Beechwood Manor, Estate of the Day

Today's estate is more than just an estate, it's a business that gives a peek into what life in Newport during the Gilded Age was like. Beechwood was home to the legendary Astor family. It was build in 1851 by architect Calvert Vaux and landscape designer Andrew Jackson Downing for New York dry-goods merchant Daniel Parish. The Astors hired Richard Morris Hunt, who added the ultimate Gilded Age accessory, a ballroom with mirrored walls, gilt ornamentation and crystal chandeliers. The home is approximately 19,000 square feet with 15 bedrooms. The home currently hosts weddings and Victorian tours and events but could easily be home to one family again, hopefully one that would keep the home from being a relic and yet preserve it's charm. It is listed at $16 million. After the jump, own the legend, be a legend.