The castles listed on A&E’s “America’s Castles” belonged to the rich and famous. By looking at the history of some of the families that owned these castles, it is easy to see why people say that America is the land of opportunity.
Cornelius Vanderbilt was a man who took advantage of the opportunities America had to offer. He was born on May 27, 1974, to a family of modest means. Cornelius ended his formal schooling by the age of 11. (Encyclopedia Americana, 1998, Vol. 27, 891) He achieved success because he was industrious. He knew how to work, and he knew the value of the money that came from hard work. Other qualities that made him successful were perseverance, enterprise, courage, and trustworthiness. Being trustworthy mean he could command better prices than others doing the same job. (Smith, 528, 1886) Because of these qualities, Cornelius Vanderbilt was able to amass one of the largest fortunes ever made in America from his shipping and railroad enterprises.
Three of America’s castles were built by descendants of the man who came out of humble beginning to amass such a large fortune. The Biltmore House, The Breakers, and Marble House were all built by Cornelius Vanderbilt’s descendants.
Biltmore House
The Biltmore House ( also known as America’s largest home) is located on 8,000 acres near Asheville, North Carolina. It was built for George W. Vanderbilt. The 250-
room French Renaissance chateau started in 1889 took hundreds of workers five years to build. (A&E, Biltmore, 2000)
The Breakers
The Breakers is located in Newport, Rhode Island. It was built for Cornelius Vanderbilt II. The 70-room castle (Italian Renaissance) was started in 1895. Upon its completion, the castle was filled with antiques form France and Italy, (A&E, Breakers, 2000)
Marble House
Marble House is also located in Newport, Rhode Island. During the 1890s, Newport became the summer colony of New England’s wealthiest families. Marble House was built for William K. Vanderbilt, who was a grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt intended for the summerhouse to be a “temple to the arts.” (A&E, Marble, 2000)
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Worksheet #4
810 Lake Grove Ct.
San Diego, CA 92131-8112
12/1/2009
Ms. Barbara Knight
2010 Rosewood Pl.
Riverside, CA 92506-6528
Dear Barbara
Can you believe that we will be in London in less than three months? London is one of my favorite places to visit.
I’ve done some checking on London’s theatres. Do any of the three plays I’ve listed below interest you? If so, let me know, and I’ll make the arrangements.
Les Miserables: Story revolves around nineteenth-century French Revolution with its struggles, passion, and love.
Starlight Miserables: Musical be Andrew Lloyd Weber with lyrics by Richard Stilgoe.
Les Miserables is being performed at the Palace Theatre, Amadeus at the Old Vic, and Starlight Express at the Apollo Victoria. The Palace Theatre and The Old Vic were both built in the 1800s.
I’ve confirmed our reservations at the Copthorne Tara. If there is anything else that you would like me to check, let me know.
Sincerely
Jessica C. Holloway
Jw
THEATRE
Tonight the house lights will din and another performance will begin on Broadway. Perhaps it will be another performance of Cats, a play that had accumulated 7,225 performances as of January 23, 2000. Or perhaps it will be the play that replaces Cats.
Somewhere, sometime today, another enactment of one of Shakespeare’s plays will take place. It may be in a high school auditorium, or it may be at a professional Shakespearean playhouse.
Theatre has enriched the lives of people for many years. No one really knows when the first play production was performed. However, historians say, “Theatre is as old as mankind. There have been primitive forms of it since man’s beginnings.” (Berthold, 1991, 1) The more commonly recognized form of theatre, the plat, dates back to what is referred to as “Greek Theatre” and “Roman Theatre.”
Greek Theatre
Greek Theatre started around 500 B.C. Sophocles and Aristophanes are two of the well-known Greek playwrights whose works are still being performed today.
Religious festivals that honored the Greek god of wine and fertility (Dionysus) were part of the culture of Greece around this time. The Greeks felt that if they honored Dionysus, he would in turn bless them with many children, rich land, and abundant crops. Plays were performed as part of these festivals.
