Marble House Gothic Room

The Gothic Room, in the Gothic Revival -style, was designed to display Alva Vanderbilt's collection of Medieval and Renaissance decorative objects. The stone fireplace in the room was copied by Allard and Sons from one in the Jacques Cœur House in Bourges. Step inside Marble House and the roar of Newport's oceanfront society fades to a quiet hum of history.

Beyond its marble salons and gilded ballroom lies the Gothic Room, a hushed, chapel-like gallery created for Alva Vanderbilt's personal trove of medieval art. Understanding this singular space begins with the story of Marble House itself-an $11 million birthday gift completed in 1892. Alva had a collection of Medieval and Renaissance objects and artwork, for which the Gothic Room was built.

In contrast to the rest of the house's Louis XIV and Louis XV décor, this Gothic-revival sitting room is modeled after the interior of a house in Bourges, France (built between 1443 and 1451 for Jacques Coer, a prosperous merchant). Marble House signaled Newport's transformation into a summer resort of opulent Gilded Age stone palaces. Built with 500,000 cubic feet of marble in an array of colors, it was used by Alva Vanderbilt Belmont as the site of women's suffrage rallies.

Figure 1: Richard Morris Hunt, Marble House. Source: Gavin Ashworth, The Preservation Society of Newport County - Gold Room Interior. Digital Image.

(Source Accessed: April 15, 2015) Figure 2: Richard Morris Hunt and Jules Allard et Fils, bronze figures by Karl Bitter, draperies by Prelle & Co. Marble House. The room was designed around the painting of Louis XVI and during the French Revolution the painting was cut out of the frame and sold.

The morning room/library. The Marble Hallway that was only used eight weeks a year. The Gothic Room was essentially a private museum and Alva purchased the whole collection at once from Emile Gavet.

In this room, Gothic-inspired architectural details set the stage for the Gothic artifacts that Vanderbilt purchased as an already-assembled collection. Every surface is covered with tracery, grotesques, and crockets. From the Gothic Room, showcasing Alva Vanderbilt's collection of Medieval and Renaissance treasures, to the Rococo.

Marble House is a Gilded Age mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. Designed as a summer cottage for Alva and William Kissam Vanderbilt by the society architect Richard Morris Hunt, it was unparalleled in opulence for an American house when it was completed in 1892. Its temple-front portico resembles that of the White House.

Located at 596 Bellevue Avenue, it is now open to the public as a museum. Step inside Marble House, a masterpiece of America's Gilded Age, where 500,000 cubic feet of marble, intricate craftsmanship, and timeless design tell a story of opulence and endurance. From the massive bronze doors to the pink Numidian marble dining room, this architectural marvel showcases the intersection of artistry and power, offering visitors an immersive journey through one of Newport's.