Miramar (mansion)
Encyclopedia
Miramar is a 30000 square feet (2,787.1 m²) French neoclassical-style mansion on 7.8 acres (31,565.5 m²) bordering Bellevue Avenue on Aquidneck Island
at Newport, Rhode Island
. Overlooking Rhode Island Sound
, it was intended as a summer home for the George D. Widener
family of Philadelphia. It was designed by Horace Trumbauer
, who had earlier designed the nearby Edward Julius Berwind
property, The Elms; the gardens were created by Jacques Gréber
.
The building and landscaping was still in the design stage when George Widener and his son Harry
lost their lives aboard the RMS Titanic when the ocean liner
sank on April 15, 1912 after hitting an iceberg. His widow, Eleanor Elkins Widener, who was rescued in a lifeboat from the Titanic, completed the project and construction was undertaken during 1913 and 1914 and opened to friends with a large reception on August 20, 1915.
The 27-bedroom, 14-bath mansion has a 28' × 66' Grand Salon/ballroom on the first floor which opens onto a 4000 square feet (371.6 m²) oceanfront terrace. Among its other features, the mansion has a 10,000-bottle wine cellar
with a 20-ft (6 m) stone basin for icing up to 200 bottles of champagne at once. The property features includes a 6000 square feet (557.4 m²) carriage house
and gardens with a bronze fountain designed by French sculptor Henri-Léon Gréber
, son of the landscape designer.
Miramar was used by Andrew Panteleakis as a private residence with business offices from 1971 through 2006. Panteleakis, who purchased the property for $
118,000, sold it in November 2006 for $17.15 million.
Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island, located in the state of Rhode Island, is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. The island's official name is Rhode Island, and the common use of name "Aquidneck Island" helps distinguish the island from the state. The total land area is 97.9 km²...
at Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
. Overlooking Rhode Island Sound
Rhode Island Sound
Rhode Island Sound is a strait of water, off the coast of the state of Rhode Island at mouth of Narragansett Bay. It forms the eastern extension of Long Island Sound and opens out the Atlantic Ocean between Block Island and Martha's Vineyard....
, it was intended as a summer home for the George D. Widener
George Dunton Widener
George Dunton Widener was an American businessman who died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic.-Biography:...
family of Philadelphia. It was designed by Horace Trumbauer
Horace Trumbauer
Horace Trumbauer was a prominent American architect of the Gilded Age, known for designing residential manors for the wealthy. Later in his career he also designed hotels, office buildings, and much of the campus of Duke University...
, who had earlier designed the nearby Edward Julius Berwind
Edward Julius Berwind
Edward Julius Berwind was the founder of the Berwind-White Coal Mining Company. He was head of the company from 1886 until 1930.-Biography:...
property, The Elms; the gardens were created by Jacques Gréber
Jacques Gréber
Jacques-Henri-Auguste Gréber was a French architect specializing in landscape architecture and urban design. He was a strong proponent of the Beaux-Arts style and a contributor to the City Beautiful movement, particularly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Ottawa, Ontario.-Early life and...
.
The building and landscaping was still in the design stage when George Widener and his son Harry
Harry Elkins Widener
Harry Elkins Widener was a businessman and book collector from the United States.-Biography:Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was the son of George Dunton Widener and Eleanor Elkins Widener, and the grandson of the extremely wealthy entrepreneur, Peter A. B...
lost their lives aboard the RMS Titanic when the ocean liner
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
sank on April 15, 1912 after hitting an iceberg. His widow, Eleanor Elkins Widener, who was rescued in a lifeboat from the Titanic, completed the project and construction was undertaken during 1913 and 1914 and opened to friends with a large reception on August 20, 1915.
The 27-bedroom, 14-bath mansion has a 28' × 66' Grand Salon/ballroom on the first floor which opens onto a 4000 square feet (371.6 m²) oceanfront terrace. Among its other features, the mansion has a 10,000-bottle wine cellar
Wine cellar
A wine cellar is a storage room for wine in bottles or barrels, or more rarely in carboys, amphorae or plastic containers. In an active wine cellar, important factors such as temperature and humidity are maintained by a climate control system. In contrast, passive wine cellars are not...
with a 20-ft (6 m) stone basin for icing up to 200 bottles of champagne at once. The property features includes a 6000 square feet (557.4 m²) carriage house
Carriage house
A carriage house, also called remise or coach house, is an outbuilding which was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and the related tack.In Great Britain the farm building was called a Cart Shed...
and gardens with a bronze fountain designed by French sculptor Henri-Léon Gréber
Henri-Léon Gréber
Henri Léon Greber was a French sculptor. His son was the architect Jacques Gréber. Active in the United States of America, he produced a fountain sculpture of 4 equestrian statues for Harbor Hill and the copy of The Kiss in the Philadelphia Rodin Museum.-See also:*Monument...
, son of the landscape designer.
Miramar was used by Andrew Panteleakis as a private residence with business offices from 1971 through 2006. Panteleakis, who purchased the property for $
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
118,000, sold it in November 2006 for $17.15 million.
External links
- Details and photos of Miramar
- The home sits at 646 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI