Newport's continuing drawing power is fueled by our fascination with money and the people who make it. It is certainly no different today, as we Americans are ever more enthralled by the idea of wealth and the power it represents. The very rich have the stature of mythological beings.
And as Newport well demonstrates, super-wealth often goes hand in hand with an edifice complex. From the pharaohs, monarchs, and the Robber Barons, to Donald Trump, the accumulation of money practically predicates grand building projects. This encompasses the bling of Trump Tower or the gilt of the Gold room in Newport's Marble house. But there is also the less self-congratulatory, philanthropic Rockefeller family type endowment of colleges, concert halls, and especially art museums.