Sometimes even seriously rich people need houses that are more comfortable than showy. The Rockefellers had Kykuit as their modest retreat.
From the patriarch of the family, oil magnate John D. (1839-1937) to Vice-President Nelson (1908-1979) and his sons, generations of Rockefellers lived in Kykuit on the Hudson River. The Dutch colonists had named the hill Kykuit (lookout) for its panoramic views. The house was built between 1906 and 1913 as a family retreat, to be used when an escape from New York was necessary.
John D. Rockefeller was one of the original ‘robber barons’, who, in the 1870s, consolidated the oil industry under Standard Oil and ruthlessly eliminated all competition. He was an all work, no play type whose self-belief, disregard of law, and organisational talent contributed to his riches. When Standard Oil was dismantled by the order of Congress in 1911, Rockefeller became the first billionaire of the US, as he was the largest stakeholder in all of the new, more valuable oil firms.
Money was flowing in with such a speed that there was no point of leaving it all to the family, and thus philantrophy became essential. Despite funding a couple of universities (Chicago and Rockefeller), and a myriad of other causes, Rockefeller only managed to give away half of his riches. The subsequent generations continued the philantrophy, and dabbled in art collecting and politics. The Rockefeller Foundation still has an endowment of over 4 billion dollars.
Kykuit was not the only or even biggest of the Rockefeller homes. John D. Rockefeller wanted this building for comfort and not for show. Thus the scale of the building, and its rooms, are relatively modest compared to many palaces of contemporary millionaires. The interior is in restrained classical revival style, with furnishings specially bought in London and Paris. However, the first version of the house did not please John D. Rockefeller himself (the building work had been supervised by his son), and extensive alterations were made. In particular, as noise from the kitchen and deliveries had bothered the patriarch, these were moved further away.
The garden provides fine views over the Hudson Valley, with a copy of Giambologna’s Oceanus fountain as a focus point, and a swimming pool that was used by the younger generations of the family. These days the house belongs to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which also preserves the links to the current generation of the Rockefellers.
Sources – Henry Joyce: Kykuit – The House and Gardens of the Rockefeller Family; Matthew Robertson: The Robber Barons
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