For many years, a lot of my Facebook friends have posted their love for the British television series, Downton Abbey. Surprisingly enough, it’s a show that Janet and I hadn’t really paid much attention to and didn’t really understand the hype. Last week we were browsing through Netflix and Amazon Prime for something to binge watch, and decided to give it a try. I guess you could say we liked it as we devoured three seasons within the course of a week. Seeing the stories being played out made me want to get a sense of the lifestyle first hand. With a beautiful weekend in the forecast, I knew I didn’t want to just watch television all weekend, so instead I planned a trip to Newport, Rhode Island and see the American version of this tale.

Newport, RI was the summer home of New York society during America’s Guilded Age before the great depression. Bellevue Avenue is a thoroughfare at the center of the south end of the island. Along this tree lined street and on the streets and avenues that cross it are lavish mansions and beautiful homes that rival some of Europe’s finest palaces. Though many were torn down in the mid-20th century, a few have been preserved by the Preservation Society and other groups and can be toured by the general public.

I did some research online and found the Preservation Society to have some of the best options.  Having only planned a day-trip we opted to buy a 2 house ticket, which we thought would give us enough of the Downton Abbey feel, and allow us to get home at a decent time. Our first house was The Breakers. Built by Cornelius Vanderbilt, it is the largest of all the houses in Newport. I say houses, but these places were known as summer cottages in which they only were used for six weeks of the year. During that time, the socialites would attend nightly parties and balls throughout the town. It was easy to see how the Vanderbilt’s could entertain in this lavish edifice. The dining room alone was larger than any home I’ve ever lived. The great hall with its grand staircase looked as if Cinderella herself could descend the steps to meet Prince Charming.

Some of the rooms were decorated for Christmas. We learned that the mansions have a wonderful Christmas tradition of lavish adornments, and this was only the beginning. Maybe next year we’ll come back to see everything when it’s all decked out.

Each guest is given a recorded tour headset upon entering, so you learn a lot about the house as they guide you through every room, including the servants areas like the kitchens, and the secret hallways for the help. So much of it seemed familiar after watching the life of the Crowleys in England. I wasn’t surprised that there were books about Highclere Castle and Downton Abbey in the book store.

Before going to the second house, we made a detour off the main street for me to find a picture from my childhood. When I was little, my mother used to watch the gothic horror soap opera, Dark Shadows. I remember having nightmares of Barnabas Collins, the vampire and the large house they all lived in. If you haven’t guessed, I’m an avid fan of Internet research. It didn’t take too much looking to find that Seaview Terrace is the name of the house used in the opening credits of the show, and it’s located right there in Newport. In fact it was only about a hundred yards away from The Breakers. The rear of the house was used for the shot on the show, and is difficult to find if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Fortunately for me, we have Google Maps that allowed me to know exactly where to go to get my picture. The yard is surrounded by an ivy covered fence, but I found an opening from which I could take my picture. A couple of years ago, I’d learned that the rocky shore of Kennebunkport was where they filmed the crashing of the waves for the same opening credits. I know it’s geeky and weird,  but I felt a sense of satisfaction that I’d actually seen these two places that haunted my childhood dreams.

The second house was Rosecliff. The recording told us this was the house used in the 1970s move, The Great Gatsby, with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. The entry had a marvelous heart shaped stair case that looked ideal for weddings. Not surprisingly, besides tours, that is the main use for this house. The upstairs is dedicated to the bridal business, and also contains space for short term exhibits in the old bedrooms. The downstairs contained a beautiful ballroom with glass paned doors that opened to a garden on one side of the hall, and the ocean on the other. Janet and I could both imagine ourselves at a ritzy party in this beautiful setting. The woman who’d built the house had a sad life, especially after the Newport craze had ended and society no longer convened there for the summer. The recording mentioned that the help believed she still walks the house looking for family and friends…. spooky, right?

What a day. Walking through the environment of the show we’d just binged on was an immersive experience that really made it all come together. Newport is a beautiful city, on the water’s edge. We are definitely coming back to this New England gem!

 

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller