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Gilded: How Newport Became America's Richest Resort
A beautifully written history of high society in Newport, Rhode Island, from the acclaimed author of Party of the Century Newport is the legendary and beautiful home of American aristocracy and the sheltered super-rich. Many of the country's most famous blueblood families?the closest thing we have to royalty?have lived and summered in Newport since the nineteenth century. The Astors, the Vanderbilts, Edith Wharton, JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Doris Duke, and Claus and Sunny von Bulow are just a few of the many names who have called the city home. Gilded takes you along as you explore the fascinating heritage of the Newport elite, from its first colonists to the newest of its new millennium millionaires, showing the evolution of a town intent on living in its own world. Through a narrative filled with engrossing characters and lively tales of untold extravagance, Davis brings the resort to life and uncovers the difference between rich and Newport rich along the way.
320 pages, Paperback
First published September 18, 2009
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February 1, 2018
I’ll start with a personal story and a trivia question. I grew up about a half-hour away from the mansions in Newport, Rhode Island. I grew up in New Bedford Massachusetts and my family lived in a rented wooden tenement, no central heat, no hot water, known locally as a “three-decker” --- basically six people in four rooms. I visited the Breakers mansion when I was a teenager and I remember the tour guide telling us that the entire third floor was closed off to tourists because Mrs. (Gloria) Vanderbilt was living up there with her young son. And I thought: WOW! That little kid is running around in thirty rooms all by himself? What does he do in that much SPACE? So, here’s the trivia question hidden behind a spoiler if you don’t already know: who was that little kid?
I retain an interest in Newport because we go there each summer to a time share for two weeks and visit family and friends. Newport has a fascinating early history since it was in Rhode Island which, founded by Roger Williams fleeing the religious tyranny of the Puritans, created a model for America in its statutes of religious freedom in 1643. Quakers gathered in the state as early as 1657 and their first meetinghouse was built in 1699. A Jewish congregation was active as early as 1658 and the Touro Synagogue in Newport, built in 1763, is the oldest standing American synagogue. (I visited it last summer.) Catholics were welcome and Rhode Island remains today the only US state where the majority of residents are (nominally) Catholic. In 1774 Newport’s population was larger than New York City or Boston.
One thing that fascinated me was learning once again how “nothing is new under the sun.” Who knew that as far back as 1825 American southerners traveled that far north in summers to get away from the heat and humidity of the South? Or that the Newport newspaper ran a society gossip column years before the American Revolution? Or that real estate speculators were making money selling beach lots in 1839? Or that a grand hotel was built as early as 1844 and a champagne ball was held for 2,400 guests at Chateau-sur-Mer in 1852.
A book, a collection of fictitious letters, Belle Brittan’s Here and There, was published in 1858. Brittan, the nome de plume of a male newspaper editor, wrote about the social scene in Newport where older men chased younger women, older women chased younger men, fortune hunters of both sexes ran after anyone with money, and women were seen in public kissing each other on the lips. In those days we are told that the books in a “lady’s library” were supposed to be kept separate by sex of the author unless you had books written by a husband and wife in which case they could be placed next to each other. These people really had time on their hands!
Ultra-wealthy New Yorkers started the “cottage wars,” outdoing each other with mansions, around 1888. It started in part because wealthy matrons like Mrs. Astor of New York felt that Newport was a more controlled environment compared to the big city to hold debutante balls and cotillions to ensure that their daughters (and sons) met the “right people” – that is, members of the 400 most wealthy families who could fit into her ballroom. The elite hired architects like Richard Morris Hunt or Charles McKim or Stanford White (later McKim, Mead and White). The Olmsteads, father first, then son, designed their grounds.
So, people maintained these “cottages” for the eight-week “season,” often traveling from New York by steamship. It was largely a woman’s world because the husbands were too busy making money in New York and only came on weekends.
Folks spent their time racing (horses, boats, later motor cars), playing tennis, sailing, at luncheons, teas, dinners, clambakes, cotillions, fantasy balls, daybreak swims, polo, night dancing. Some women complained about the time and effort it took to make nine changes of outfits every day. Indeed, we feel sorry for them, waiting impatiently for their maid to hand them their blouse. And sometimes it took a while to decide if you wanted the bathtub filled with hot fresh or hot salt water.
Henry James’s family came down from Boston every summer starting in 1858. (If I’m not mistaken, his family home on Spring Street is now a funeral parlor.) By 1904 he was appalled at what he called “the gilding of the city” and predicted its demise.
If you have money you can get away with insulting your guests as one matron did, walking into an assemblage of her women friends saying, “Here you all are, older faces and younger clothes.” The society column reported “Miss Van Allen suffers from some kind of throat trouble – she cannot go more than half an hour without a drink.” A woman broke up her son’s marriage because of “an alleged preponderance of intellectuality on the part of the intended bride”
Matrons battled over good-looking footmen with powdered hair who had to be Swedes or Norwegians. Your chef had to be French, of course, and your nanny had to be French or British. Maids could be Irish since they were good in the sculleries. The position of professional social secretary was invented to keep track of who to invite, who not to invite, and who couldn’t sit with whom.
The demise of Newport, as Henry James predicted, started around World War I. It didn’t seem “proper” during war time to entertain extravagantly. Income tax starting in 1914 hit the one-percent hard. The American system of dividing inheritance up among all the children rather than leaving everything to the eldest son split up the millions pretty quickly. The Depression hit. Then the 1938 hurricane devastated many properties, all on the coast. People began selling off land for lots and dumping properties and possessions. Marble House that cost $11 million to build and furnish in 1891 sold for $100,000 in 1932. Paintings, royal furniture and sculptures that Henry James called “the loot of Europe” were sold off at auctions for $100 and even $10. The city started reclaiming mansions for overdue taxes. Other mansions were demolished or donated to, and remodeled by, Salve Regina College.
It became the era of “the dottering dowagers:” female recluses who wandered the halls talking to imaginary guests. Another constantly made lists with her secretary of people to invite to parties that were never held. One dowager spent almost her entire life painting pictures of herself in her prime, many of which ended up at the dump.
A revival of the city started after World War II when a group of remaining wealthy citizens, appalled by the decay and demolitions, started a Preservation society to open mansions to tourists. The Vanderbilt’s Breakers was the first one opened in 1948. Doris Duke, heir to the Duke tobacco fortune, preserved old historic homes (not mansions) by emulating the model Rockefeller used back in 1927 to renovate and preserve Williamsburg, Virginia. She bought homes, fixed them up, and then sold them with covenants that protected their historic integrity.
The Newport Jazz Festival started to bring in tourists in 1954. The Lorillard tobacco people introduced Newport cigarettes, still around, as a promotion. From 1958 to 1983 the city hosted the America’s Cup yacht race.
As we might expect, the book confirms that there was no lack of prejudice among all these wealthy folks. On Truman Capote “He was a nasty homosexual.” On Jackie’s wedding: “The wedding will be just awful … there will be 100 Irish politicians.” (Jaqueline Kennedy grew up in Newport and married John at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Newport in 1953. Newport would have become the “summer white house” if Kennedy had not been assassinated.) Instructions on the invitation list for a party celebrating the Jazz Festival: “Please try not to invite too many of the African musicians.”
And of course, with celebrities, you have scandal. The Claus Van Bulow affair was a scandal (1979) of a wealthy man accused of murdering his wife. Doris Duke somehow was not charged after an “implausible accident” in which she ran over and killed a male companion in her driveway. Maybe the town is once again becoming an “Aspen East.” Celebrities who have recently bought mansions in the area include singer Taylor Swift, actor Nicholas Cage, comedian Jay Leno and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison.
A good read. I enjoyed the historical info but to be honest, I skimmed over a lot of the matronly one-upswomanship celebrity gossip stuff. You can see the mansions open to tourists at http://www.newportmansions.org/
(or you can wait for the next Gatsby movie). Many of the mansions now offer “upstairs-downstairs” tours.
photos from top: 12meterchartersnewport.blogsport
Hammersmith Farm, Jacqueline Kennedy's family home from flickr.com
Rough Point, Doris Duke's home from flickr.com
The Breakers from rogerogreen.com
The Breakers from vintangetravelpostcards.blogspot
I retain an interest in Newport because we go there each summer to a time share for two weeks and visit family and friends. Newport has a fascinating early history since it was in Rhode Island which, founded by Roger Williams fleeing the religious tyranny of the Puritans, created a model for America in its statutes of religious freedom in 1643. Quakers gathered in the state as early as 1657 and their first meetinghouse was built in 1699. A Jewish congregation was active as early as 1658 and the Touro Synagogue in Newport, built in 1763, is the oldest standing American synagogue. (I visited it last summer.) Catholics were welcome and Rhode Island remains today the only US state where the majority of residents are (nominally) Catholic. In 1774 Newport’s population was larger than New York City or Boston.
