Vanderbilt family facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vanderbilt
The Vanderbilt mausoleum at the Moravian Cemetery in New Dorp, Staten Island, N.Y.
Current region	United States East Coast
Earlier spellings	Van der Bilt, van Derbilt
Etymology	Van der Bilt ("from de Bilt")
Place of origin	De Bilt, Netherlands
Estate(s)	Vanderbilt houses

The Vanderbilt family is an American family with roots in the Netherlands. They became very famous and wealthy during a time called the Gilded Age. Their amazing success started with Cornelius Vanderbilt. He built huge businesses in shipping and railroads.

His family then grew into many other areas, including helping others through charity. Cornelius Vanderbilt's children and grandchildren built incredible mansions. These included grand homes on Fifth Avenue in New York City. They also built luxurious "summer cottages" in Newport, Rhode Island. One of the most famous is the huge Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. Many other fancy homes were built too.

The Vanderbilts were once the richest family in America. Cornelius Vanderbilt was the wealthiest American when he died in 1877. His son, William, then took over his father's fortune. William was the richest American until he died in 1885. The family stayed very important until the mid-1900s. Around that time, many of their grand homes were sold or became museums.

Today, branches of the family live along the United States East Coast. Famous people from the Vanderbilt family today include journalist Anderson Cooper. Actor Timothy Olyphant, musician John P. Hammond, and screenwriter James Vanderbilt are also descendants.

The Vanderbilt Family Story

Cornelius Vanderbilt in 1846.

The Breakers, built for Cornelius Vanderbilt II in Newport, Rhode Island.

Frederick William Vanderbilt's home, now a historic site in Hyde Park, New York.

The Vanderbilt family began with Jan Aertszoon. He was a Dutch farmer from a village called De Bilt in the Netherlands. In 1650, he moved to a Dutch colony in America called New Netherland. The family name "Van der Bilt" means "from De Bilt." It later changed to "Vanderbilt" when the English took over New Amsterdam (which is now Manhattan).

Cornelius Vanderbilt: The Commodore

Jan Aertszoon's great-great-great-grandson, Cornelius Vanderbilt, made the family famous. He was the fourth of nine children. His family on Staten Island was not rich. Cornelius Vanderbilt left school when he was only 11 years old. He then built a huge business empire in shipping and railroads. This made him one of the wealthiest people in the world in the 1800s.

He started with just one boat. He grew his fleet until he was competing with Robert Fulton. Fulton's company had a monopoly on trade in New York Harbor. Vanderbilt, who was based in New Jersey, ignored the rules. He sailed his boats in and out of the harbor. His flag read, "New Jersey Must Be Free!" He even hired a lawyer, Daniel Webster, to argue his case. Vanderbilt won, which helped create early laws for trade between states.

Cornelius Vanderbilt's energy and eagerness earned him the nickname "Commodore." This was a United States Navy title for a captain in charge of a small group of ships.

Grand Homes and Generosity

The Vanderbilt family lived on Staten Island for many years. In the mid-1800s, the Commodore built a house in what is now Greenwich Village. While he lived in a modest home, his family used their wealth to build amazing mansions.

Before he died in 1877, Vanderbilt gave US$1 million to start Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Expanding the Empire

The Commodore left most of his huge fortune to his oldest son, William Henry Vanderbilt. William Henry lived only eight years longer than his father. But in that time, he made his father's businesses even more profitable. He also expanded the New York Central Railroad. He even doubled the Vanderbilt family's wealth!

William Henry built the first of many grand Vanderbilt mansions on Fifth Avenue. He chose his first son, Cornelius Vanderbilt II, to lead the family next.

Cornelius II built the largest private home in New York City. It had about 154 rooms. He also built The Breakers in Newport, Rhode Island.

Cornelius II's brother, William Kissam Vanderbilt, was also very important. He built a home on Fifth Avenue too. He became a great supporter of architecture. He hired the architects for the famous Grand Central Terminal. He also built Marble House in Newport, Rhode Island.

George Washington Vanderbilt II was the youngest son of William Henry Vanderbilt. He hired architect Richard Morris Hunt and landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted. They built the amazing Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. This huge mansion has 250 rooms. It is still one of the largest houses in the United States.

