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Vanderbilt Mansions

The Biddle, Drexel, Whitney and Vanderbilt families were united when Frances Drexel Cheston married Cornelius Vanderbilt II's great grandson Whitney Tower in 1947

The Biddle, Drexel, Whitney and Vanderbilt families were again united when Sydney Francis Biddle married Flora Vanderbilt Whitney Miller in 1979

 

Cornelius Vanderbilt I was ranked as the 2nd richest man in American history by CNN Money in 2014. From the late 1870s to the 1920s, the Vanderbilt family used their wealth to employ some of the best Beaux-Arts architects and decorators in the country to build a notable string of mansions in New York City and palaces on the East Coast of the United States.  Below are some of the magnificent estates that were built by the Vanderbilt family during the Gilded Ages.

Cornelius Vanderbilt I Era 1794-1877

The Panic of 1857

The Civil War  1861-1865

Black Friday 1869

The Panic of 1873

1877 - DEATH of Cornelius Vanderbilt I > Estate valued from $100 million ($3B today) estate, up to $225B today calculated as 1.15% of US GDP

1885 - DEATH of William Henry "Billy" Vanderbilt > Estate valued from $200M ($6B today), up to $450B today calculated as 1.15% of US GDP

William Henry Vanderbilt Era 1877-1885

  • Idlehour c1879 Oakdale, Long Island, NY - William Kissam Vanderbilt > burned down 1899

    • Rebuilt as the much larger Idle Hour II c1903 > William Kissam Vanderbilt > Harold Sterling Vanderbilt

  • 680 Fifth Avenue c1879 New York, NY - Marie Louise Vanderbilt > Eliza Vanderbilt Webb > demolished > now skyscrapers

  • 684 Fifth Avenue c1879 New York, NY - Florence Vanderbilt Twombly > demolished > now skyscrapers

  • West Hill c1879 West Hartford, CT - Cornelius Jerome Vanderbilt > demolished in 1918 > now West Hill Historic District

  • Vinland c1883 Newport, RI - Florence Vanderbilt Twombly > now part of Salve Regina University

  • Vanderbilt Triple Palace c1883 New York, NY ​> demolished > now skyscrapers

    • ​640 Fifth Avenue - William Henry Vanderbilt > Cornelius Vanderbilt III > demolished > now skyscrapers

    • 642 Fifth Avenue - Margaret Vanderbilt Shepard > demolished > now skyscrapers

    • 2 West 52nd Street - Emily Vanderbilt Sloane > demolished > now skyscrapers

  • Petite Chateau c1883 660 Fifth Ave New York, NY - William K Vanderbilt & Alva Vanderbilt > demolished 1926> now 39-story office building

Cornelius Vanderbilt II Era 1885-1899

1899 - DEATH of Cornelius Vanderbilt II > Estate valued from $73M (~$3B today) including Real Estate of ~$20M 

World War I 1914-1918

  • Virginia Fair Country House c1915 Jericho, Long Island, NY - Virginia Fair Vanderbilt

  • Sonogee c1915 Bar Harbor, ME - Frederick William Vanderbilt

  • Pointe d’Acadie c1915 Bar Harbor, ME - George Washington Vanderbilt

  • Fabbri Mansion c1916 New York, NY - Edith Shepard Fabbri great-granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt> now the House of the Redeemer

  • Beacon Towers c1918 (the inspiration for "East Egg" in The Great Gatsby 2013) - Alva Vanderbilt Belmont > demolished 1945

1920 - DEATH of William Kissam Vanderbilt I > Estate valued from $60M (~$1B today)​

William Kissam Vanderbilt Era 1899-1920

The Fall of the Vanderbilts Post 1920

The Roaring 20's

  • 1 Sutton Place c1920 New York, NY - Annie Harriman Vanderbilt > now private home of Andrew Bolton and Thom Browne

  • Fisher Island, FL c1920 - William Kissam Vanderbilt II

  • Villa Lou Seuil c1921 Eze sur Mer, France - Consuelo Vanderbilt > now home of Princess Maria Gabriella daughter of Italy’s last king

  • Villa Isoletta (purchased 1922) Eze sur Mer, France - Alva Vanderbilt Belmont

  • Château St Georges Motel c17th century (purchased 1922) Normandy, France - Consuelo Vanderbilt

  • Chateau d’Augerville c1644 (purchased 1926)  Augerville-la-Rivière, Loiret, France - Alva Vanderbilt Belmont

  • 854 Fifth Avenue c1905 (purchased 1925) New York, NY - Cornelius Vanderbilt III> still a private home

  • George Gould Mansion c1907 (purchased 1926) New York, NY - Alice G. Vanderbilt > demolished 1963 >now 21 story apartment building

  • 1 East 71st Street c1928 New York, NY - Florence Vanderbilt Twombly > demolished in 1952 > now Commercial Building

  • Rock Cliff c1887 Newport, RI - Harold Stirling Vanderbilt > still a private home of Sam & Ann Mencoff

  • El Solano c1925 Palm Beach, FL - Harold Sterling Vanderbilt > purchased by John Lennon in 1980

The Great Depression 1929-1939

  • Eastover c1929 Lantana, FL - Harold Sterling Vanderbilt

  • Villa Lantana c1930 Lantana, FL - Harold Sterling Vanderbilt

  • Old Fields c1934 East Norwich, LI NY - Consuelo Vanderbilt > now Pine Hollow Country Club

  • Casa Alva c1935 Manalapan, Fl - Consuelo Vanderbilt

World War II 1939-1945

The Vanderbilts' prominence lasted until the mid-20th century, beginning what has been called the "Fall of the House of Vanderbilt"

  • Within 30 years of the Commodore's death, no member of his family was among the richest people in the United States

  • 48 years after his death, one of his descendants died penniless.

