Marble House Facts for Kids

For other uses, see Marble House (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

Marble House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
U.S. National Historic Landmark District Contributing Property

The western facade, facing Bellevue Avenue
Location	596 Bellevue Avenue Newport, Rhode Island
Built	1888–92
Architect	Richard Morris Hunt
Architectural style	Beaux Arts
Part of	Bellevue Avenue Historic District (ID72000023)
NRHP reference No.	71000025
Added to NRHP	September 10, 1971
Designated NHL	February 17, 2006
Designated NHLDCP	December 8, 1972

Marble House is a huge, fancy home in Newport, Rhode Island. It was built between 1888 and 1892 for Alva and William Kissam Vanderbilt. They were a very rich and famous family during the Gilded Age, a time when many wealthy people built grand homes.

This mansion was designed by a famous architect named Richard Morris Hunt. He used a style called Beaux Arts, which was popular in France. When it was finished in 1892, Marble House was one of the most luxurious homes in America.

Today, Marble House is a museum. It is open to the public and managed by the Newport Preservation Society. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. Later, in 2006, it was named a National Historic Landmark.

History of Marble House
Designing Marble House
Marble House in Movies and TV
Gallery
See also

History of Marble House

Building a Grand Summer Home

Marble House was built as a "summer cottage" for Alva and William Kissam Vanderbilt. Even though they called it a cottage, it was actually a giant mansion! It helped change Newport from a quiet summer town into a place known for its amazing stone palaces.

The mansion has 50 rooms and needed 36 servants to run it. These servants included butlers, maids, and coachmen. Building Marble House cost about $11 million back then. This was a huge amount of money! About $7 million of that was spent on the 500,000 cubic feet of marble used to build it.

Alva Vanderbilt's Influence

The Chinese Tea House, inspired by old Chinese temples

Alva Vanderbilt received Marble House as a birthday gift before she and William divorced in 1895. After her divorce, she married Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont. She moved to his mansion nearby, called Belcourt.

After Oliver died, Alva reopened Marble House. She added a special building called the Chinese Tea House on the cliff overlooking the ocean. This Tea House looked like a 12th-century Chinese temple. Alva used it to host important meetings for women's suffrage. This was a movement to gain voting rights for women.

New Owners and Public Access

Alva Belmont closed Marble House in 1919 when she moved to France. She sold the house in 1932 to Frederick H. Prince. The Prince family lived in the house during the summers for over 30 years. They made sure to keep most of the original furniture and decorations.

In 1957, a famous party called the Tiffany Ball was held at Marble House. Many well-known guests attended, including John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline. In 1963, the Preservation Society of Newport County bought Marble House. They received money from Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, the youngest son of William and Alva. The Prince family also gave almost all the original furniture to the Preservation Society.

Today, Marble House is a very popular place for tourists in Newport, Rhode Island. You can take guided tours or explore on your own. It also hosts special events, parties, and weddings.

Designing Marble House

Inspired by French Palaces

The back of the house faces the ocean

Marble House is one of the first examples of Beaux-Arts architecture in the United States. Its design was inspired by the Petit Trianon, a smaller palace at the famous Palace of Versailles in France.

The inside of Marble House was designed by a French company called Jules Allard and Sons. They created the beautiful French-style rooms. The gardens around the house were designed by Ernest W. Bowditch.

Layout and Exterior Features

The mansion is shaped like a "U" and looks like it has two main floors. But it actually has four levels! The kitchen and other service areas are in the basement. The main reception rooms are on the ground floor. The bedrooms are on the second floor. And the servants' rooms are hidden on the third floor.

The outside walls are made of white marble from Westchester. The architect, Richard Morris Hunt, designed the marble details to look like French buildings from the 1700s.

The front of the mansion has large columns called Corinthian pilasters. These frame tall arched windows on the first floor. A curved marble ramp for carriages leads to the main entrance. This ramp has a fountain with interesting masks that spout water. The back of the house faces the Atlantic Ocean. It has a large marble terrace with a fancy railing.

Inside the Mansion: Amazing Rooms

The dining room, with pink marble and gold decorations

When you enter Marble House, you go through huge French Baroque-style doors. Each door weighs one and a half tons! They have the initials "WV" for William Vanderbilt.

The Stair Hall is a grand, two-story room. It has walls and a staircase made of yellow marble. The staircase railing is made of wrought iron and gold, inspired by the palace of Versailles. The ceiling has an old painting from Venice showing gods and goddesses.

The Grand Salon was used for dancing and parties. It is decorated in the fancy Louis XIV style. The walls have carved wood and gold panels that show scenes from old stories. The ceiling has an 18th-century French painting of the goddess Minerva.

The Gothic Room was designed to show off Alva Vanderbilt's collection of old Medieval and Renaissance art. It has a stone fireplace copied from a famous house in France. The Library is in the Rococo-style and was used as a morning room and a library. Its doors and bookshelves are made of carved walnut wood.

The Dining Room is very grand, with pink marble and gold decorations. The fireplace is a copy of one at Versailles. The ceiling is painted with scenes of hunting and fishing. Mrs. Vanderbilt's Bedroom, on the second floor, is also in the Louis XIV style. It has a beautiful circular painting of the goddess Athena on the ceiling.