See Jackie O’s Incredible $65 Million Mansion – See Inside Jackie O’s Martha’s Vineyard Mansion
Two and a half decades after the death of one of America's most beloved first ladies, her former home in Martha's Vineyard was listed for $65 million. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' luxurious estate sits on an island near Cape Cod. It's a tourist attraction known for its affluence as many wealthy New Englanders have vacationed there for centuries. Jackie was one of the few year-rounders on the island, which is primarily a summer vacation spot. The incredible space includes 340 acres of land and 6,456 square feet of living space. Let's take a look around the estate and explore some interesting facts about the land it inhabits.
Welcome To Red Gate Farm
The impressive home is so giant that it has its own name. The 340-acre land is called Red Gate Farm, though it certainly is far from traditional farmland. However, the place had previously been a sheep farm.
The house was designed by famous architect Hugh Newell Jacobson in 1981, along with a two-story guest house. Prior to these additions, the only living space on the property was a small hunting cabin. Jackie's daughter, Caroline Kennedy, hired the dean of Yale's School of Architecture to redesign and expand the main home in 2000.
How Many Bedrooms?
With about six and a half thousand square feet, it may be surprising to find out that there are only five bedrooms in the main residence. The summer estate housed Jackie and her children and grandchildren when they cared for an escape.
She bought the land in 1979, more than a decade after her second and final husband, Aristotle Socrates Onassis, died. Their marriage had taken place on a private Greek island, which may have strengthened Jackie's connection to solitary island homes like this one.
This Is What's Included Inside
This large, grassy backyard would be perfect for family gatherings of any size. Inside this primary home are a formal sitting room with a fireplace, a living and family room, a drawing-room, and a chef's kitchen with top-scale appliances. That's just the main floor.
Upstairs you have four large bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. In addition, there is the master bedroom complete with a dressing room and master en suite. The home also includes a den, two office-studios, two powder rooms, three fireplaces, a laundry room, and a basement.
Divine Design And Style
The home boasts gorgeous rooms like this one, which utilizes a mixture of colors and patterns illuminated by the brilliant natural lighting. Large windows enable occupants to experience their gorgeous surroundings from the inside. Superior style is one of the elements that made Jackie such an adored first lady.
When her former husband, John F. Kennedy, was elected in 1960, Jackie hired fashion designer Oleg Cassini to build her First Lady wardrobe. Newsweek reports that she spent nearly $150,000 on her fashion items in 1961, well over her husband's salary as president.
Jackie Was All About The Water
A large pool enables homeowners to enjoy the water all year round. There are also two freshwater ponds onsite, so occupants have a variety of bodies of water to enjoy in multiple ways.
Traveling to Martha's Vineyard requires taking one of several ferries in New England, including the ferry at Woods Hole, Massachusetts and the ferry at East 35th street in Manhattan. The trip is about four and a half hours, but quicker rides such as Martha's Vineyard Fast Ferry are also available.
A Piece Of The Past
This hunting cabin was the only building that originally rested on the property prior to Jackie's purchase of the land in 1979. True to her instinct to remain historically relevant, she was sure to design the mansion and its many add-ons in such a way that it remained stylistically similar to the cabin.
The cabin overlooks one of the two ponds on site. In addition, the property contains gardens, a library, and various biking and hiking trails.
The Fairy Treehouse
In addition to her passion for preservation, Jackie also had a knack for creating something spectacularly new. Not only did she do this in the form of several extravagant living spaces on the property, but she also added a small and charming touch to the farmland.
Jackie had a gazebo-style treehouse sturdily built for her grandchildren. As pictured above, the structure overlooks lush, green land and deep-blue water beyond. Named a "fairy treehouse" for its design, the piece adds a personal touch to the mansion.
Aquinnah In Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island that consists of six towns, each with their own board and town meetings. The Red Gate Farm is a part of the Aquinnah town, which is home to the Wampanoag Native American tribe.
The calm and quiet land was perfect for Jackie, who avoided the public eye more frequently after the death of John F. Kennedy. She was only 31 years old when he had been elected, making her the third-youngest First Lady to date.
You'd Want To Be Their Guest
The guesthouse can be seen in this photograph to the left of the primary living space, behind the bright turquoise pool. The two-story addition has four bedrooms, which would bring the estate's room count to nine.
But it doesn't end there. A three-bedroom caretaker's house and a two-bedroom guest apartment are also on the property, bringing the grand total to 14 bedrooms spanning four separate units total. It makes sense that Jackie only wanted five bedrooms in the main home considering she had plans for so many additional spaces.
But Wait, There's More
On top of all of the various living spaces, there is also a hunting cabin, barn, boathouse, two garages, a storage building, and an exercise studio. One of Jackie's pastimes was riding horses, which tragically contributed to her death in 1994.
She was participating in a fox hunt in Virginia when she was thrown off of her horse in November of 1993. Upon examination, the doctor discovered a swollen lymph node in her groin. Her health continued to decline and in January of 1994, she began chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. She died in her sleep that May.
