If rumors that point to Rhinebeck, NY's Astor Courts as the scene of Chelsea Clinton's wedding are true, the former first daughter and fiance Marc Mezvinsky have chosen a storied estate with a Gilded Age pedigree -- and a whiff of scandal.
Located on 50 acres of rolling green hills and Hudson River views, Astor Courts is one of the Hudson Valley's grandest Gilded Age mansions and an appropriately secluded spot for Chelsea Clinton and her hundreds of guests. John Jacob Astor IV, great-grandson of the multimillionaire furrier, commissioned the Beaux Arts-style structure in 1902 from society architect Stanford White, partner in the firm McKim, Mead and White.
Though White always called the building "Astor Courts," others dubbed it "Ferncliff Casino," a reference to the building's purpose as a sporting pavilion (not a gambling parlor) on the Astors' 2,800-acre estate, Ferncliff. The other Ferncliff buildings are now demolished, but Astor Courts remains impressive on its own.
When completed in 1904, Astor Courts held an indoor swimming pool, indoor tennis courts and guest bedrooms on the second floor. The first floor featured a bowling alley and shooting range, plus outdoor lawn tennis courts and two squash courts.
Astor Courts' elegant lines and beautiful setting -- perfect for Chelsea Clinton's nuptials -- nevertheless carry a tale of tragedy and Gilded Age scandal.
Stanford White, a notorious womanizer, was murdered by the socialite Harry Thaw in 1906 over his affair with Thaw's wife, the nubile actress and model Evelyn Nesbit. Somewhat fittingly, the murder took place during a performance of Mam'zelle Champagne in the roof garden of Madison Square Garden, a building McKim, Mead and White designed in 1890. Thaw's resulting two murder trials, culminating in a verdict of guilty by reason of temporary insanity, were called the trial of the century (though the century was less than a decade old).
Meanwhile, back in Rhinebeck, John Jacob Astor IV and his wife, Ava, entertained guests at Ferncliff and at Astor Courts. In 1909, however, Astor divorced Ava and remarried quickly, a scandal that rippled through high society. While Astor was 47, his new wife, Madeleine Talmage Force, was just 18 -- one year younger than Astor's son, Vincent. The newlyweds decamped to Europe to let the gossip die down, then booked their return on the RMS Titanic. Madeleine, who was pregnant, survived, while Astor did not.
Despite the epic tragedies, Astor Courts is fully restored and prepped for Chelsea Clinton and family. The property is even on the market for a mere $12 million, should the happy couple be swept up in its colorful history.
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