Rosecliff (1899-1902) (Newport, Rhode Island)

USA / Rhode Island / Newport / Newport, Rhode Island / Bellevue Avenue, 548
 museum, house, place with historical importance, cottage, mansion / manor house / villa, interesting place, movie / film / TV location
To make way for a grander Rosecliff, Mrs. Oelrichs purchased and demolished the wooden cottage (c. 1852) of George Bancroft, noted diplomat, historian and horticulturalist famed for his roses.

Commissioned by Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs in 1899, architect Stanford White modeled Rosecliff after the Grand Trianon, the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles. After the house was completed in 1902, at a reported cost of $2.5 million, Mrs. Oelrichs hosted fabulous entertainments here, including a fairy tale dinner and a party featuring famed magician Harry Houdini.

"Tessie", as she was known to her friends, was born in Virginia City, Nevada. Her father, James Graham Fair, was an Irish immigrant who made an enormous fortune from Nevada's Comstock silver lode, one of the richest silver finds in history. During a summer in Newport, Theresa met Hermann Oelrichs playing tennis at the Newport Casino. They were married in 1890. A year later, they purchased the property known as Rosecliff from the estate of historian and diplomat George Bancroft. An amateur horticulturist, it was Bancroft who developed the American Beauty Rose. The Oelrichs later bought additional property along Bellevue Avenue and commissioned Stanford White to replace the original house with the mansion that became the setting for many of Newport's most lavish parties.

In 1904, Tessie gave her most memorable party, the Bal Blanc, decorating everything in white and instructing all the guests to come in white, including the powdering of their hair. To complete the scene, Tessie contacted the Admiral of the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet, asking if she could borrow most of his major warships for the backdrop, of course, the warships would have to be completely white as well! He refused, but she was undaunted, and ordered a dozen full-sized skeleton ships with white hulls to be anchored in the water below and illuminated at night to give the illusion of a full white fleet at anchor.

Rosecliff is now preserved through the generosity of its last private owners, Mr. and Mrs. J. Edgar Monroe, of New Orleans. They gave the house, its furnishings, and an endowment to the Preservation Society in 1971.

Scenes from several films have been shot on location at Rosecliff, including The Great Gatsby, True Lies, and Amistad.

Still a great location for weddings, balls, Newport Flower Show and so much else - www.newportmansions.org/

Bing view - binged.it/ztyLMZ

Robert Yarnall Richie aerial photo ca. 1932-1934 - digitalcollections.smu.edu/u?/ryr,413

www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=48598
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosecliff
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   41°27'54"N   71°18'17"W

Comments

  • I believe this is where parts of "The Great Gatsby" were filmed.
  • Built inn 1902 for Mrs. Hermann Oelrichs, this exquisite 40-room French chateau features the Court of Love designed by Augustus St.-Gaudens after the one for marie Antoinette at Versailles. Rosecliff and its furnishings along with a generous endowment fund were given to the Preservation Society in 1971 by Mr. and Mrs. J. Edgar Monroe. It was the scene of the filming of "The Great Gatsby" in 1973. Then in 1977 it was used again in the movie "The Betsy".
  • The additional land that was purchased fronted Bellevue Avenue. It belonged to H.E. Parkman, and consisted of a little over an acre (49066sf). The land was added after 1907, after the mansion had been completed.
This article was last modified 10 years ago