Location
The Breakers
| Built | 1893–95 |
|---|---|
| For | Cornelius Vanderbilt II |
| Where | Newport, Rhode Island |
The grandest Newport "cottage," built 1893–95. The family only moved out in 2018 — over safety concerns, since the plumbing and wiring were never modernized. A hidden mezzanine above the Great Hall ceiling concealed the era's brand-new, still-untrusted electrical wiring. The secret third-floor tour (opened 2024) is where I learned most of this, including the Vanderbilt family drama. In Newport.