Too Old To Be Single
A lighthouse at the top of the property's steep shoreline adds to the maritime feel of the place. The area juxtaposes the urban setting that dominated Jackie's young adulthood. After college, Jackie won a junior editorship at Vogue. She quit after one day following the editor's critique of her single status at 22 years old.
According to the biography by Barbara Leaming, Jackie was considered too old to be single by her high-class social circles. It makes sense why she was introduced to John F. Kennedy the following year and engaged to him shortly thereafter.
The Perfect Spot For A Literature Buff
Many writers have secluded homes in nature that they can retreat to in order to have peace of mind. Jackie received her college degree in French literature, and spent her later years editing books. Martha's Vineyard would have been an ideal place to get work done near the water, as it was for many writers.
Authors including Shel Silverstein, David McCullough, Judy Blume, and Dorothy West all have lived on the island. Many other celebrities have visited out of a need to get away and out of the limelight.
View From The Top
An aerial view exposes the gorgeous land on the property. A pool, tennis court, vegetable garden, and blueberry patch are included with the farmland. The estate also has over a mile of Atlantic Ocean beachfront.
The landscapes were designed by Jackie's friend Rachel (known as Bunny) Mellon. Bunny had redesigned the Rose Garden at the White House and is a renowned horticulturist and landscape designer. The surrounding nature looks so impressive that it's hard to remember the placement of those trees were planned.
Seclusion At Its Finest
The home boasts panoramic views of both the ocean and extensive farmland. Coastal views permeate most of the rooms while over a mile of private beachfront offers a secluded escape to the water.
Jackie notably wanted to attend college near New York City, but her parents preferred that she go to a school that was more isolated. This may help to explain Jackie's appreciation of expansive landscapes and ample privacy. After all, she did build a separate building for her guests and caretakers.
How To Get To And Around The Island
For those who don't prefer traveling by water, you also have the option to travel by plane. Martha's Vineyard has its very own airport that flies year-round from Boston and other areas, and seasonally from New York.
Once on the island, Martha's Vineyard Transit Authority provides a bus service year-round. The place has been a hotspot for tourists since the summer weather isn't just beautiful, but also tends to remain in the low 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The year-round population is only about 17,000, according to the Martha's Vineyard website, but jumps to as many as 200,000 in the summer.
Lots Of Noteworthy Events On The Island
Martha's Vineyard was used by various United States armed forces in the 1940s for training and practices. It is also the island where Jackie's former relative through marriage, Ted Kennedy, crashed a car that fatally injured Mary Jo Kopechne, a staff member on the Robert Kennedy campaign.
Perhaps the island's most popular piece of trivia, the movie Jaws was filmed at Martha's Vineyard. In 2005, a weekend-long festival celebrated the 30th anniversary of the movie.
A Devastating Loss
Jackie maintained the home until her death in 1994. Unfortunately, just five years after she passed, her son, John F. Kennedy, his wife Carolyn Bessette, and his sister-in-law Lauren Bassette died in a plane accident while John flew the aircraft to Martha's Vineyard.
The incident is blamed by some on the "Kennedy curse," a popularized term describing the string of calamities that seem to follow the Kennedy family. As unfortunate as her circumstances may have been, Jackie still has been featured 27 times in the Gallup list of 10 most admired people of the latter half of the 1900s.
Jackie's First Task In The White House Was Its Design
Jackie's first project as First Lady was to incorporate more historical elements into the White House's interior design. The reason for the lack of past furnishings was a presidential tradition where presidents and their families could take items from the White House when they left office.
To end this tradition, Jackie implemented a bill stating that White House furnishings would be the property of the Smithsonian Institution and founded the Committee for the Preservation of the White House. Her love of traditional, colonial-style spaces explains why she enjoyed this Cape Cod-style home, which has been preserved for four decades.
Why Martha?
Jackie was born in Southampton, New York but spent much of her time on Hammersmith Farm in Newport, Rhode Island. She was a competitive horse rider who loved to read and learn languages. Considering her upbringing and hobbies, it makes sense that she found solace in this East Coast island in the final decades of her life.
The island itself was originally named by its Native people Noepe, meaning "land between the streams." In 1602 its name was changed to Martha's Vineyard after a British sailor's daughter, Martha, and the viney undergrowth near its coastline. Ironically, there are no wine vineyards on the island.
A Small But Impressive Island
The total land area of Martha's Vineyard is only about 96 square miles. Nearly 125 miles trace the island's shoreline. From this aerial view, you can see the impressive estate nestled into the lush greenery.
The Martha's Vineyard website boasts that there are no chain stores, making it an ideal spot for entrepreneurs and shoppers who like unique items. Additionally, 50 local farms enable restaurants to serve the freshest and tastiest of food, while farmers' markets offer nutritious, local foods.
