Beaulieu House, Newport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beaulieu House |
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The house as designed by Calvert Vaux
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| General information | |
| Type | Residence |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Location | Newport, Rhode Island, USA |
| Address | 615 Bellevue Avenue |
| Construction started | 1859 |
| Completed | 1860 |
| Client | Federico Barreda |
| Owner | Ruth Buchanan Wheeler |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Calvert Vaux |
Beaulieu, also known as Beaulieu House, is a grand historic mansion. It stands on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island. The house was built in 1859 by Federico Barreda. Over the years, famous families like the Astors and Vanderbilts have owned it.
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Discovering Beaulieu House's Past
Beaulieu is one of Newport's oldest and most impressive mansions. It was first built in 1859 for Federico Barreda. He was a Peruvian merchant who earned his wealth from the guano trade. Guano is a natural fertilizer made from bird droppings.
Designing a Grand Home
The famous New York architect Calvert Vaux designed Beaulieu. Vaux also helped design the bridges in New York's Central Park. In July 1859, Barreda bought about nine acres of land. This land was on Bellevue Avenue hill, overlooking Narragansett Bay.
He paid $24,000 for the land. Then, he hired Vaux to design the house. The building budget was $100,000. Barreda spent even more, adding $26,000 for furniture and decorations. This large "cottage" had sixteen bedrooms. It also featured a library and a billiard room. A wide porch wrapped around the house. There were also plenty of rooms for staff.
Beaulieu was once called "the most showy and detailed villa in Newport." Barreda's wife said she managed up to eighteen servants there. Soon after the house was finished, Barreda became Peru's minister in Washington. He even hired Delmonico's restaurant from New York City to cater one of the first parties at Beaulieu.
The Astor and Vanderbilt Families Take Over
Federico Barreda later faced financial difficulties. His friend, John Jacob Astor III, bought the mansion. Astor gave it the name Beaulieu, which means "Beautiful place" in French.
Beaulieu was next to Beechwood. This was the Newport estate of Astor's brother, William Backhouse Astor Jr.. His wife, Caroline, was known as "The Mrs. Astor." She was a very important person in society in both New York City and Newport.
In 1892, the Vanderbilts built Marble House. This huge mansion was built between Beaulieu and Beechwood. The Vanderbilt family made their money from shipping and railroads.
After John Jacob Astor III's wife passed away in 1887, his son, William Waldorf Astor, inherited Beaulieu. William Waldorf Astor later moved to England in 1901.
After moving abroad, William Waldorf Astor rented Beaulieu. The new renters were Cornelius Vanderbilt III and his wife, Grace Vanderbilt. Cornelius was a great-grandson of the famous "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt. The Vanderbilt family eventually bought Beaulieu from the Astors in 1911. With the Vanderbilts living there, Beaulieu once again became a popular place for social events.
Beaulieu House Today
Cornelius Vanderbilt III passed away in 1942. His wife, Grace, passed away in 1953. The house was empty for several years. In 1961, Wiley T. Buchanan Jr. bought it for $100,000. He was the U.S. Ambassador to Austria and Luxembourg. He immediately added a large porch to the house.
The first big party after the Buchanans moved in was for future King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain.
Today, Beaulieu House is still privately owned. It is not open for public tours. The house belongs to the family of the late Ruth Buchanan Wheeler. She was the widow of Ambassador Wiley T. Buchanan Jr.
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