Why New York’s Largest Mansion EVER Was Demolished (Cornelius Vanderbilt II House)

[@oldmoneymansions]

COMMENT: Were you aware of the history of the Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion - and do you think it should have been preserved as a museum?

[@rosssoutherland8118]

Yes! So many unnecessarily destroyed.

[@johnsmith100]

Yes and Yes :) Anderson’s great grandparents (Reginald’s mom and dad).

[@waynejones205]

No, I wasn't, and IDK why the Bergdorf building was not just formed from a big remodeling of the mansion itself.

[@equine2020]

Yes. Our past needs preserving.

[@ihavefallenandicantreachmy2113]

Nature should be persevered, as Nature, not as some rickety old Mansion and/or dumb old Church.

[@kevingreen3923]

So sad it was torn down. It would've made a great museum. Would love to see a video on "the breakers" mansion in Newport, RI

[@CalTxDude]

I became aware of the Cornelius Vanderbilt mansion a little over a decade ago, and I was completely interested and yet couldn't find very much information period this video is the most informative and compresensitive one I have seen. Thank you so much for all of your wonderful and educational videos

[@LSTEdD1]

I just saw the Vanderbilt fireplace yesterday at The Metropolitan Museum. They also have a library table.

[@LJB103]

If not a museum, at least it could have been used by Bergdorf Goodman as their store in the same way that Ralph Lauren would later use the Rhinelander-Waldo mansion (Madison Ave.) for its store while preserving the interiors. I suspect it was the $$$$$ that talked; the idea of turning brother William's "Petit Chateau" into a museum was broached; but they wanted the cash. Also, by the time the mansion was torn down son Cornelius III was disinherited and his 3 brothers (William, Alfred and Reginald) were all dead. When I first saw photos of this home, I thought that it had a large wing and not that there was a similar style mansion behind it on W 58th. Excellent video.

[@TheLootLad]

This video seems like they watched a This House video and just copied it like that cultured elegance channel does. Shame people cannot make their own content and have to copy others. Seems every time Ken does a video, 3 channels make a copy video..

[@rosssoutherland8118]

Been waiting for this! Fabulous! Thank You!

[@StevenCasper]

Great video and no i was not aware of the mansion history. Thanks for the video.

[@annmarie7488]

Replaced by Bergdorf’s which was then demolished to make way for the highly controversial Toddler Tower.

[@LSTEdD1]

The dancing you are showing is the Music Room of the Breakers, showing scenes from “The Gilded Age” The famous ball was held by Alva Vanderbilt, not Alice.

[@venusparker8970]

How very sad..THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS

[@mansionsandsecrets]

Very exciting video! Of course it’s a pity that they demolished it, in my opinion it would have turned out to be a nice mansion, I give the author a like!

[@roberthossen8354]

Thank you so much for this and so many other interesting vidoes! Yes, I think that this particular mansion should have been preserved as a museum, just like the Frick mansion.

[@BusyBob6971]

Very good video

[@liamwagner9160]

I disagree with those who say “money cannot buy happiness”… Money can buy extreme happiness. With this extreme happiness comes also with extreme risk, responsibility, and if poorly managed, stress. If something happens, sadness at an equal to or greater amount of any happiness the wealth provided you can occur.

[@elizabethwallace7495]

Should have been a museum! Of course! This is a tragedy! In Europe they would have repurposed it. But not in New York City. Terrible! Terrible!!!

[@Cincinnatian777]

It would have been good if it had been preserved as some other mansions were, but I would speculate that it's prominent location at 57th & 5th Ave. was the Vanderbilt mansion's downfall.

[@josephstashkevetch2104]

NYC real estate business is nothing short of ruthless. It is a culture of dollars and cents with no consideration for culture or history. That being said, the Vanderbilts are no less to blame for having burned through their incalculable resources without making any provisions for securing or preserving any of the mansions they built in NYC. We are fortunate to have a few examples that can be accessed by the public...the Frick, Carnegie and Warburg mansions on 5th Ave and the Morgan Library and mansion on lower Madison Ave., all serving as museums today.

[@dojocho1894]

Corporations and bankers have no souls

[@ihavefallenandicantreachmy2113]

Bakers have 13 Bowls.

