National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Historical Overview
From 1885 to 1914, the Vanderbilts owned William H. Vanderbilt's townhouse at 459
Fifth Avenue, which Frederick inherited from his father when he was twenty-nine years old. 242
The Vanderbilts used the townhouse as their primary winter residence from 1885 to 1913. From
November to June of 1913, Frederick and Louise lived at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, presumably
while arranging to lease 459 Fifth Avenue to Arnold, Constable and Company. Arnold,
Constable demolished the Vanderbilt townhouse and built a store on the site. 243 Frederick
retained ownership of the parcel until his death in 1938. From October 1914 until 1917,
Frederick leased a townhouse at Park Avenue and 73 rd Street owned by Mr. Oakleigh Thorne. 244
In 1917, when Frederick was sixty-one years old and Louise was seventy-three, they purchased
1025 Fifth Avenue which Frederick owned until his death. The house had been designed for
General Lloyd S. Brice by Ogden Codman. Mrs. Van Alen inherited 1025 Fifth Avenue and sold
it on January 18, 1939. 245
From 1891 to 1906, the Vanderbilts owned Rough Point in Newport, which was
designed for them by Peabody & Stearns. The house was opened in the summer of 1891 with a
magnificent ball. 246 The Newport Daily News reported the event on August 12, 1891:
Mrs. Vanderbilt was assisted in receiving by Mrs. Whitelaw Reid, Miss Edith Grant, and Miss
Post. Mrs. Vanderbilt was dressed in pink satin, embroidered with lilies of the valley, and
wore a diamond necklace and a pair of ruby rings in her hair. . . . When the guests drove into
the grounds they found the trees ablaze with Chinese lanterns, while among the small
shrubbery near the front entrance small fairy lamps of varied colors were placed. . . . Four
servants in full livery stood at the entrance, and as many more were just inside to show the
guests where to go. . . . The vestibule and outer halls were banked on either side with heavy
tropical foliage plants. . . . The large dancing hall was built with a view to fine
entertainments, being situated in the center of the house, open from the main floor to the
roof, and supported by heavy, carved oak pillars. At the second floor a gallery extends
entirely around the hall. Hanging on the face of the woodwork just below the gallery were
two broad, deep fringes of fresh flowers, to introduce electric lights with the flowers and to
reduce the extreme height of the roof of the hall, there were suspended from the ceiling
several large Japanese umbrellas, on the outer edges of which tiny electric lights were hung at
regular intervals. . . . From the heavy iron electric light brackets, of which there are fifteen
around the hall, were hung large, floral plaques festooned with lace flowers. In the large,
stained glass bay window, which extends the full height of the hall, stood an immense tree
fern . . . under which many of the guests were seated. The wide stairways leading to the
gallery were heavily draped with passion vines. . . . In the large reception room, which next
adjoins the halls and forms a passageway to the dining room, was arranged a large water lily
tank containing specimens of . . . lilies of the rivers Nile and Tiber. . . . The dining room,
much resembling a banquet hall, is in oak. The tall mantelpiece and huge fireplace were
massed with tall foliage. . . . The verandas on the ocean side of the house were connected by
two large tents, one of which was left open at one end to afford a view of the ocean and the
rocks. . . . The favors of the german were silver, gold and jewelled [sic] hat pins, . . . decorated
gauze fans from Paris, sashes . . . covered with artificial flowers, and mechanical toys in odd
designs representing creeping babies, performing bears, monkeys and rabbits. Those for the
242
Snell, "Preliminary Report," 8. Snell cites Andrews, Vanderbilt Legend, 325.
243
Snell, "Preliminary Report," 8. Snell cites New York Times, December 4, 1914, 8.
244
Snell, "Preliminary Report," 8. Snell cites New York Times, October 7, 1914, 9; Andrews, Vanderbilt
Legend, 325.
245
Snell, "Preliminary Report," 8. Snell cites Andrews, Vanderbilt Legend, 325; New York Times, June 30,
1938, 23.
246
Snell, "Preliminary Report," 8. Snell cites Andrews, Vanderbilt Legend, 324.
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