Person:Alice Gwynne (1)

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Alice Claypoole Vanderbilt (; November 11, 1845 – April 24, 1934) was the wife of Cornelius Vanderbilt II and reigned as the matriarch of the Vanderbilt family for over 60 years.^[1]

Alice Claypoole Gwynne Vanderbilt was a prominent socialite and owner of the largest homes ever built in both New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. Born and raised in Cincinnati, she was the daughter of Abraham Gwynne, a lawyer, and Rachel Flagg. She met the pious Cornelius Vanderbilt II while teaching Sunday school at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church. They married there in 1867. She and her husband had four sons and three daughters.

Alice was responsible for constructing several massive family houses, including the enlargement of 1 West 57th Street, making it the largest private residence ever built in an American city. She also played a role in constructing the massive summer "cottage," The Breakers, in Newport. Her affection for Newport was partly because many of her colonial ancestors were from the city, including Roger Williams, who founded Rhode Island, as well as former Governor Samuel Ward. Many Flagg family members are buried in Newport's Island Cemetery.

In 1899, Cornelius died leaving an estate of over $72 million to his family and charity. Alice received a $7 million trust fund, the New York City Mansion, and The Breakers. For years she resided gloomily in her two homes. Ever since the day of Cornelius's death, Alice, now the reigning "Mrs. Vanderbilt," had worn nothing but black and pearls, living in the past, spending her days alone in her fortress of a mansion on Fifth Avenue and in The Breakers, visiting only her family, and never seen in public.

In 1914, she was responsible for the construction of the Gwynne Building in Cincinnati, site of the first shop of Procter & Gamble, and later the company's headquarters.

By 1925 it had become so expensive to run both homes that they both began to look worn. To run The Breakers required 37 indoor servants, 13 grooms, and 12 gardeners. The 137-room Mansion in New York also took 37 servants. The $7 million dollar trust fund Alice had been left produced an annual income of $250,000 which was only just enough to cover the taxes on both houses. Taxes on The Breakers was $83,000 a year while taxes on the New York mansion, which had been $38,000 in 1890, had risen to $130,000. In 1925, Alice was forced to sell her New York home for $7 million dollars to the Bergdorf-Goodman department store, which demolished it and built upon it another department store which still occupies the spot today. Alice moved to a much smaller townhouse farther uptown that had been the home of George J. Gould, located at 1 East 67th Street, and which she bought for $800,000.

Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt died in New York City at the age of 88 in 1934. She left an estate of $10 million. Daughter Gladys Moore Vanderbilt Széchenyi inherited both The Breakers in Newport and her mother's second New York townhouse, along with the remainder of the $7 million trust fund Cornelius had left Alice. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney received the proceeds from the sale of 1 West 57th Street, while son Cornelius III received ownership of the Gwynne Building in Cincinnati.

1.   Alice Claypoole Gwynne, in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Alice Claypoole Gwynne Vanderbilt, in Find A Grave.