There's a three-story turret, a front porch the size of some one-bedrooms, and a private driveway (with a porte cochere, no less). Wave-shaped dormer windows overlook the Spanish-tile roof. Inside, there's parquet for miles, wood paneling, stained glass, beamed ceilings, and a classical frieze of men in togas. Out back, there's a pergola and a small pond. "They don't build them like that anymore," says broker Joe Brikman,
On Christmas Eve 1895, George Vanderbilt welcomed family and friends to his new home for the first time. What they saw no doubt astounded them, even by the wealthiest echelon's standards of the era. The Gilded Age heir - a grandson of one of the richest men in US history - had built a 175,000-square-foot, 250-room French Renaissance Revival-style mansion that was a marvel of modern innovation, with 35 bedrooms, dozens of bathrooms with indoor plumbing, and two electric elevators.
Completed in 1906, John Pierpont (JP) Morgan had the structure built to house his study and library right next to his brownstone residence. Stepping into the original structure, you're immediately transported to the Gilded Age: extravagant paintings line the ceilings of the entry rotunda, deep red wallpaper gives a solemn tone to his study, and wood bookcases display the impressive book collections.
People trying to understand politics in the United States today often turn to history for precedents and perspective. Are our current divisions like the ones that preceded the American Revolution or the Civil War? Did the dramatic events of the 1960s generate the same kind of social and political forces seen today? Are there lessons from the past that show us how eras of intense political turmoil eventually subside?
When you think of Gilded Age glamour, preserved mansions and museum exhibits might come to mind. But one of the Midwest's most iconic Gilded Age locations is still very much alive today. Chicago's Palmer House, built as a lavish wedding gift from Potter Palmer, a successful businessman, for his wife Bertha, opened its doors in 1870. In the 150 years since, Palmer House has undergone major evolutions - not least its destruction during the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and subsequent reconstruction.
With a Scandanavian first name, German surname, Midwestern sensibilities, and Korean background, Meinzer seeks out the multi-hyphenate histories of others wherever her travels take her. She returns to the podcast to chat with Lale about her latest adventures-including hiking the ancient Via Francigena which begins in Chaucer's Cantebury and ends in Rome, beholding the magnificence and prestige of Gilded Age estates, and following dairy princess pageantry at the Minnesota State Fair.
The Gilded Age period in US history in the late 19th century was a time of great economic expansion, European immigration, industrialization, and widespread political corruption. Coined by author Mark Twain, it describes an era of social ills masked by materialist excess, arising only a decade after the formal abolition of slavery in 1865.
Designed by the architecture firm Buchman & Deisler in 1898, this neoclassical townhouse features a limestone facade and original wrought-iron grille, protected from alterations.
The hotel was constructed as a way to attract visitors to the Tampa Bay area, where Plant had expanded a railroad system. Visitors to the hotel arrived directly by rail and could disembark the train and immediately check into the resort once nicknamed the "White Queen on the Gulf."
Ca' d'Zan, a 36,000-square-foot mansion in Sarasota, was built by John Ringling in 1926 and is inspired by Venetian architecture, showcasing Gilded Age luxury.
Alva Vanderbilt Belmont was a prominent Gilded Age socialite who married a Vanderbilt railroad heir, becoming a significant figure in high society and later in the women's suffrage movement.
The museum, located on the former estate of William K. Vanderbilt II, features the 42-acre property with Eagle's Nest, a 24-room Spanish Revival mansion completed in 1936.