  • Within 70 years of his death, the last of the 10 great Vanderbilt mansions that had once lined Fifth Avenue was broken to rubble.

  • When 120 of the Commodore's descendants gathered at Vanderbilt University in 1973 for the first family reunion, it was discovered that there was no longer even a single millionaire among them...

  • As of 1947, all of the Vanderbilts’ New York City homes had been demolished. ​

  • At the 1973 Vanderbilt family reunion, it was discovered that not a single living descendant was even a millionaire...

Astor Mansions

The Biddle, Drexel, and Astor families were united when John Drexel IV married Mary Jaqueline Astor in 1984

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The Astor family is a prominent American family known for their immense wealth, influence in society, and significant contributions to the development of New York City, particularly in the 19th and early 20th centuries.The Astor family's wealth at its peak was substantial, with estimates of John Jacob Astor's estate reaching up to $100 million by the late 19th century, a fortune built on shrewd real estate investments and inherited by his descendants. Adjusted to today's value, some analyses equate their worth to approximately $276 billion, making the Astors one of the wealthiest families in history.  Below are some of the magnificent estates that were built by the Astor family during the Gilded Ages.

  • Hellgate c1803 Hellgate NYC, NY- John Jacob Astor > demolished 1869 > now Carl Schurz Park

  • Rokeby c1815 Barrytown, NY - Margaret Armstrong Astor childhood home

  • William B. Astor House c1830 32 Lafayette Place, New York, NY - William Backhouse Astor

  • Langdon House c1830 47 Astor Place New York, NY - Dorothea (Astor) Langdon present from father John Jacob Astor

  • Hyde Park c1845 - Hyde Park, NY - Dorothea (Astor) Langdon present from father John Jacob Astor > demolished in 1895 to build Vanderbilt Mansion > now the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

  • Waldorf p1851 Esopus, NY - John Jacob Astor III > demolished 1909 to build Omega

  • ​Beechwood c1853 Newport, RI - "The" Mrs. Astor - seen in the 1956 movie High Society, now owned by Larry Ellison

  • J.J. Astor III House c1859 338 Fifth Avenue New York, NY - John Jacob Astor III > demolished in 1893 to build the Waldorf Hotel which itself was demolished in 1929 to build The Empire State Building

  • The House of "The" Mrs Astor c1862 350 Fifth Avenue New York, NY - "The" Mrs. Astor - the original home of Mrs. Astor's "Four Hundred"> demolished in 1895 to build the Astoria Hotel which itself was demolished in 1929 to build The Empire State Building

  • 414 Fifth Ave p1884 New York, NY - Carrie Astor Wilson- Wedding present from Carrie's parents > demolished > now a 30k sf event venue

  • 840 Fifth Ave c1896 New York, NY - "The" Mrs. Astor > demolished in 1924 > now home to the Temple Emanu-El

  • 841 Fifth Ave c1896 New York, NY - John Jacob Astor IV > demolished in 1924 > now home to the Temple Emanu-El

  • Ferncliff c1874 Rhinebeck, NY - William B Astor Jr >> demolished in the 1940's

  • Cliveden House c1851 p1893 Maidenhead, Berkshire, England - William Waldorf Astor

    • Cliveden House c1767 Germantown, PA - became connected to the Astor family through marriage

  • Astor Courts c1902 Rhinebeck, NY - John Jacob Astor IV > now owned by Eric Schmidt

  • Marshall Orme Wilson House c1903 3 East 64th Street New York, NY - Carrie Astor Wilson > now The Consulate General of India

  • Hever Castle c1462 p1903 Hever, Kent, England - William Waldorf Astor Anne Boleyn (1501-1536), was born at Blickling Hall but she grew up here with the rest of her family before her ill-fated marriage to King Henry VIII who stayed here while courting her.

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  • Nourmahal (263' yacht) c1928 - Vincent Astor > donated to the US Coast Guard in 1940

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  • The Waldorf-Astoria (Hotel) c1897 20 W 34th St., New York, NY - Astor Family > demolished in 1893 to build the The Empire State Building

    • Developed and managed by "the most famous hotelman in the world" George Charles Boldt (1851-1918)​

  • The Waldorf Astoria (Hotel) c1931 301 Park Ave, New York, NY - Astor Family 

    • ​The tallest, largest and most expensive hotel in the world at the time of its opening in 1931

    • Conrad Hilton acquired management rights to the hotel in October 1949

    • Hilton Hotels Corporation bought the hotel outright in 1972

  • The Waldorf Astoria New York (Hotel) c2025 - owned by Dajia Insurance Group Co., managed by Hilton Worldwide

    • ​Eight-year, $6 billion dollar renovation completed in 2025

Disclaimer. All data and information is provided “as is” for informational purposes only, and is not intended for financial, investment, or any other purpose.  Contact us at Melmar Website Feedback with any recommended corrections along with supporting references and data sources.

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