Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the Union, but it punches above its weight when it comes to historical significance. As one of the original 13 colonies, Rhode Island is filled with historic small towns, with the most famous being the seaside town of Newport. Newport is absolutely stunning, and is known around the world for its concentration of Gilded Age mansions. While there are many historic homes in Newport, there is one that rises above the rest. A mansion so opulent, that it has become synonymous with the Gilded Age, The Breakers.
Constructed in 1895 for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, The Breakers is one of America’s grandest homes. Designed by famed American architect Richard Morris Hunt, the home covers 138,300 square feet, and utilizes an Italian Renaissance style. Hunt also designed another great home for a member of the Vanderbilt family, the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. The two great homes are actually linked, as they were both built as part of what may be history’s most expensive sibling rivalry. In an effort to one up each other, Cornelius Vanderbilt II and George Washington Vanderbilt built The Breakers and Biltmore Estate respectively. The Biltmore Estate is larger, covering 175,000 square feet, but if the measuring stick is grandeur, The Breakers comes out on top.
Built as a summer home for the Vanderbilt family, The Breakers was known as a “summer cottage”, as all of Newport’s great homes were. Upon entering, the first things you notice, are the opulence and level of detail. Every inch of the home was constructed by skilled artisans, and the details dazzle the eye. From the handcrafted moldings, to the beautiful murals painted on the ceilings, there’s something to marvel at in every room.
I’ve included more pictures than I ordinarily would, relying on the cliché that “A picture is worth a thousand words”. It’s likely that any description I could conjure up, would do a disservice to The Breakers, by not conveying the full extent of its beauty. I’ll let the visual evidence do most of the talking, but I will say that The Breakers is the most impressive mansion I’ve toured so far. If you ever get the chance to visit, you should jump at the chance.
The pictures are beautiful!
I got to visit The Breakers in 2013 with Kathy and Michelle. I had driven by it before when I had a quick stopover in Providence and had just enough time to make a drive through Newport, around the coastal drive (incredibly beautiful) and back up to Boston. The time spent with Kathy and Michelle, however, gave us time to explore The Breakers and one other mansion (“cottage”) on millionaire’s row. Spectacular beyond belief. Unfortunately, indoor photography was not allowed on my visit so my only pictures are of the exterior.
I was in Ashville NC on more than one occasion and had people suggest I go to The Biltmore, but I didn’t realize its significance at the time. Wish I had known.
The Biltmore is one of my favorite places to visit. I’ll definitely be making a visit once I’m back in the South. Got to see as much as I can in the North before the start of college football season.