Famous Descendants

Many of Cornelius Vanderbilt's descendants became famous in different ways:

• Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt (1877–1915) was a passenger on the RMS Lusitania. He died when the ship sank.
• Alfred's oldest son, William Henry Vanderbilt III, became the Governor of Rhode Island.
• Alfred's second son, Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr., became a well-known horse breeder.
• Harold Stirling Vanderbilt (1884–1970) was a famous sportsman. He helped create the "contract" form of the card game bridge. He also won the America's Cup in yacht racing three times.
• Harold's brother, William Kissam Vanderbilt II, started the Vanderbilt Cup for auto racing.
• Gloria Vanderbilt (1924–2019) was a famous artist, designer, actress, and author.
• Gloria's son, Anderson Cooper, is a well-known journalist and TV personality. He has won many awards.
• Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney was a sculptor. She also collected art and founded the Whitney Museum of American Art.

In 1855, Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt gave land to the Moravian Cemetery on Staten Island. Later, his son William Henry Vanderbilt gave even more land. The Vanderbilt Mausoleum was designed in 1885 by Richard Morris Hunt. The famous landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted planned its beautiful grounds.

Vanderbilt Family Tree

Notable Family Members

This list includes some important members of the Vanderbilt family. It also includes Amy Vanderbilt (1908–1974), who is believed to be related to Cornelius Vanderbilt's uncle or brother.

• Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794–1877)
• William Henry Vanderbilt (1821–1885)
• Cornelius Jeremiah Vanderbilt (1830–1882)
• Cornelius Vanderbilt II (1843–1899)
• Margaret Louisa Vanderbilt (1845–1924)
• William Kissam Vanderbilt (1849–1920)
• Emily Thorn Vanderbilt (1850–1946)
• Florence Adele Vanderbilt (1854–1952)
• Frederick William Vanderbilt (1856–1938)
• Eliza "Lila" Osgood Vanderbilt (1860–1936)
• George Washington Vanderbilt II (1862–1914)
• Cornelius Vanderbilt III (1873–1942)
• Alice Louise Vanderbilt Shepard (1874–1950)
• Gertrude Vanderbilt (1875–1942)
• Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt (1877–1915)
• Consuelo Vanderbilt (1877–1964)
• William Kissam Vanderbilt II (1878–1944)
• Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt (1880–1925)
• James Watson Webb II (1884–1960)
• Harold Stirling Vanderbilt (1884–1970)
• Gladys Moore Vanderbilt (1886–1965)
• Flora Payne Whitney (1897–1986)
• John Spencer-Churchill, 10th Duke of Marlborough (1897–1972)
• Cornelius Vanderbilt IV (1898–1974)
• Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill (1898–1956)
• Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney (1899–1992)
• Muriel Vanderbilt (1900–1972)
• Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt (1900–1976)
• Governor William Henry Vanderbilt III (1901–1981)
• Mary Cathleen Vanderbilt (1904–1944)
• Frederick Vanderbilt Field (1905–2000)
• Amy Vanderbilt (1908–1974)
• John Henry Hammond Jr. (1910–1987)
• Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr. (1912–1999)
• George Washington Vanderbilt III (1914–1961)
• James Watson Webb III (1916–2000)
• Whitney Tower (1923–1999)
• Gloria Laura Vanderbilt (1924–2019)
• George Henry Vanderbilt Cecil (1925–2020)
• John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough (1926–2014)
• William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil (1928–2017)
• Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill (born 1929)
• Christopher Denys Stormont Finch-Hatton, 16th Earl of Winchilsea (1936–1999)
• John Wilmerding (born 1938)
• John Paul Hammond (born 1942)
• Kenneth Peter Lyle Mackay, 4th Earl of Inchcape (born 1943)
• Jonathan Edward Pease (born 1952)
• John LeBoutillier (born 1953)
• Charles James Spencer-Churchill, 12th Duke of Marlborough (born 1955)
• Lady Henrietta Mary Spencer-Churchill (born 1958)
• William Douglas Burden III (born 1965)
• Anderson Hays Cooper (born 1967)
• Daniel Finch-Hatton, 17th Earl of Winchilsea (born 1967)
• Timothy David Olyphant (born 1968)
• James Platten Vanderbilt (born 1975)
• George John Godolphin Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford (born 1992)
• Tobias Finch-Hatton, Viscount Maidstone (born 1998)

Images for kids

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  The Vanderbilt mausoleum on Staten Island.

See also

In Spanish: Familia Vanderbilt para niños