[23] In 2020, Swift released her eighth studio album, Folklore, featuring a song about the house and its previous owner, Rebekah Harkness,[24] entitled "The Last Great American Dynasty". The Harkness couple purchased a waterfront mansion in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, which the two nicknamed the "Holiday House." Rebekah died in 1982 at the age of 67. The New York Times reported that Harkness infuriated her neighbors when she started a ballet company and constructed a giant dome on the lawn where dancers could practice. [1] The kitchen reportedly contains a warming drawer and wine cooler, with an adjoining sitting room. Last year she picked up a home near the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port , MA. The early years Rebekah West was born in 1915 in St Louis, Missouri. The song, titled “The Last Great American Dynasty,” is based on the lives of Rebekah West Harkness (known as "Betty"), a composer and philanthropist who founded Harkness Ballet, and her husband, William Hale “Bill” Harkness, whose family founded Standard Oil. The governor of Rhode Island, Gina Raimondo, proposed (and later withdrew) a hefty second-home tax that was dubbed the “Taylor Swift tax.” No trespassing signs popped up on the property. Inspired by the house's history and its former owner, Rebekah Harkness, Swift released a song titled "The Last Great American Dynasty" from her eighth studio album Folklore (2020). [15][16], In 2013, American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift purchased Holiday House. Mary Elizabeth Andriotis is a home decor and culture writer based in New York. Taylor Swift's "Last Great American Dynasty" Lyrics, Explained According to TMZ and real estate blog The Real Estalker, country-pop princess Taylor Swift has purchased a waterfront mansion in Watch Hill, RI for around $17 million. (Yes, the seaside … Taylor Swift Gives House Tours to Friends, This Artist Connects With Her Heritage in Clay, See Taylor Swift’s Insane Real Estate Portfolio. Holiday House is one of Taylor Swift’s many homes, and it encompasses 11,000 square feet and sits on 5.23 acres. [1], Stephen Vanderburgh Harkness was a progenitor of the extended Harkness family. 44 Very Merry Christmas Table Decorations, Ty Pennington Just Got His Own Show on HGTV, This Video Shows How to Wrap a Gift Without Tape. ... Rebekah gave up on the Rhode Island set forever So, where does Taylor Swift Live in Rhode Island? In fact, the re-creation of the Ocean House may be a more seismic alteration to the area than Ms. Swift’s house purchase or her red bouncy slide. Taylor Swift’s estimated net worth of $360 million includes a $80 million+ property portfolio including her two Beverley Hills homes, a Nashville penthouse and mansion, New York duplex and the colossal Watch Hill estate that Swift decamps to in the summer, most notably for her fourth of July celebrations. Taylor Swift's Rhode Island home: ... Reese Witherspoon gets into holiday spirit by making a gingerbread house with her kids: 'One of my favorite things about this time of year' Taylor Swift's, new song titled 'The Last Great American Dynasty' is about Rebekah Harkness, the scandal-ridden socialite who once owned the Watch Hill, Rhode Island mansion Swift purchased in 2013 This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. In fact, the re-creation of the Ocean House may be a more seismic alteration to the area than Ms. Swift’s house … Harkness inherited her late husband's Watch Hill, Rhode Island, manse, which was known by friends, family, and distinguished celebrity guests—think Howard Hughes and Salvador Dalí—as the Holiday House. Taylor Swift and the State of Rhode Island have their own contentious history. Inspired by the house's history and its former owner, Rebekah Harkness, Swift released a song titled "The Last Great American Dynasty" from her eighth studio album Folklore (2020). By Mary Elizabeth Andriotis Taylor Swift has a real estate portfolio almost as long as her list of exes. [1] Lower levels include a recreation room, a service kitchen, a five-car garage, and a heated workshop. July 24, 2020 Taylor Swift has a real estate portfolio almost as long as her list of exes. Swift moved into what is called the “Holiday House” back in 2013. The New York Times , commemorating her death, noted that in addition to being a dance patron, she was a sculptor and composer. One of Flagler’s former homes is now the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Florida, a Gilded Age-era historic house museum that consists of 75 rooms, and it’s definitely a feast for the eyes. Dismantling of Western Refineries. Taylor bought Holiday House in 2013 for more than $17 million cash when she was only 23 years old. Swift bought her "Holiday House" in 2013 for $17 million. It's not the only gorgeous house in the Harkness family, either: William Hale Harkness’ grandfather’s younger half-brother was Henry Morrison Flagler, who, along with John D. Rockefeller, founded Standard Oil. It’s like an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel come to life. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. AP Taylor Swift’s 12,000-square-foot beach house sits atop the highest point of the Rhode Island town, serving as the destination for her notorious A-List parties. Taylor Swift Is Summering in Rhode Island. Locals Just Shake It Off. “I wonder if Taylor Swift might like to hear the story of … Rebekah used her late husband's fortune to support charitable causes, such as supporting the Joffrey Ballet. Anecdotes of the lavish lives of the Harknesses emerge in lyrics like “losing on card game bets with Dalí.” This connection is hardly imagined, either: upon Rebekah Harkness’s death, her ashes were put in a $250,000 urn that Salvador Dalí himself designed. (Yes, the seaside mansion that was the setting for Taymerica .) The estate also contains a swimming pool and a summer house. Swift purchased the Watch Hill, Rhode Island, house for $17.75 million (in cash, no less) back in 2013, and has since held numerous—very Instagrammed—Fourth of July parties there. Harkness became the second-largest shareholder, which made him extremely wealthy. He and his step-brother, Henry Flagler, and John D. Rockefeller invested heavily in Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler, the corporate forerunner to Standard Oil. [25], "Taylor Swift Spends Big in Rhode Island", "ELEVATED ROADS SUED; MR. HARKNESS DEMANDS THE ANNULMENT OF A LEASE. Swift’s new song, ‘The Last Great American Dynasty’ is about Rebekah Harkness, the eccentric socialite who previously lived in the Watch Hill, Rhode Island mansion that Swift purchased in 2015 Rebekah Harkness inherited the vast Standard Oil fortune after her husband William Harkness died in 1953; the couple purchased the seaside mansion in 1947 as newlyweds and named it ‘Holiday House’ The New York Times reported that Harkness infuriated her neighbors when she started a ballet company and constructed a giant dome on the lawn where dancers could practice. HAD NO AUTO OR JEWELRY Appraiser Reveals the Loss of a List of Personal Effects in Summer Home, Valued at $2,304. Swift was so fascinated with Rebekah that another song on Folklore is titled “Betty,” a clear reference to Rebekah Harkness’s nickname. Here are all the deets you need on Taylor Swift house Rhode Island! The couple took up residence in an enormous eight-kitchen, 21-bathroom mansion (an arrangement that “effectively kept her from having to see her three children on anything like a regular basis,” according to the New York Times) in Watch Hill, R.I. — and in 2013, Swift bought that Rhode Island estate, nicknamed the “Holiday House,” for a reported cool $17.75 million in cash. Swift bought Harkness’s Rhode Island “Holiday House” in 2013. Like Harkness, Swift made waves when she moved into the exclusive enclave. The suite contains a sitting room with a wet bar as well as a widow's walk terrace. As for the interiors of Holiday House now that the singer owns it, we imagine it’s similar to the whimsical aesthetic seen in Swift's many other homes, like her Nashville, Tennessee, house that’s on full display in her Netflix documentary, Miss Americana. Terms of Export Agreement. 4 West Village Apartment Taylor Swift was inspired by the former owner of her 40 room mansion in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. The money was left to his son, William Lamon Harkness. In 2013, Taylor Swift bought Harkness’ former home — Holiday House — in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Every item on this page was hand-picked by a House Beautiful editor. Rebekah lived at Holiday House after it was built in 1930. Gina Raimondo in 2015 floated, but eventually retracted, the idea of a “Taylor Swift tax” on second homes worth more than $1 million. [1] The reception rooms include a 36-foot long parlor, a 45-foot long sun room, and an octagon-shaped formal dining room with built-in china cabinets. Taylor Swift's neighbor selling Watch Hill mansion with large porches, ocean views The Watch Hill House in Rhode Island boasts a bird's-eye view of Swift's Writer(s): Taylor Swift, Aaron Dessner "The Last Great American Dynasty" is about the life of Rebekah Harkness, a philanthropist and patron of the arts in the middle of the 20th century. https://www.insider.com/photos-tour-taylor-swift-house-2017-1 Here, we explore who Rebekah was, and why she captured Swift's attention. Together, the pair resided in Rhode Island, in a home called "Holiday House" that Swift now owns. So, where does Taylor Swift Live in Rhode Island? Complete with seven bedrooms, eight fireplaces, a glorious pool, and shoreline views extending 700 feet, this mansion is one of her most impressive buys. Taylor Swift also compares her life to Rebekah Harkness whether it was about their lavish parties or to the harsh criticism they faced. In the song, Swift paints Harkness as a misunderstood hero, calling into question the dismissals of her as a "mad woman" and instead questioning the "men with bad habits," and even aligning herself with Harkness when she changes the chorus from "she had a marvelous time ruining everything" to "I had a marvelous time ruining everything" in the song's last verse. Domestic Trade Committee. Multiple newspaper articles chronicle the history of the Rhode Island mansion, nicknamed Holiday House: The Day, a local Connecticut paper, said Howard Hughes used to stop by. John D. Rockefeller Telling About the Trust and Showing the Agreement of Shareholders", "HENRY FLAGLER LEFT $75,000,000 ESTATE; Transfer Tax Report Shows He Spent $50,000,000 on Florida Enterprises. Like Harkness, her arrival caused a stir. [1] The house sits on over 700 feet of shoreline, containing 8 bedrooms, 10.5 bathrooms and 8 fireplaces. Since 2013, it has been owned by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. In fact, Rebekah was a musician, another connection with Taylor. For anyone not intimately familiar with the life of Betty Harkness, it's the bridge of the song that will likely clue you in that this is the true story of the people who lived in what is now Swift’s very own house: "Holiday House sat quietly on that beach / Free of women with madness, their men and bad habits / And then it was bought by me.".