers, including Meriwether Lewis, met their fates on this trail. With the mainstream usage of the steamboat, transportation of goods traveled up and down the waterways as opposed to over the land-routes and the usage of the Trace decreased and eventually dried up. Today, the main travelers of the Trace are tourists and historians.

As the trail covers 440 miles there are many areas where you could pick up and enjoy various areas of the Trace. But there are a few good places to start!

The Natchez Trace Trail and Parkway are kept up by the National Park Service. The Parkway is a scenic 2 lane roadway that runs along the Trace. It has limited access from 50 entry points. Along the trail, there are various historic sites where you can stop and visit. Among the sites are: the Meriwether Lewis Museum, Mount Locust stand, Mississippi Craft Center, Rocky Springs Ghost Town, scenic Cypress Swamp, Chickasaw Village, and Meriwether Lewis National Monument.

Places of Interest:

• Emerald Mound – Located at milepost 10.3 – this is the second largest ceremonial mound in the US. This is a ceremonial site and there is a walking path to the top of the mound for a beautiful scenic view.
• Mount Locust – Located at milepost 15.5 – The last remaining “stand” or local inn on the Trace. Park rangers man the stand and can provide historical interpretation.
• The Sunken Trace – Located at milepost 41.5 – One of the most traveled portions of the trace caused the trace to sink.

Photo Credit: National Park Service

• Rocky Springs Ghost Town - Located in Claiborne County, Mississippi between the Old Port Gibson Road and the Natchez Trace Parkway at mile post 54.8. Once a prosperous town, Rocky Springs faced problem after problem and by 1940 there were no residents left in the town. All that remains is the church, post office safe, and a cistern. There is a campground space here – no hookups.
• The Ross Barnett Reservoir – Located at mile post 105.6 and 107.9. Just a reservoir with beautiful scenery.
• Cypress Swamp – Located at milepost 122.0. This is a self-guided walking trail through the cypress swamp.

Photo Credit: Marc Muench

• The Little Mountain Overlook at Jeff Busby – Located near milepost 193. This is one of the highest points along the Trace. There is a picnic area and campground here.
• Bynum Mounds – Located at milepost 232.4. A grouping of 6 burial mound sites – two of which have been restored and interpretive exhibits are here telling the story of early inhabitants.
• Chickasaw Village Site – Located at milepost 268.1. Representative of the native villages that were once here.
• Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center – Located a milepost 266 – approximately halfway on the trail. There is an orientation film, interpretive exhibits, and store.
• Confederate Gravesites – Located at milepost 269.4 – 13 mysterious Confederate gravesites – origins being a mystery.
• Pharr Mounds Site – located at milepost 268.7 – the site of 8 burial mounds with interpretive signs.
• Colbert’s Ferry – located at milepost 327.3 – now there is a bridge that spans the Tennessee River, but previously George Colbert operated his ferry here. Great site for picnicking and boating.
• Rock Spring Nature Trail – located at milepost 330.2 – a short hiking trail around Colbert Creek.
• Meriwether Lewis National Monument – located at milepost 385.9 - this is the location of where Lewis died and a monument/gravesite. Here you can read through an interpretive history of Lewis. There is also a campsite and picnic area here.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

• Fall Hollow Trail – located at milepost 391.9 – a short hike to a beautiful waterfall.
• The Tobacco Farm and Old Trace Drive – located at milepost 401.4 – here you can access the Old Trace itself only if traveling from south to north. The tobacco farm provides information about one of the local agricultural pursuits.
• Jackson Falls – located at milepost 404.7 – a short hike to the falls – a popular tourist site.
• Birdsong Hollow – located at milepost 438 – views here of the double arched bridge located here.

If you plan on visiting any of these sites, you might find some maps useful. It would also be helpful to know where you can access amenities, such as food, gas, and lodging. As these are not typically provided along the Trace itself, they are typically close by. You can download the Visitors Guide here for additional information about traveling the Trace. The guide provides maps, locations of amenities, and historical marker information.

Here is a quick little video introduction to the Trace:

Have you visited any of the sites along the Trace?  I would love to hear about your journey.

 

Copyright © 2014 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

Fort Adams Virtual Tour

During our vacation to Newport, Rhode Island, while driving around the scenic drive, we stumbled across Fort Adams – a National Historic Site and Rhode Island State Park. We could have taken an hour tour inside, outside, and within the fort, however it was SO cold and windy that we just took some photos from the outside and moved on. But I explored the Fort online and wanted to share it with you, because it is pretty cool. Located right along Narragansett Bay it is quite a beautiful site.

First, I just want to give you a brief history of the fort – but you can explore an in-depth history more on their site.. Around the 1700’s the first fortification was built on Goat Island to deal with the War of Spanish Succession. It wasn’t used extensively. Following the War of 1812, the fort was overhauled and built into what was then the most complex fortifications in the Western Hemisphere. From the 1840’s to 1950’s it functioned as an active fort. While it was active during five wars, it never fired a shot. For a short period in the 1860’s it served as the United States Naval Academy. During the World Wars it served as a training site for American troops. In 1976 the fort was declared a National Historic Landmark and in 1994 the fort began restoration and tours of the site.

This video montage shows images of Fort Adams through photos from the past as well as the present.

There are many different ways you can explore Fort Adams during a visit. If you want a self-guided scenic excursion you can take a casual walk around the outside of the fort. This allows for you to see the walls and fortifications. It is a 2.25 mile circuit which is open year round.

Guided tours take off multiple times throughout the day (the number of tours depends on the season) and they take you to the parade grounds, on top of the walls, and below to the tunnels. These tours last for approximately one hour. During the summer there are two specialty tours which feature an in depth look at the fortifications (Storm the Fort) as well as the people who lived there (Life of the Fort Tour). You want more of an adventure – how about zip-lining from the fort walls, digging for geo-caches, etc?

This video – which is approximately 1 hour long – takes you on a tour of Fort Adams.

We are planning to visit the site and actually take a tour the next time we make it back to Newport during a warmer season.  Have you ever been to Fort Adams?

 

Copyright © 2014 by The Maiden’s Court