Sometimes we are enthralled by the beauty of another culture, but what happens when
your appreciation becomes an obsession?
Hi everyone ken here welcome to this house.
Today we are exploring Wakehurst in Newport.
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house.
James John Van Alen seemed like the perfect match for Emily Astor.
He had grown up in an old money family, had attended Harvard and Oxford, and could enjoy
his life as he pleased receiving money from trusts and investments which had been set
up for him in generations prior.
But Emily’s father, William Backhouse Astor Junior could not stand the presence of his
daughter’s suitor.
Though James had come from a respectable family, the elite circles of New York made fun of
him.
James wore a monocle, though he did not require one.
He was also known for quoting shaekspeare in just about every conversation and using
English expressions in place of American ones.
Emily Astor seemed to be about the only person who liked this renaissance man.
When James asked William for his daughter’s hand in marriage, William scolded him.
His words offended James to such a degree that James immediately challenged him to a
duel for Emily’s hand.
They arranged for the time and place, including all formalities, before William backed out.
With William conceding, James and Emily married and spent 5 wonderful years together until
Emily passed away during childbirth.
James was distraught with grief and returned home to his father General Van Alen who gifted
his James a parcel of land at his estate known as The Grange.
Shortly after, his father passed away and James began building his dream house.
First, he had his father’s house demolished so he could build a massive garage in its
place.
Then he set out to replicate a castle he had seen while in England.
He hired Charles Kempe to create a set of drawings replicating the Wakehurst Place in
Sussex so that he could build an exact copy in Newport, Rhode Island.
With very subtle difference, the mansion ended up being nearly identical, but made from Indiana
limestone with a Vermont slate roof nestled in a lush garden.
Before we go inside, I’ll point out that while the layout is the same as the original
house, the rooms are not.
James searched for rooms in Europe to have dismantled and shipped to his new mansion
to make it appear older.
This lead to him coining the phrase “museum rooms” which were to be enjoyed only by
the eyes.
Entering the home, you would arrive in the long gallery which stretched to each wing
of the house.
It was furnished with English antiques, some dating back to the 16th century and finished
out with wood paneled walls and leaded windows all set below a Jacobean ceiling.
In the center of the hall, facing the front door, was a replicated staircase which had
been assembled in England along with its antiques before being broken down and shipped to Newport
to be reassembled.
It featured a massive stained glass window centered on its landing flanked by portraits.
Tapestries decorated the other walls below a Jacobean ceiling which contrasted with the
dark wood newel posts, paired with intricately carved balustrade.
Heading left in the long gallery, you would arrive in the Belgian Dining Room.
This room, in its entirety, had been dismantled from a renaissance era house in Belgium and
reassembled here.
The walls had been finished out with 16th century Spanish leather panels which had been
painstakingly restored when they were disassembled.
The end result was a 400 year old room in a brand new mansion.
Continuing towards the front of the house from the dining room, you would arrive in
the library.
It had originally been designed by famed neo-classical
architect Robert Adam for a 1780s townhouse
in London.
The broken pediment of the fireplace’s upper mantle rested against a laurel motif set in
the frieze above painted wood panels.
In the center of the room was a large crystal chandelier.
James had decided not to run electricity in the house in favor of gas burning lamps to
enhance the period ambiance.
Set against the window was one of his prized possessions, a sofa which had been said to
have belonged to Napoleon though it is possible that it had actually belonged to Napoleon’s
brother who built a home in New Jersey known as Point Breeze.
Walking back into the long gallery, we will now cut across the house to the other wing
where we will enter the drawing room which was sometimes used as a ballroom.
This room was as large as the dining room and library combined with a chandelier containing
136 candles which had to be lit using matches.
Though James did not have a formal art gallery, he used the ballroom to display the portraits
of his ancestors in the spaces between pilasters.
In the center of one wall was a floor to ceiling limestone fireplace, its mantle supported
by Corinthian style pedestals and its upper mantle complete with stone relief work.
Tucked between the ballroom and the staircase was a more modestly sized smoking room which
had been salvaged from the home of the former mistress of the prince of whales.
This was said to have been James’ favorite room where he would spend time reading and
having intimate conversations with close friends.
Going upstairs, the Oak Bedroom was equally as grand with antique furniture set above
elaborate carpets.
The ceilings were painted white with ornate plaster work depicting vines.
The Mrs. Van Alen room was finished out with board and batten wood paneling below a coffered
ceiling with crème colored textiles upholstering the furnishings.
A large wooden mantle was covered with intricate carvings around the stone hearth.
Other features of the bedroom included built in book cases and leaded diamond paned windows
creating a charming atmosphere.
Upon one occasion, James hosted the granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Helena who delighted
in exploring the house.
She found many antiques and items which she recognized from her childhood.
It was said that this was a thrilling experience for her as she shared memories from her royal
upbringing.
James enjoyed hosting parties and living in Wakehurst up until the days of Prohibition.
He had no plans to quit drinking and decided to move to England where he leased Rushton
Hall.
He lived here for the rest of his short years until passing in 1923.
He left his fortune along with Wakehurst to his only son Jimmy, though he passed away
just 4 years later leaving the remainder of the wealth and estate to his widow Margaret
Louise Post, also known as Daisy.
She sold their city mansions and moved to Wakehurst permanently where she was pampered
by a permanent staff of 37 people.
She was known as the last great Gilded Age Hostess as she continued formalities into
the 1950s.
While entertaining, her guests would have access to private chauffeurs and would receive
a full hunt breakfast to start their days complete with a 36 piece gold table set.
Daisy passed away in 1969, leaving her estate to her 3 children to divide evenly though
2 of her children declined their inheritance.
Her son William accepted the estate and began selling the antiques and art collection along
with most of the land the house sat on.
By 1972, he had finished liquidating everything aside from the house.
He approached Salve Regina University, offering to sell it to them for 200,000 which they
gladly accepted.
Today, the mansion continues to serve the university and can be enjoyed by students
on campus.
Which room was your favorite?
Let me know down below in the comments section.
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