Home Tour – The Vanderbilt Mansion, Hyde Park, NY

Home Tour of the Vanderbilt Mansion, Hyde Park, NY – In 1895, Frederick Vanderbilt, grandson of the Commodore, built his country estate overlooking the river in Hyde Park, New York.  The architectural style of the Vanderbilt mansion is known as Beaux-Arts.

Though members of an elite, wealthy society, Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt lived graciously without spectacle. Hyde Park was a seasonal residence, one of a portfolio of homes the Vanderbilts owned in New York City, Bar Harbor, Newport, and the Adirondacks.

The family stopped living in the mansion in the 1950s. Today it is owned and run as a tourist attraction by the fourth generation of Vanderbilt descendants.

Vanderbilt History

The Vanderbilt family is an American family who gained prominence during the Gilded Age. Their success began with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt. From there, the family expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthropy.

Shipping and railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877) was a self-made multi-millionaire who became one of the wealthiest Americans of the 19th century. As a boy, he worked with his father, who operated a boat that ferried cargo between Staten Island, New York and Manhattan. Cornelius Vanderbilt’s descendants went on to build grand mansions on Fifth Avenue in New York City. He then built luxurious “summer cottages” in Rhode Island and the palatial Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina.

The Vanderbilts were once the wealthiest family in the United States. Cornelius Vanderbilt was the richest American until his death in 1877. After that, his son William acquired his father’s fortune and was the richest American until his death in 1885. The Vanderbilts’ prominence lasted until the mid-20th century. At that time the family’s 10 great Fifth Avenue mansions were torn down, and most other Vanderbilt houses were sold. Some were turned into museums in what has been referred to as the “Fall of the House of Vanderbilt”. The fortune that was once worth about 185 Billion, was almost completely squandered away. Today that fortune is worth no more than 5 Million.

Branches of the family are found on the United States East Coast. Contemporary descendants include journalist Anderson Cooper, actor Timothy Olyphant, musician John P. Hammond, screenwriter James Vanderbilt, and the Duke of Marlborough.

In Conclusion

Very recently, Anderson Cooper (Gloria Vanderbilt’s son) wrote a biography about his family. I have read it and it is definitely worth the read.

Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty
by Anderson Cooper, Katherine Howe, et al
(Would make an excellent coffee table book)

I hope you’ve enjoyed the home tour of the Vanderbilt Mansion, Hyde Park, NY. For other Note-worthy Home Tours visit the Note-Worthy Home Tours Section of our Blog. We’d love to hear your comments so if you have suggestions, like the post, or just want to say hi, the comment box is on the right-hand side. Also, I’ve placed a few Pinterest Pins below. If you like this post, please share them with your Pinterest Friends.

Until next time … Joy Skinner