rosecliff
548 Bellevue Ave
Architect Stanford White
1902
fact sheet
Rosecliff was commissioned by Nevada Silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs in 1899
modeled after the Grand Trianon, at Versailles.
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Following the money
James G. Fair (father of Theresa Fair) was an irish immigrant who made successful investments in silver mines.
1881 - 1887
(Sagittarius)
Married Theresa Rooney in 1861, she divorced him in 1883 for ‘habitual adultery’ and brought up their four children on her own with a considerable settlement.
In his will he left $40 million to his two daughters “Tessie” and “Birdie”
The Fairmont San Francisco was built as a grand monument to Fair by his daughters after his death
Virginia Graham Fair aka Birdie aka Virginia Fair Vanderbilt married William Kissam Vanderbilt in 1899, the son of Alva and William of Marble House
Theresa Fair Oelrichs & Hermann Oelrichs
“Tessie”, at 19 years old, met Hermann Oelrichs , a 40 year old steamship tycoon “playing tennis at the Newport casino” and they married in 1890
— the relationship can be described as, not great, they were publicly devoted, and privately estranged —
Herman Oelrichs (Gemini)— Born 1850 in Baltimore Maryland, died in 1906 while sailing across the Atlantic
The land was purchased in 1891 from George Bancroft (1800-1891), who grew ‘thousands of roses” at his garden along the cliff walk
Architect Stanford White completed the house in 1902 at a reported cost of $2.5 Million
A few more facts:
Rosecliff hosted fabulous parties including a fairy tale dinner
Tessie’s social peers included Alva Vanderbilt and Grace Vanderbilt
A member of the so-called “Triumvirate” made up of herself, Mamie Fish and Alva Belmont—
Tessie was characterized as the martinet, enforcing the rules of polite society
“strongly addicted to society as business”
The Great Gatsby 1974 was filmed in the house
