American Tycoons

Tour the homes of some of the most famous industrialists, providing a window into the lives of these prominent Americans. By exploring the architecture, decorative style and furnishings, and by interviewing historians, curators and experts, a lesson is provided about the famous people who lived there and their dramatic connection to our nation's history.

Figure A

Figure A--The Hudson River estate of Frederick Vanderbilt, heir to one of America's largest fortunes, is a 50-room beaux-arts mansion that reflectes a royalty associated with the palaces of Europe. It also helped define America's richest social status. The home is filled with original European antiques as well as glitzy reproductions. Renaissance-style throne chairs flank a 17th-century tapestry bearing the Medici crest, a noble Italian family. During parties, the Vanderbilts would have 100 fresh bouquets brought into the house, changing them out even throughout the course of a meal.

Figure B

Figure B--Maymont was the home of railroad tycoon and Civil War veteran James Dooley. Built in 1893, this 33-room mansion resembles a French Renaissance chateaux and was decorated to show that wealth and taste had spread to the South. The interior reflects a European elegance and modern innovations for its time. Upon entry, light pours through stained-glass windows that were designed to create an uplifting and ennobling experience that would dazzle visitors. Maymont was the first home in Richmond, Virginia, to be built with electricity.

	Figure C
	Figure D

Figures C and D--Nemours, located in Wilmington, Delaware, is the palatial home of Alfred I. DuPont, a descendant of French nobility and founder of America's largest chemical corporation. A 47,000-square-foot mansion completed in only 18 months, Nemours (the name of a noble French ancestor) was modeled on the Palace of Versailles and reflects all the royalty of France. Highlights include the music room, which was designed to reflect DuPont's love for music, a formal drawing room featuring a blend of furniture styles from the King Louis periodsand a regal dining room boasting a portrait of King Louis 16th of France. Typical of French gardens, Nemours is surrounded with numerous fountains and ponds, but the magnificent reflecting pool takes center stage. Covering an entire acre, the pool features 157 jets and three-quarters-of-a-million gallons of water.

Figure E

Figure E--This chateau-style mansion was named after its owner, Henry Clay Frick, a business partner of Andrew Carnegie and self-made millionaire in the steel industry. The 23-room former Italianate reflects Frick's hard-fought success as well as his high-society tastes. Highlights inside the home include a Tiffany clock and an impressive art collection that boasts paintings by Dagan-Bouveret and Claude Monet. The Fricks entertained important guests in a formal parlor and dining room, but the more private study and library were where family and friends gathered.

Figure F

Figure F--The glittering Reitz mansion is the home of Midwest lumber baron John Reitz. The main rooms reflected the height of Victorian fashion, in addition to featuring exotic touches such as French chandeliers, handpainted ceilings, gold-leaf window cornices and intricate floors containing seven hardwoods. Wealthy enough for his children to travel the world, the Reitz influence is displayed in the front hall, with elaborate motifs of a Moorish castle. Then there's the sophisticated dining room, the ornate grand drawing room, the more casual family parlor and Reitz's walnut-carved study.

Figure G

Figure G--Kykuit, the Dutch word for "lookout," was the home to oil magnate John D. Rockefeller, one of the richest and most famous tycoons in American history. This Hudson River estate reflected Rockefeller's conservative nature and simple tastes without the ostentatious displays typical of the gilded age. The imposing stone facade, however, reflects Rockefeller's reputation as a tough businessman. The home is centered on an elegant music room modeled on the style of British architect Sir Christopher Rand, but it is tempered by Rockefeller's strict Baptist principles that forbade dancing or decorative gilding. The classical gardens feature the magnificent fountain of Oceanus, which was made in Italy with the granite bowl weighing more than 35 tons--a crowning touch that reflected the tycoon's personal love of his garden.

Resources
Clayton
The Frick Art and Historical Center
Website: http://frickart.org

Nemours Mansion and Gardens
Nemours Mansion and Gardens
Website: www.nemours.org

Maymont Estate and Garden
Maymont Estate and Garden
Website: www.maymont.org

Kykuit, The Rockefeller Estate
Kykuit, The Rockefeller Estate
Website: www.hudsonvalley.org

The Reitz Home Museum
The Reitz Home Museum
Website: www.reitzhome.evansville.net

Vanderbilt Mansion
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site
Website: www.nps.gov/vama
Guests
Burns Patterson
Employee, Historic Hudson Valley
Website: www.hudsonvalley.org

Tess Grimm
Representative, The Reitz Home Museum
Website: www.reitzhome.evansville.net
Kenneth McCutchen
Representative, The Reitz Home
Website: www.reitzhome.evansville.net
Allan Dailey
Representative, Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site
Website: www.nps.gov/vama

Geoffrey Platt, Jr.
Representative, Maymont Foundation
Website: www.maymont.org

Dale Wheary
Representative, Maymont Foundation
Website: www.maymont.org

Anne Jordan
Curator, Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site
Website: www.nps.gov/hofr

Francesca Biella Bonny
Representative, Nemours Mansion and Gardens
Website: www.nemours.org
Willis E. Cupery
Representative, Nemours Mansion and Gardens
Website: www.nemours.org

Paddy Dietz
Representative, Nemours Mansion and Gardens
Website: www.nemours.org

DeCourcy E. McIntosh
Representative, The Frick Art & Historical Center
Website: http://frickart.org

Robin Pflasterer
Representative, The Frick Art & Historical Center
Website: http://frickart.org
Also in this Episode

Special Presentation : Episode ATY-S
•	American Tycoons