A spectacular testament to the Gilded Age, this magnificent mansion boasts a history as dazzling as its dramatic oceanfront setting on Newport, Rhode Island s fabled Bellevue Avenue. The residence features richly appointed formal rooms that still reverberate with the gaiety of brilliant society events. "Beechwood is one of the most prominent estates in the social history of the United States," proclaims the home s current owner. That is no exaggeration. The story of Beechwood began in 1851, when architect Calvert Vaux and landscape designer Andrew Jackson Downing collaborated to create the custom dwelling for New York drygoods merchant Daniel Parish. Designed in an Italianate style, the handsome three story structure exhibited the same admirable balance and symmetry then that it does now. Within the 39 room residence, graciously proportioned interiors with expansive windows set an elegant tone. During that era, young New York aristocrat Caroline Schermerhorn married William Backhouse Astor Jr., heir to the Astor real-estate fortune. "Lina" Astor eventually became the undisputed queen of American society, along with Ward McAllister, she devised the famous “400,” a list of socially prominent individuals whose lineage could be traced back at least three generations. In 1881, the couple purchased Beechwood, where Mrs. Astor would preside during the summer season for the next 25 years. She hired architect Richard Morris Hunt to take the mansion to new heights of luxury and refinement, and to create an atmosphere worthy of the country s finest citizens. Hunt s most notable addition to the home was the glittering waterfront ballroom. Conceived with an ocean theme, this showpiece features oak parquet floors in a wavelike reverse herringbone pattern, seaweed shaped brass sconces, and bas reliefs depicting Poseidon and Aphrodite. Eight hundred panes of glass, including mirrored walls and abundant French doors, produce a shimmering effect that is enhanced by elabor
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