Would You Live in This 250-Room American Home?

The Gilded Age of America was known for many wealthy families like the Vanderbilts, the Rockefellers, and the du Ponts. While today many Americans find it challenging to make enough money to own their own home, these wealthy tycoons owned multiple mansions, some of which were twenty times larger than the average American family house. Even today, a select few continue this tradition, building custom homes that could easily accommodate an entire village. (These are the grandest historic mansions in each state.)

Curious about America’s most extravagant homes? Here at 24/7 Wall Street, we’re taking a look at the smallest of this colossal group and working our way up to the largest. We’ll uncover who owns these mansions and their current purpose, drawing insights from sources like Explore, Family Handy Man, and Largest.

Why Does This Matter?

It’s very likely that you’ll never get to live in a house like the ones below. However, when talking about Wall Street, it’s important to talk about the lives of the one percent who have influenced the country’s history. Speaking of history, some of these homes are quite old and have a rich history and important functions currently as museums, college buildings, and even research facilities. It’s important to see how the one percent live, and what they do with the wealth they accrue.

These are the 15 largest houses in America.

15. Woodlea

• Square Footage: 70,000
  
• Location: New York
• When Built: 1895

A Victorian Beauty

Woodlea, situated in Briarcliff Manor, New York, is a beautiful Victorian-style home. This 70,000-square-foot home was first built for Elliot Fitch and his wife, Maggie, and featured 75 different rooms within its walls. They later sold the house to Sleepy Hollow Country Club. Now fully converted to host all sorts of golfers, the home still retains much of its original details and beauty.

14. Idle Hour

• Square Footage: 70,000
• Location: New York
• When Built: 1882
  

A Piece of Art

This home, finished in 1882, was built for William Vanderbilt of the famous Vanderbilt family. Though it’s the same size as the house before it, this one holds 110 rooms. It was once considered one of the most beautiful homes in all of America. In 1920, William passed away, and the house went through several different owners before eventually being auctioned off due to bankruptcy in 2017. It was sold to Mercury International LLC for $26.1 million.

13. Pensmore

• Square Footage: 72,215
• Location: Missouri
• When Built: 2016
  

Sturdy Construction

Pensmore is a newer build, started in 2008 and completed in 2016. It can be found in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. Steven Huff built and still currently lives in the home, which he made to handle all sorts of natural disasters and emergencies like tornadoes, earthquakes, and even bombs. With five stories, 12-inch thick walls, and 13 bedrooms, Huff believes the house will last at least 2,000 years.

12. Indian Neck Hall

• Square Footage: 75,000
• Location: New York
• When Built: 1897

A Bourne Legacy

In 1879, Frederick Gilbert Bourne, president of Singer Manufacturing Company, built Indian Neck Hall. At the time it was built, this 110-room home was the largest on Long Island. The family stayed in the home until Frederick passed away. After his death, however, his children sold the estate. In 1926, the home opened as a military academy and is now used as an additional campus by St. John’s University in Queens.

11. Florham 

• Square Footage: 80,000
  
• Location: New Jersey
• When Built: 1899

The Vanderbilt Fortune

This house was also built by a Vanderbilt, though by Florence Adele Vanderbilt this time. It was thought to cost about $5 million to build this mansion, which is around $146 million today. In 1955, the estate was broken up, with Fairleigh Dickinson University acquiring the mansion and 178 acres of garden.

10. Versailles 

• Square Footage: 85,000
• Location: Florida
• When Built: 2023

Exorberant Expense

This house has everything the you may need, including 14 bedrooms, nine kitchens, three indoor pools, a 20,000-bottle wine cellar, and a video arcade. It is thought to have cost over $100 million to build, putting it in fourth place for the most expensive house in U.S. history. This home is located in Windermere, Florida and belongs to David Siegel and his wife Jacqueline, the star of The Queen of Versailles (2012).

9. Meadow Brook Hall

• Square Footage: 88,000
• Location: Michigan
• When Built: 1929

A Mansion Museum

Matilda Dodge Wilson, heir to the Dodge Motor Company, had Meadow Brook Hall designed and built for her personal use. The home has 110 rooms and almost 15,000 acres, which cost roughly $4 million. In 1957, Matilda donated the house to Michigan to help create Oakland University. Now, it’s a historic museum, the fourth largest in the United States.

8. Shadow Lawn 

• Square Footage: 90,000
• Location: New Jersey
• When Built: 1929

Now Part of the University

Shadow Lawn is one of the largest homes in the U.S. before the Great Depression. In 1985, the home became a National Historic Landmark. The house was originally a summer home for President Woodrow Wilson and has over 130 rooms. In 1956, it became part of Monmouth University. It was also used in the movie Annie as the home of Oliver Warbucks.

7. Winterthur

• Square Footage: 96,582
  
• Location: Delaware
• When Built: 1937

Ever-Growing

Though 1937 marked the year Winterthur was originally finished, the home has undergone several renovations since then. In fact, since 1937, the house has doubled in size. It was built by the du Pont family and they still own the home today. However, the house is used mostly as a way for the family to collect trinkets and furniture. It’s said that there are over 90,000 trinkets across its 175 rooms, which are available to tour.

6. Arden House

• Square Footage: 97,188
• Location: New York
• When Built: 1909

A House for Research

The Arden House took five years to build for Edward Henry Harriman, a railroad magnate. The home was built in Harriman, New York. Currently, it is used by the Research Center on Natural Conservation, a nonprofit organization. The home offers a conference center and 97 guest rooms for visitors and workers.

5. Whitehall

• Square Footage: 100,000
  
• Location: Florida
• When Built: 1902

Galas Galore

Whitehall was once a home for Henry Flagler, one of the founders of Standard Oil, and his third wife. Now, however, it’s a public museum and venue for galas and balls. The home-turned-museum is in Palm Beach, Florida, and has 75 rooms.

4. The One

• Square Footage: 105,000
• Location: California
• When Built: 2021

A Newer Mansion

This impressive home is the newest on this list, started in 2014 and finished in 2021. The One was built and is still used by Richard Saghain, owner of Fashion Nova. This 105,000-square-foot home in Bel Air, California has 21 bedrooms, 42 bathrooms, a 30-car garage, a bowling alley, and five swimming pools. Saghian bought the home from the developer for $126 million.

3. Oheka Castle

• Square Footage: 109,000
• Location: New York
• When Built: 1919

From Castle to Hotel

Despite its impressive size of 109,000 square feet, this home only took four years to build. At the time, it cost around $11 million, roughly $158 million today. The owner of the home was Otto Khan, a financer who worked in various industries. It’s currently one of the largest homes in all of New York with 127 rooms. However, it’s no longer a private home; instead, it is a hotel.

2. Fair Field

• Square Footage: 110,000
• Location: New York
• When Built: 2003

A Battle For First Place

Ira Rennert, a junk bond billionaire, created this home in 2003. He already had a 63-acre estate known as Fair Field, which is also where he chose to build this house. The main home has 29 bedrooms, 39 bathrooms, three pools, a theater, and more. Fair Field is worth somewhere between $267 and $500 million.

1. Biltmore Estate 

• Square Footage: 175,000
• Location: North Carolina
• When Built: 1895

More Than Enough Space

There’s absolutely no doubt that the largest home in America is the Biltmore House, located just outside of Asheville, North Carolina. This property has 175,000 square feet with 250 rooms. There are 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. The home was built and is still owned by Vanderbilt, specifically, the family of George Washington Vanderbilt II. As big as it is, you could probably stay on this property forever without growing bored.

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