Rosecliff Opens September 1st After $7.4 Million Renovation

On September 1, Rosecliff will reopen to visitors for the first time since January 2, providing a sparkling setting for the exhibition “The Celestial City: Newport and China,” and, later in September, the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival. Highlights of this seven-million-dollar project include:

A Brief History of Rosecliff

Commissioned by 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, 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.

Bancroft was an amateur horticulturist who grew thousands of roses at Rosecliff. His gardens along the Cliff Walk were famous. The Oelrichs later bought additional property along Bellevue Avenue and commissioned Stanford White to replace the original house with the mansion that stands today. 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.

With its celebrated heart-shaped grand staircase and the largest ballroom in Newport, this elegant mansion overlooking the Atlantic Ocean recalls lost Gilded Age summers filled with extravagant parties like the one featured in 1974’s “The Great Gatsby,” for which scenes were filmed. Scenes from several other films have also been shot on location at Rosecliff, including “True Lies,” “Amistad” and “27 Dresses.”

Like Newport Buzz? We depend on the generosity of readers like you who support us, to help with our mission to keep you informed and entertained with local, independent news and content. We truly appreciate your trust and support!

newport mansions