Idle Hour Tour Links
    Introduction
    The First Mansion
    The Second Mansion
    Entrance Hall
    Dining Room
    Living Hall
    Library
    Queen Anne Salon
    Corridor
    Smoking Room
    Cloisters
    Palm Garden
    Tennis Court & Cloister Wing
    Staircase
    The Second Floor
    The Third Floor
    Basement
    Post Vanderbilt Years
    Dowling College

    The Estate and Environs

The Mansion
Servant's: Third Floor

The third floor was for servants' use. The Suffolk County News explains: "On the upper floor are a number of linen closets and rooms for the storage of blankets, clothing, etc., which are lined with fragrant red cedar, which is most discouraging to moths. These as well as all of the dark closets and clothes rooms are provided with automatic electric lights which are lighted and extinguished by the opening and closing of the door. Beside the several staircases, there are three elevators. One is for the exclusive use of Mr. Vanderbilt and his guests, and is operated automatically, the motor power being a storage battery. The others are for the use of the servants and for baggage, etc."

Servants were summoned by an intricate communications system described in The Suffolk County News: "The house has a very elaborate system of electric wiring and switchboards so arranged that by the simple movement of a switch, any apartment on the second floor may be connected with the third floor wing, where are located the apartments for the servants, with additional rooms for the use of the valets and maids of Mr. Vanderbilt's guests. By this means, a guest may, at any time, be in constant contact with his or her own personal servant or with an attendant assigned from among the 50 or more employed in the house." It continues to give a brief description of their living quarters: "The servants have fine large rooms with several bathrooms and some of the more important functionaries like the butler have handsome apartments with open fireplaces, mantels, etc."

Return To The Entrance Hall