To accommodate the large number of people who attend the plays (as many as 14,000 to 17,000 people, according to historians), theaters were built into a hillside. The plays were staged in the morning and lasted until sunset, since there was no electricity for lighting. (Prince and Jackson, 19997, 35)
Roman Theatre
The Roman Theatre was the next widely recognized form of the theatre. The first Roman theatrical performance, historians believe, was performed around 365 B.C. Seneca, Plautus, and Terentius are the best known of the early Roman playwrights. Seneca was known for his tragedies, while the other two were known for their comedies.
The Roman plays were similar to those of the Greeks. Unlike the Greeks, however, the Romans did not limit the number of actors in each play. Another major difference between the Greek and Roman theatres was the theatre buildings. The Romans were great engineers and architects. They built theatres that were unified, freestanding structures several stories high. (Prince and Jackson, 1997, 44)
AMERICAN LITERATURE - 1900’S
Literature
Author
A Rose for Emily (1930)
William Faulkner
The Grapes of Wrath (1939)
John Steinbeck
The Scotty Who Knew Too Much (1940)
James Thurber
House Make of Dawn (1968)
N. Scotty Momaday
Everyday Use (1973)
Alice Walker
The Wife’s Story (1932)
Ursula K. Le Guin
I Ask Me Mother to Sing ( 1986)
Li-Young Lee
The Phone Booth at the Corner (1989)
Juan Delgado
183 Lennox St.
Portland, ME 04103-5282
12/1/2009
Ms. Suzzanne Hamlin, President
Portland Historical Society
1821 Island View Rd.
Portland, ME 04107-3712
After doing research on possible historical destinations for our Annual Portland Historical Society trip, I narrowed our choices to the Hildene House in Manchester, Vermont, and The Breakers in Newport, Rhode Island. The Hildene House was built in 1902 for Robert Todd Lincoln, the son of Abraham Lincoln; The Breakers was built for Cornelius Vanderbilt II in 1895.
I met with our planning committee yesterday to share the information I was able to obtain. After discussing the merits of both places, our recommendation is The Beakers for this year’s trip. Even though we liked both places, the committee felt that many of our members would have already visited the Hildene House since it is so close to Portland.
I’ve attached some information on The Beakers. As soon as I receive the additional information I requested about expenses. I will send it to you. You should have it in plenty of time for the June meeting.
San Diego, CA 92131-8112
12/1/2009
Ms. Barbara Knight
2010 Rosewood Pl.
Riverside, CA 92506-6528
Dear Barbara
Can you believe that we will be in London in less than three months? London is one of my favorite places to visit.
I’ve done some checking on London’s theatres. Do any of the three plays I’ve listed below interest you? If so, let me know, and I’ll make the arrangements.
Les Miserables: Story revolves around nineteenth-century French Revolution with its struggles, passion, and love.
Starlight Miserables: Musical be Andrew Lloyd Weber with lyrics by Richard Stilgoe.
Les Miserables is being performed at the Palace Theatre, Amadeus at the Old Vic, and Starlight Express at the Apollo Victoria. The Palace Theatre and The Old Vic were both built in the 1800s.
I’ve confirmed our reservations at the Copthorne Tara. If there is anything else that you would like me to check, let me know.
Sincerely
Jessica C. Holloway
Jw
THEATRE
Tonight the house lights will din and another performance will begin on Broadway. Perhaps it will be another performance of Cats, a play that had accumulated 7,225 performances as of January 23, 2000. Or perhaps it will be the play that replaces Cats.
Somewhere, sometime today, another enactment of one of Shakespeare’s plays will take place. It may be in a high school auditorium, or it may be at a professional Shakespearean playhouse.
Theatre has enriched the lives of people for many years. No one really knows when the first play production was performed. However, historians say, “Theatre is as old as mankind. There have been primitive forms of it since man’s beginnings.” (Berthold, 1991, 1) The more commonly recognized form of theatre, the plat, dates back to what is referred to as “Greek Theatre” and “Roman Theatre.”
Greek Theatre
Greek Theatre started around 500 B.C. Sophocles and Aristophanes are two of the well-known Greek playwrights whose works are still being performed today.
Religious festivals that honored the Greek god of wine and fertility (Dionysus) were part of the culture of Greece around this time. The Greeks felt that if they honored Dionysus, he would in turn bless them with many children, rich land, and abundant crops. Plays were performed as part of these festivals.
To accommodate the large number of people who attend the plays (as many as 14,000 to 17,000 people, according to historians), theaters were built into a hillside. The plays were staged in the morning and lasted until sunset, since there was no electricity for lighting. (Prince and Jackson, 19997, 35)
Roman Theatre
The Roman Theatre was the next widely recognized form of the theatre. The first Roman theatrical performance, historians believe, was performed around 365 B.C. Seneca, Plautus, and Terentius are the best known of the early Roman playwrights. Seneca was known for his tragedies, while the other two were known for their comedies.
The Roman plays were similar to those of the Greeks. Unlike the Greeks, however, the Romans did not limit the number of actors in each play. Another major difference between the Greek and Roman theatres was the theatre buildings. The Romans were great engineers and architects. They built theatres that were unified, freestanding structures several stories high. (Prince and Jackson, 1997, 44)
AMERICAN LITERATURE - 1900’S
Literature
Author
A Rose for Emily (1930)
William Faulkner
The Grapes of Wrath (1939)
John Steinbeck
The Scotty Who Knew Too Much (1940)
James Thurber
House Make of Dawn (1968)
N. Scotty Momaday
Everyday Use (1973)
Alice Walker
The Wife’s Story (1932)
Ursula K. Le Guin
I Ask Me Mother to Sing ( 1986)
Li-Young Lee
The Phone Booth at the Corner (1989)
Juan Delgado
183 Lennox St.
Portland, ME 04103-5282
12/1/2009
Ms. Suzzanne Hamlin, President
Portland Historical Society
1821 Island View Rd.
Portland, ME 04107-3712
After doing research on possible historical destinations for our Annual Portland Historical Society trip, I narrowed our choices to the Hildene House in Manchester, Vermont, and The Breakers in Newport, Rhode Island. The Hildene House was built in 1902 for Robert Todd Lincoln, the son of Abraham Lincoln; The Breakers was built for Cornelius Vanderbilt II in 1895.
I met with our planning committee yesterday to share the information I was able to obtain. After discussing the merits of both places, our recommendation is The Beakers for this year’s trip. Even though we liked both places, the committee felt that many of our members would have already visited the Hildene House since it is so close to Portland.
I’ve attached some information on The Beakers. As soon as I receive the additional information I requested about expenses. I will send it to you. You should have it in plenty of time for the June meeting.
Worksheet 4
MEMO
Date: 11/24/2009
To: Jessica Holloway
Cc:
From: Barbara Knight
RE: LONDON EXCURSION
I’ve listed below several other events. Along with a brief description, which are taking place in London while we are there. Please let me know which ones are of interest to you, and I’ll get additional information on them.
Lawn Tennis Championship. Tournament started in 1877 at Wimbledon. It is now recognized as one of the premiere Grand Slam events.
Kenwood Lakeside Concerts. Fifty-year tradition of outdoor concerts. Includes fireworks and laser shows.
The Proms. Henry Wood Promenade Concerts started in 1895. Attracts devoted music lovers from around the world.
Outdoor Shakespeare Performances. Shakespeare plays in the open air. Bring a blanket and enjoy!
Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition. Founded in 1768. Over two centuries of summer exhibits of living painters.
Date: 11/24/2009
To: Jessica Holloway
Cc:
From: Barbara Knight
RE: LONDON EXCURSION
I’ve listed below several other events. Along with a brief description, which are taking place in London while we are there. Please let me know which ones are of interest to you, and I’ll get additional information on them.
Lawn Tennis Championship. Tournament started in 1877 at Wimbledon. It is now recognized as one of the premiere Grand Slam events.
Kenwood Lakeside Concerts. Fifty-year tradition of outdoor concerts. Includes fireworks and laser shows.
The Proms. Henry Wood Promenade Concerts started in 1895. Attracts devoted music lovers from around the world.
Outdoor Shakespeare Performances. Shakespeare plays in the open air. Bring a blanket and enjoy!
Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition. Founded in 1768. Over two centuries of summer exhibits of living painters.
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