The Gilded Age Revisited

The Gilded Age (1865-1914) was a rich and complex period in American culture, which played a critical Garden party at The Breakers, 1909role in shaping the modern world we live in now.  Vast industrial fortunes, monumental architecture, and the emergence of the United States as a world power mark the era. 

Newport was the summer social capital of the nation during this time.  The families who built summer houses in this coastal city were leaders in national life, in great part driving American art, architecture, diplomacy, and business.  Newport’s houses reflect the evolution of the country’s architecture and the social story of the people who designed, built, lived in, and maintained these buildings. 

In Spring 2009, the Preservation Society will introduce a new interpretation of The Breakers (1895), one of the nation’s greatest Gilded Age landmarks, with a new audio tour. Join our staff and invited experts throughout the year as they share years of research on The Breakers, which has resulted in a new view of this great house and its role as a landmark of a critical period in American history and design.



Upcoming Lectures & Tours


January 22:  Gilded Age Servants and Their Stories

February 19:  Opulent Textiles

March 26:  A Gilded Age Garden Tour For Spring




Research Reports


Servant Life at The Breakers:  A Room With a View   (Adobe pdf file)




NEWPORT MANSIONS is a registered trademark of The Preservation Society of Newport County. Our tickets should not be presented at any other mansion in Newport except The Breakers, Chateau-sur-Mer, Chepstow, The Elms, Green Animals Topiary Garden, Hunter House, Isaac Bell House, Kingscote, Marble House, and Rosecliff.