History & Architecture
Rosecliff was built in 1902 by Theresa Fair Oelrichs (Tessie), a silver heiress from Nevada. The home was designed to be a space for grand scale entertaining, with it’s most prominent feature being the ballroom. She dedicated all of her energy to becoming one of the three great hostesses of Newport.
The grounds of Rosecliff were originally owned by George Bancroft, an amateur horticulturalist and historian. He grew thousands of roses along the cliff walk on the shore, and the walk was relatively well-known. The Oelrichs purchased the Bancroft property, as well as the property between that and the street. They built Rosecliff there.
Like many of the mansions, this was built to be fire resistant. The view from the street would make someone think that the mansion is made out of marble blocks, but in reality bricks coated with glazed terracotta were used. This gave the appearance of marble for a fraction of the cost.
Gilded Age Weddings
Rosecliff is the only mansion in Newport that serves as a venue for wedding ceremonies. With the largest ballroom in Newport and the heart-shaped staircase, Rosecliff has hosted some grand weddings. The ballroom is large enough to sit 180 people for dinner, still leaving room for a dance floor. I think that the extravagant silver heiress and party hostess would be happy to know that there are still amazing events that are happening in her home.
Rosecliff in Cinema
The beautiful ballroom and grounds of Rosecliff has attracted movie producers for years. Scenes from The Great Gatsby, True Lies, Amistad and 27 Dresses have been filmed at Rosecliff. It may be time to watch these again and try to spot Rosecliff.
The Good, The Bad, The Beautiful
The Good
While Rosecliff is beautiful, it is rather simple compared to the other mansions. The stories that were available through the audio tour bolstered our experience considerably. Learning about how the ballroom was turned into a roller skating rink was entertaining. Hearing about how Tessie lost her mind and began hosting imaginary guests in her old age was sobering. Overall, Rosecliff was considerably more enjoyable when you take the time to hear the stories about what happened there.
The Bad
This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is something to be aware of. The second floor of Rosecliff is largely an art exhibit. The exhibit rotates, and the art is beautiful, but it was a bit of a surprise to transition from a gilded age mansion to a more or less modern styled hallway. Again, this is not a bad thing, but it was unexpected.
The Beautiful
If you direct your attention to the photos of the ballroom, you will notice that the ceiling has been painted to portray a blue sky. This, along with the many doors that would be opened during events, contribute to a feeling of being outside. It was fun to imagine dancing in the ballroom and staring at the ceiling, almost being free to drift off into space. Rosecliff must be a fantastic place to attend any event.