[@HORSEYANIME2024]

It should had been preserved as a Vanderbilt museum instead of being demolished

Right now I'm reading "A Well.Behaved Woman" a story about Alva Vanderbilt's work w Richard.Hunt. I didn't know of its demolition and I should; born and lived in NYC for 50years. The book brought me here. Alva Vanderbilt's vision was not mere social bravado but an effort to bring NYC to show its people a beauty and culture much like the ornamentations and art, craftsmanship and architecture of Paris; building a society both physically and spiritually. America is losing its appreciation for these fundamental needs; the mind-body-spirit ideology. NEVER should been demolished! It stood for more than architecture.. No I wasn't aware of the replacement. So reckless.

[@waynejones205]

These mansions more resembled Museums inside. I couldn't live this way, throwing grand parties for "society" and seemingly just to be seen. Maybe a "Breakers, Rhode Island" type mansion at the most.

[@annmarie7488]

I think that being seen was crucial to their wealth. I believe they all were interlocked to a degree that was secretive and duplicitous.

[@rick0e295]

This Magnificent Mansion beautifully VANDER built 😉. Like so many other historic buildings is a lost treasure, the victim of commercial greed! 😢

[@Denise-kc8np]

Certainly sad!!

[@LSTEdD1]

Yes, as a former guide at the beautiful “The Breakers” in Newport I am sad that it was demolished. However, I am so happy that The Preservation Society of Newport County has preserved The Breakers.

[@ihavefallenandicantreachmy2113]

"The Breakers" was demolished, then, it was preserved? Now, that, is a "David Copperfield Special", of epic proportions.

[@LSTEdD1]

@@ihavefallenandicantreachmy2113 My reference to “demolished” was to the building cited in the video, not “The Breakers.”

[@thenorthstars2210]

If it hadn't been torn down what would the value of it be today?

[@ARBITRAGEandTIME]

Just imagine renting out all the rooms on Airbnb...

Of course! Beauty is forever..

[@janeburkhardSF]

Sad 😞 it’s not a museum. Land was too valuable. Had no idea Bergdorf Goodman was built in its place.

[@equine2020]

Shame. Why does America destroy the past? Ignorance. Other countries cherish their past. They maintain the old.

[@desertfox1273]

Yes! So true! Travel to Europe and see the wonders of the past. Not here in America....it's shameful!!!

[@equine2020]

@@desertfox1273 True our country destroys our history. Undoubtedly to erase the dems past of misdeeds. They can't allow Americans to know their evil past.

[@RW-zh7kl]

I haven't been many places, but I did get to visit Prague. And that city is amazing, one of the few that didn't get destroyed by World Wars and has been preserved very well. Most people there walk everywhere, take street cars, it's just a really awesome place. They have high taxes, but if I could live anywhere that would be one place I would like.

[@4x4country_girl69]

To hide it 😢

[@libertywest5835]

def should have been preserved

[@cookiebun95]

The show/film clips of the ball featured are from the show The Gilded Age, Julian Fellowes' follow up to Downton Abbey. I don't know why they are calling it Belle Epoque here. Belle Epoque usually refers to Europe whereas The Gilded Age refers to the US, especially people like Vanderbilt and his crowd.

[@cynthismanning6397]

What????????? I don't understand!!!!!!

[@sixpackbinky]

Who stayed in all those rooms?

[@dalebetts5658]

I didn’t know. I wish it was not demolished but who would support the mantainense.

[@julietamenez7348]

Preserved as Museum

[@jerryloufretz1797]

Preserved, I wish.

[@RW-zh7kl]

I just wonder what happened to all their money.

[@vickihatley4041]

I've looked at pictures of it Bergdor Goodman was rather short sided It would have been a much beloved store that store is rather boring i went up 4 the Thanksgiving parade it's windows were nice but they're no Vanderbilt mansion at least we have 1 in No.Car. it's beautiful no matter what the season Ever 1 needs 2 trip just 2 see it

[@ARBITRAGEandTIME]

Anderson Cooper lives there?

[@margaretadekunle4017]

I thought the name Vanderbilt was a magician I never know they used to wealthy.

[@BlackJesus8463]

TBH they look impossible to maintain and I feel the same way about skyscrapers. Vanity projects are bad karma.

[@diannecampbell18]

😮 slaves to keep it up???????????????????????

[@auliashandy4949]

Incredibly of intelligence

[@Susieq26754]

Im glad its gone. All of you who are sad they tore it down. You can always look at video or a photograph.