One thing that fascinated me was learning once again how “nothing is new under the sun.” Who knew that as far back as 1825 American southerners traveled that far north in summers to get away from the heat and humidity of the South? Or that the Newport newspaper ran a society gossip column years before the American Revolution? Or that real estate speculators were making money selling beach lots in 1839? Or that a grand hotel was built as early as 1844 and a champagne ball was held for 2,400 guests at Chateau-sur-Mer in 1852.
A book, a collection of fictitious letters, Belle Brittan’s Here and There, was published in 1858. Brittan, the nome de plume of a male newspaper editor, wrote about the social scene in Newport where older men chased younger women, older women chased younger men, fortune hunters of both sexes ran after anyone with money, and women were seen in public kissing each other on the lips. In those days we are told that the books in a “lady’s library” were supposed to be kept separate by sex of the author unless you had books written by a husband and wife in which case they could be placed next to each other. These people really had time on their hands!
Ultra-wealthy New Yorkers started the “cottage wars,” outdoing each other with mansions, around 1888. It started in part because wealthy matrons like Mrs. Astor of New York felt that Newport was a more controlled environment compared to the big city to hold debutante balls and cotillions to ensure that their daughters (and sons) met the “right people” – that is, members of the 400 most wealthy families who could fit into her ballroom. The elite hired architects like Richard Morris Hunt or Charles McKim or Stanford White (later McKim, Mead and White). The Olmsteads, father first, then son, designed their grounds.
So, people maintained these “cottages” for the eight-week “season,” often traveling from New York by steamship. It was largely a woman’s world because the husbands were too busy making money in New York and only came on weekends.
Folks spent their time racing (horses, boats, later motor cars), playing tennis, sailing, at luncheons, teas, dinners, clambakes, cotillions, fantasy balls, daybreak swims, polo, night dancing. Some women complained about the time and effort it took to make nine changes of outfits every day. Indeed, we feel sorry for them, waiting impatiently for their maid to hand them their blouse. And sometimes it took a while to decide if you wanted the bathtub filled with hot fresh or hot salt water.
Henry James’s family came down from Boston every summer starting in 1858. (If I’m not mistaken, his family home on Spring Street is now a funeral parlor.) By 1904 he was appalled at what he called “the gilding of the city” and predicted its demise.
If you have money you can get away with insulting your guests as one matron did, walking into an assemblage of her women friends saying, “Here you all are, older faces and younger clothes.” The society column reported “Miss Van Allen suffers from some kind of throat trouble – she cannot go more than half an hour without a drink.” A woman broke up her son’s marriage because of “an alleged preponderance of intellectuality on the part of the intended bride”
Matrons battled over good-looking footmen with powdered hair who had to be Swedes or Norwegians. Your chef had to be French, of course, and your nanny had to be French or British. Maids could be Irish since they were good in the sculleries. The position of professional social secretary was invented to keep track of who to invite, who not to invite, and who couldn’t sit with whom.
The demise of Newport, as Henry James predicted, started around World War I. It didn’t seem “proper” during war time to entertain extravagantly. Income tax starting in 1914 hit the one-percent hard. The American system of dividing inheritance up among all the children rather than leaving everything to the eldest son split up the millions pretty quickly. The Depression hit. Then the 1938 hurricane devastated many properties, all on the coast. People began selling off land for lots and dumping properties and possessions. Marble House that cost $11 million to build and furnish in 1891 sold for $100,000 in 1932. Paintings, royal furniture and sculptures that Henry James called “the loot of Europe” were sold off at auctions for $100 and even $10. The city started reclaiming mansions for overdue taxes. Other mansions were demolished or donated to, and remodeled by, Salve Regina College.
It became the era of “the dottering dowagers:” female recluses who wandered the halls talking to imaginary guests. Another constantly made lists with her secretary of people to invite to parties that were never held. One dowager spent almost her entire life painting pictures of herself in her prime, many of which ended up at the dump.
A revival of the city started after World War II when a group of remaining wealthy citizens, appalled by the decay and demolitions, started a Preservation society to open mansions to tourists. The Vanderbilt’s Breakers was the first one opened in 1948. Doris Duke, heir to the Duke tobacco fortune, preserved old historic homes (not mansions) by emulating the model Rockefeller used back in 1927 to renovate and preserve Williamsburg, Virginia. She bought homes, fixed them up, and then sold them with covenants that protected their historic integrity.
The Newport Jazz Festival started to bring in tourists in 1954. The Lorillard tobacco people introduced Newport cigarettes, still around, as a promotion. From 1958 to 1983 the city hosted the America’s Cup yacht race.
As we might expect, the book confirms that there was no lack of prejudice among all these wealthy folks. On Truman Capote “He was a nasty homosexual.” On Jackie’s wedding: “The wedding will be just awful … there will be 100 Irish politicians.” (Jaqueline Kennedy grew up in Newport and married John at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Newport in 1953. Newport would have become the “summer white house” if Kennedy had not been assassinated.) Instructions on the invitation list for a party celebrating the Jazz Festival: “Please try not to invite too many of the African musicians.”
And of course, with celebrities, you have scandal. The Claus Van Bulow affair was a scandal (1979) of a wealthy man accused of murdering his wife. Doris Duke somehow was not charged after an “implausible accident” in which she ran over and killed a male companion in her driveway. Maybe the town is once again becoming an “Aspen East.” Celebrities who have recently bought mansions in the area include singer Taylor Swift, actor Nicholas Cage, comedian Jay Leno and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison.
A good read. I enjoyed the historical info but to be honest, I skimmed over a lot of the matronly one-upswomanship celebrity gossip stuff. You can see the mansions open to tourists at http://www.newportmansions.org/
(or you can wait for the next Gatsby movie). Many of the mansions now offer “upstairs-downstairs” tours.
photos from top: 12meterchartersnewport.blogsport
Hammersmith Farm, Jacqueline Kennedy's family home from flickr.com
Rough Point, Doris Duke's home from flickr.com
The Breakers from rogerogreen.com
The Breakers from vintangetravelpostcards.blogspot
February 27, 2012
This is the society that Edith Wharton so exquisitely portrayed in The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth.
This is a well researched accounting of the beginning of Newport, from a checkered past of rum running and slave trading through today and the famous New Port Jazz festival.
Deborah Davis takes us behind the scenes of the snobby Vanderbilt, Astor and Belmont newly rich, back stabbing, social climbing Americans who made Newport Rhode Island their vulgar playground with ostentatious multi-million dollar mansions.
This is a fascinating book that teaches without preaching and that avoids gossip while shunning boredom.
Recommended for those who are interested in American history.
This is a well researched accounting of the beginning of Newport, from a checkered past of rum running and slave trading through today and the famous New Port Jazz festival.
Deborah Davis takes us behind the scenes of the snobby Vanderbilt, Astor and Belmont newly rich, back stabbing, social climbing Americans who made Newport Rhode Island their vulgar playground with ostentatious multi-million dollar mansions.
This is a fascinating book that teaches without preaching and that avoids gossip while shunning boredom.
Recommended for those who are interested in American history.
May 31, 2024
Essential reading if you are taking a trip to Newport, Rhode Island.
February 11, 2022
I absolutely loved this book! It has given me a new appreciation for the city I call home. So much history in one little area, it has completely changed my perspective on the “cottages” and landmarks around me.
September 9, 2023
Full disclosure: I live in Middletown, just north of Newport. My eldest graduated from the high school in Newport, and I drove down Bellevue Ave past many of these “summer cottages” when I would pick her up from school. I also have a membership to the Newport Preservation Society, allowing me to visit any of the mansions that are open whenever I like (we went to Green Animals, which had been the summer residence of the Braytons) just last weekend.
But I’m not *from* Newport. We have been here nine years now, after a shorter stint of three and a half years from 2007 to 2011. As a result, while I know the buildings, I don’t know many of the stories behind the homes.
This book definitely gives you a good background of the ultra-rich that made Newport famous. There are lots of anecdotes and semi-salacious stories to pique the interest of the reader, but the personal judgment of the author would seep into the stories on occasion, which I found off-putting. As both the child and the wife of Navy servicepeople, the portrayal of sailors as what was causing downtown Newport to be gritty and unsafe rankled me a bit. The Navy is still here but barely (the base is a fraction the size it used to be), and there are still plenty of gritty and unsafe areas.
That said, the author does cover the history of this wealthy resort town from the Gilded Age to the modern day fairly well. Many books would end when the era ended, but this one continued to describe the beginning of the Preservation Society, the years that JFK and his family would summer here, up to the early 2000s, when Elton John and Billy Joel would be secured for the birthday parties of the ultra-rich. While Davis does mention the beginnings of the Jazz Festival, she absolutely ignores the biggest summer draw to the City by the Sea — the Folk Festival. I found that an unusual choice.
More photographs, especially of the cottages that have been demolished, would not have gone amiss either..
But I’m not *from* Newport. We have been here nine years now, after a shorter stint of three and a half years from 2007 to 2011. As a result, while I know the buildings, I don’t know many of the stories behind the homes.
This book definitely gives you a good background of the ultra-rich that made Newport famous. There are lots of anecdotes and semi-salacious stories to pique the interest of the reader, but the personal judgment of the author would seep into the stories on occasion, which I found off-putting. As both the child and the wife of Navy servicepeople, the portrayal of sailors as what was causing downtown Newport to be gritty and unsafe rankled me a bit. The Navy is still here but barely (the base is a fraction the size it used to be), and there are still plenty of gritty and unsafe areas.
That said, the author does cover the history of this wealthy resort town from the Gilded Age to the modern day fairly well. Many books would end when the era ended, but this one continued to describe the beginning of the Preservation Society, the years that JFK and his family would summer here, up to the early 2000s, when Elton John and Billy Joel would be secured for the birthday parties of the ultra-rich. While Davis does mention the beginnings of the Jazz Festival, she absolutely ignores the biggest summer draw to the City by the Sea — the Folk Festival. I found that an unusual choice.
More photographs, especially of the cottages that have been demolished, would not have gone amiss either..
October 21, 2021
This was an excellent history on Newport Rhode Island with special emphasis on the gilded age.
Did you know that one of the great mansions Breakers was constructed in 1890 for more than $10M and sold in 1940 for 30k? It was simply too expensive for the upkeep with more than 30 staff required to maintain the nearly 100 room castle.
Did you know the mansions were called summer cottages and most of them were only occupied by the owners in July and August?
In the 1940's it was clear to the town's residents that with many of the mansions falling into disrepair that economically they needed to bring tourism in and purchase some of the homes as museums.
4 stars. Very interesting book. I hope to make it back to Newport soon. Touring the town and decadent mansions is one of life's guilty pleasures.
Did you know that one of the great mansions Breakers was constructed in 1890 for more than $10M and sold in 1940 for 30k? It was simply too expensive for the upkeep with more than 30 staff required to maintain the nearly 100 room castle.
Did you know the mansions were called summer cottages and most of them were only occupied by the owners in July and August?
In the 1940's it was clear to the town's residents that with many of the mansions falling into disrepair that economically they needed to bring tourism in and purchase some of the homes as museums.
4 stars. Very interesting book. I hope to make it back to Newport soon. Touring the town and decadent mansions is one of life's guilty pleasures.
August 3, 2023
Davis does an amazingly good job with this overview of Newport history. It’s a challenging task, since the story includes lots of characters and can easily become a dry recitation of facts (“so-and-so was born in 18– in the city of X and moved to Newport in 18– …”) Davis avoid this with snappy writing and insightful analysis. I was especially interested in the city’s history after the decline of the gilded age millionaires and how it managed to reinvent itself as both a tourist destination and a spot that is still popular with the ultra-rich. Very engaging
July 14, 2025
Four and a half stars. Truly riveting account of Newport which mushroomed from nothing into the seaside resort of the very rich, faded into obscurity only to reemerge as a destination for the rich and famous again. This is ripe with details about all sort of famous people’s lives and I enjoyed it very much, especially learning about all it takes to throw events that’ll attract tourism. What was lacking for me is that it wasn’t really about the cottages - unless you visit yourself (which I definitely plan to do), you won’t learn much about their architecture or interiors here, which I think is a shame.
May 26, 2019
A well told story
Of all the Gilded Age books I have read thus far, this is unquestionably the best. It is well written and never boring. It was especially interesting to read about the many people who were part of the town over the years. I am more determined than ever to spend some time in Newport.
Of all the Gilded Age books I have read thus far, this is unquestionably the best. It is well written and never boring. It was especially interesting to read about the many people who were part of the town over the years. I am more determined than ever to spend some time in Newport.
June 8, 2024
I picked up this book on my recent visit to Newport and appreciated learning more about the history of the town and its people. The level of opulence described is both fascinating and uncomfortable. All in all an enjoyable read.
January 26, 2020
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the Gilded Age specific to Newport, Rhode Island. The book spans from the inception of the colony at Newport to the late 00s. It is extremely well written and engaging. It is not a dry account of events but reads more like a narrative.
March 28, 2020
Playground for the Rich and Decadent
For those interested in the history of Newport, its "cottages," those who built them as well as its descendents this is your book.
For those interested in the history of Newport, its "cottages," those who built them as well as its descendents this is your book.
March 2, 2024
Loved reading this book and getting a better idea of who our “neighbors in Newport” were and how they lived and left their legacy on this beautiful City by the Sea. Very well written with a lot packed in. Like peaking into a mansion window of the history of Newport’s elite throughout the years. Left me with a greater appreciation for the Newport we know and love.
February 12, 2018
I picked up this book on a Valentine's weekend getaway at Newport's Castle Hill Inn. The Inn itself is the nineteenth century summer home of the naturalist Louis Agassiz, and in later years, it became a vacation spot favored by some Hollywood "royalty," and this book certainly fit the setting.
My first visit to Newport was in July 1988, and I promptly fell in love with this town, and with the man who brought me there and showed me around. (I married him a few years later!) It remains a favorite spot; in fact, the photo on my Goodreads profile was taken at Beavertail Light. on nearby Conanicut Island, overlooking Newport's Brenton Point.
Newport is a fascinating place, from the colonial restorations (thank you, Doris Duke) to the gilded age "cottages" to the busy waterfront and yachting village to the gorgeous natural coastal scenery. Deborah Davis reveals the history and the people of Newport with this well-researched, intriguing, and gossipy book that answers the questions of who lived (or lives) in those mansions behind those gates, how did they get there, and what did they do. There's plenty of behind-the-scenes information and lots of detail.
While this book spends lots of time on the gilded age Astors and Vanderbilts and their contemporaries, and life during the eight week season that required the well-dressed matron and her debutante daughter to pack some 280 outfits with appropriate accessories, it doesn't stop there. It also covers the mid-century summer community that includes the Jazz Festival, the America's Cup races, and the Kennedys (where JFK was accepted primarily on Jackie's family connections.) It traces the rise and fall and rise of Newport into the 21st Century, with plenty of dishy details about people, places, and parties. And yes, the very rich are still there - or the new very rich. Did Elton John actually perform at a private birthday party at a home on Ocean Drive? Yes. Yes, he did. His piano was brought in by helicopter. I
If you're thInking of going to Newport, pick up this book first. It's a fun and fascinating read!
My first visit to Newport was in July 1988, and I promptly fell in love with this town, and with the man who brought me there and showed me around. (I married him a few years later!) It remains a favorite spot; in fact, the photo on my Goodreads profile was taken at Beavertail Light. on nearby Conanicut Island, overlooking Newport's Brenton Point.
Newport is a fascinating place, from the colonial restorations (thank you, Doris Duke) to the gilded age "cottages" to the busy waterfront and yachting village to the gorgeous natural coastal scenery. Deborah Davis reveals the history and the people of Newport with this well-researched, intriguing, and gossipy book that answers the questions of who lived (or lives) in those mansions behind those gates, how did they get there, and what did they do. There's plenty of behind-the-scenes information and lots of detail.
While this book spends lots of time on the gilded age Astors and Vanderbilts and their contemporaries, and life during the eight week season that required the well-dressed matron and her debutante daughter to pack some 280 outfits with appropriate accessories, it doesn't stop there. It also covers the mid-century summer community that includes the Jazz Festival, the America's Cup races, and the Kennedys (where JFK was accepted primarily on Jackie's family connections.) It traces the rise and fall and rise of Newport into the 21st Century, with plenty of dishy details about people, places, and parties. And yes, the very rich are still there - or the new very rich. Did Elton John actually perform at a private birthday party at a home on Ocean Drive? Yes. Yes, he did. His piano was brought in by helicopter. I
If you're thInking of going to Newport, pick up this book first. It's a fun and fascinating read!
December 8, 2017
Absolutely loved this book! I had been to Newport already, 20 years ago. I enjoyed my time there. But after having been bitten by the Downton Abbey bug, my trip last month took on a whole new feeling. Now, when touring the 'cottages', I could really envision what life was like in these summer homes, the kinds of parties, and how people dressed and entertained. After listening to the audio tours about the people who built these American palaces, I decided I wanted more the fascinating stories and the history. This book was perfect!
The biggest lesson gleaned from reading this book is that people who have too much time and money on their hands are CRAZY!! Crazy in both an amusing and ugly way. Newport history has all the elements of a season of watching Dynasty. Money, glamour, jealousy, sex, adultery - all components of a really good soap-opera. Don't let the manners and accents fool you - Newport is a playground for the rich, and knows where to bury the evidence.
If you are planning a trip to Newport, I would recommend buying this book beforehand. If will give you lots of names and stories to dream about while you saunter along the gilded hallways. And be warned, the Newport Mansions Gift Shops stopped selling this book.
The biggest lesson gleaned from reading this book is that people who have too much time and money on their hands are CRAZY!! Crazy in both an amusing and ugly way. Newport history has all the elements of a season of watching Dynasty. Money, glamour, jealousy, sex, adultery - all components of a really good soap-opera. Don't let the manners and accents fool you - Newport is a playground for the rich, and knows where to bury the evidence.
If you are planning a trip to Newport, I would recommend buying this book beforehand. If will give you lots of names and stories to dream about while you saunter along the gilded hallways. And be warned, the Newport Mansions Gift Shops stopped selling this book.
September 14, 2022
Newport, Rhode Island was a sleepy fishing village for a long time, but it boasted a good harbor and wonderful weather. So wealthy people began accumulating there and they built houses for themselves to entertain their peers for two months out of the year. Huge, expensive houses that required dozens of servants to run.
Decades of differing fortunes and assorted mostly unpleasant people, spoiled and entitled.
The book is somehow fascinating, a guilty pleasure to read and hard to put down. Often benefiting from short chapters, a few detailing specific people, such as "The" Mrs. Astor, and Jackie Bouvier Kennedy.
Read if you want to know about how the rich lived and some of them still do. There's a modern couple who have lavish birthday parties for the husband because he missed out on that as a kid.
Some of the houses are still there and can be toured by regular people, tourists the original owners would have sneered at. Some are owned by institutions such as schools, or have been in the past.
Not a book I plan to reread.
Decades of differing fortunes and assorted mostly unpleasant people, spoiled and entitled.
The book is somehow fascinating, a guilty pleasure to read and hard to put down. Often benefiting from short chapters, a few detailing specific people, such as "The" Mrs. Astor, and Jackie Bouvier Kennedy.
Read if you want to know about how the rich lived and some of them still do. There's a modern couple who have lavish birthday parties for the husband because he missed out on that as a kid.
Some of the houses are still there and can be toured by regular people, tourists the original owners would have sneered at. Some are owned by institutions such as schools, or have been in the past.
Not a book I plan to reread.
November 11, 2025
Despite the title “Gilded,” this book encompasses more about Newport history than just the Gilded Age, which I did not know going into but was fine with. Instead, this book covers the history of Newport from right before the Gilded Age through 2008 (the book was written in 2009). Because of that, there are A TON of names dropped - if you watch HBO’s The Gilded Age you’ll recognize a lot of those names in the first few chapters which if you’re like me will help you keep everything straight. I didn’t mind that in order to cover that much breadth the author didn’t go too deep on any given timeline or character. Instead, I liked having a little bit of this and a little bit of that - for me it made this an incredibly quick read - I read it essentially in three days in my hotel room in Newport when I was not out exploring Newport. I think this would be a great companion to a trip to Newport - whether you’re already there like I was or you’re planning on going. A lot of the locals expressed interest in the book when they saw me reading it around town, so I think that also speaks volumes!
February 16, 2023
Well, the history aspect is ok. And since we are headed to Rhode island on vacation, I though I should learn something. And I did, the cliff walk sounds great! The rest I can probably live without!
The writing style is chatty and gossipy, very judgemental -- which is maybe not a big deal when talking about the gilded age, but when talking about the late 20th & 21st centuries it really comes across as inappropriate. And, by that point in the book, it comes across as the opinions of a 1% wannabe. So, meh.
The gilded age excesses were stunning -- the amounts spent in today's terms boggles the mind and subsequent sales prices of 1% of construction cost are stunning. What waste.
The social aspect sounded like a Mean Girls reboot, and I'm not sure of the fascination - either then or now.
I won't be reaching for this authors other books!
The writing style is chatty and gossipy, very judgemental -- which is maybe not a big deal when talking about the gilded age, but when talking about the late 20th & 21st centuries it really comes across as inappropriate. And, by that point in the book, it comes across as the opinions of a 1% wannabe. So, meh.
The gilded age excesses were stunning -- the amounts spent in today's terms boggles the mind and subsequent sales prices of 1% of construction cost are stunning. What waste.
The social aspect sounded like a Mean Girls reboot, and I'm not sure of the fascination - either then or now.
I won't be reaching for this authors other books!
May 13, 2023
The book delivers on its subtitle: How Newport Became America's Richest Resort. Davis begins during "the season" in 1913 Newport but she also provides a brief history of its beginning and the Native Americans who were there first. We meet all the wealthy families including the Vanderbilts, Astors, and Belmonts. Davis describes their castles, their relationships, and the changes that affected them over time. Examples are the coming of the Kennedys via Jacquelyn's family ties and the acceptance of the Newport Jazz Festival to this staid, quiet community. Davis's gift is that she provides so much information so succinctly.
April 17, 2022
People say that "hill billies" in the South are inbred, but, as this book reveals, those in high society are also inbred. You dare not marry beneath your status (the exceptions are people who are very beautiful or entertaining). A distant relative of mine married a Vanderbilt, so I used this book for genealogy as well. It was fascinating to read the rules the very rich (or wannabe rich) live by in the Gilded Age of the late 1800s, and even today. Want Billy Joel to perform at your private birthday party? It is possible, if you have enough money and influence.
March 25, 2017
History of Newport from early 1900s to 2008, includes stories of the men and women who built (that is to say, hired others to build) many of the "cottages" on Bellevue Avenue as well as the society that they formed, including subsequent generations of those who summered in Newport. Short chapters focus on various women -- Mrs. Astor, Edith Wharton, Jackie Kennedy...vivid writing helps to make them come alive. A quick read, and an enjoyable one.
April 28, 2020
Very enlightening....having married a native Newporter of the middle class I found this educational. My in-laws were owners of the Boston Store/ King-McCloud Department store in Newport. Many of those within your book I have met. In fact speaker of strictness in eteiquet I was so nervous when having dinner at my in-laws cause they set the table formally. What fork, spoon was I to use!??
February 8, 2021
3.8 This was a great read! Very well written and very interesting. I enjoyed that I could picture many of the places described and have pleasant memories associated with Newport overall. I definitely enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book the most as the more modern history of Newport is not nearly as interesting. I would recommend this to anyone who loves the city.
June 8, 2021
I have recently become fascinated with the Gilded Age. This book is about the development of Newport, RI during that era. Being very familiar with Newport, I loved this history of it. Having read author books by the author, I really enjoyed it. I recommend this book and any book by Deborah Davis. She tells social history really well.
June 20, 2022
exceptional historical view of NewPort RI
This is the first time that I have been so enthralled in a historical nonfiction account of a single city. You won’t regret reading this- I read before visiting New Port for the first time. I was so excited after reading this book that I made notes to remind me of the activities of each amazing home.
This is the first time that I have been so enthralled in a historical nonfiction account of a single city. You won’t regret reading this- I read before visiting New Port for the first time. I was so excited after reading this book that I made notes to remind me of the activities of each amazing home.
July 28, 2017
If you know anything about Newport you will love this book. If you have never visited Newport, please do. You will never forget it. Also look up Beatrice by Sheldon Bart and visit the Cliffside Inn.
September 4, 2018
What it lacks in academicism, it makes up for in both readability and a well-rendered impression of place. Though it does veer into slight fawning here and there, it is not the gossip sheet described elsewhere in these reviews.
October 4, 2019
Easy and fun book
Although it's an easy read, it's such a brief overview of such a long period, I find myself wondering what people who are less acquainted with the history of the families in this book must think. Again, it's a fun book but not one I will read again.
Although it's an easy read, it's such a brief overview of such a long period, I find myself wondering what people who are less acquainted with the history of the families in this book must think. Again, it's a fun book but not one I will read again.
April 28, 2021
An easy witty and entertaining look at how Newport became the playground of the super-rich. Everyone from the Astors, Vanderbilts and the Von Bulow's are featured in this history of the holiday resort.
January 5, 2022
Vivid and humorous review of Newport's history. The interjection of individual profiles within Davis's timeline of Newport made for a fun read. Only giving 4/5 due to the front-loaded nature of the book. The writing about then-modern Newport was shorter and less detailed than the earlier chapters.
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