When asked how often she entertains friends with the history of Rebekah Harkness and Holiday House while spending time there, Swift revealed, “Anyone who's been there before knows that I … Swift even mentions Rhode Island, singing: "Rebekah gave up on the Rhode Island set forever/ Flew in all her Bitch Pack friends from the city/ Filled the pool with champagne and swam with the big names/ And blew through the money on the boys and the ballet.". 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’ After her husband’s death, she remodeled the home to have 8 kitchens and 21 bathrooms so she could avoid seeing her children when she entertained guests like Salvador Dalí (who later … Perhaps most interesting to Rhode Island readers will be her song, “The Last Great American Dynasty” where she recounts the history of her Westerly home. The Harknesses were married for a brief period—just seven years. In 1961, she became the sponsor of the late Robert Joffrey's small ballet troupe, until it folded in 1975. Back in 2013, the 30-year-old singer-songwriter splashed out a reported $17 million for a stately oceanside mansion in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Swift reportedly paid for the mansion in cash. The Harkness couple purchased a waterfront mansion in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, which the two nicknamed the "Holiday House." Asked Rebekah Harkness. When Swift bought the property in 2013 for a reported $17 million, it was reported that her neighbours were worried she would bring too much media attention to the small town - which she did. What a lovely welcome to the neighborhood! Now, her … “Little by little, Holiday House, as the Watch Hill Estate was called, began to acquire the character of Rebekah’s private living room. In the most telling lyrics, Swift directly compares herself to Rebekah and all the criticisms they both faced: "There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen/ She had a marvelous time ruining everything". As Swift mentions, Harkness was also friendly with Salvador Dalí; after she died of cancer in 1982 at the age of 67, she even requested her ashes be kept in a $250,000 custom urn of the artist’s design. The Harkness's Rhode Island home, Holiday House, became a hub for the social set in the town, as the couple threw raucous parties most weekends. Hope Coke. Editors handpick every product that we feature. The Harkness's Rhode Island home, Holiday House, became a hub for the social set in the town, as the couple threw raucous parties most weekends. Taylor Swift’s home in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, which was previously owned by Rebekah Harkness. Rebekah Harkness asked. A week after her death on June 17, 1982, the mortal remains of Rebekah Harkness were toted home by her older daughter Terry in a Gristede's shopping bag. "Gradually, Holiday House, as the Watch Hill estate was called, began to acquire the character of Rebekah's private salon. Sadly, he died just seven years into their marriage, making her a widow aged 39. Swift bought her "Holiday House" in 2013 for $17 million. Emma Samuel, Noor Inayat Khan was the daughter of an Indian Sufi mystic and is the subject of a new film, A Call To Spy, By 2.6K likes. So then Rebekah married big-shot oil tycoon William Hale Harkness. "I found myself not only writing my own stories, but also writing about or from the perspective of people I've never met, people I've known, or wish I hadn't," the singer penned in her tweet. Bianca Rodriguez is the digital fellow at Marie Claire, where she covers all your favorite podcasts, Netflix shows, and celebrities ranging from Rihanna to Harry Styles. 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. You can opt out at any time or find out more by reading our cookie policy. In addition to founding the Harkness Ballet, Harkness launched a ballet school and home for the company called Harkness House, as well as … The Harkness family looked immaculate from the outside…behind closed doors, though, was another story. And since Swift is so, so famous, she naturally had to put up a ton of "No Trespassing" signs on the property that local citizens weren't too keen on. Welcome to Tatler. In the 1960s, Harkness became well known as a philanthropist and patron of the arts. "I wonder if Taylor Swift might like to hear the story of the time a body washed up on the beach under her Watch Hill mansion," wrote one reporter for The Day at the time of her purchase. One song that has drawn a lot of attention is The Last Great American Dynasty, which tells the story of socialite Rebekah Harkness, who it turns out used to own Swift's Rhode Island mansion, Holiday House. So prepare to go full Nancy Drew! Influenced by her surroundings, specific images popped into her head, which eventually led her to writing multiple songs. Swift took to Twitter this week to explain to fans how she produced her album. Swift tells the story of the former owner of her Rhode Island home, Holiday House, By Rebekah Harkness. She married twice after her second husband's death, the latter being 20 years her junior, with both ending in divorce. The ashes were placed in a … Due to her family's wealth, she was raised by a series of nannies, and attended a finishing school after High School. Marie Claire participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. While the rest of us were hard at work making banana bread, Swift was making a stellar 16-song album, giving us songs to sing in quarantine and plenty of Easter eggs to mildly majorly obsess over. So, it all makes sense! Some people of the small beach community were worried Swift would bring more people (read: fans) to the quiet town, according to The Times. It was also, infuriatingly to the neighbors, a place for the Harkness Ballet dancers to practice on the lawn. So then Rebekah married big-shot oil tycoon William Hale Harkness. Together, the pair resided in Rhode Island, in a home called "Holiday House" that Swift now owns. These continued after her husband's death, with guests including Andy Warhol, J.D. Carol Ann Mossa/Shutterstock. It’s got … a lengthy semi-nonfictional track about Rebekah Harkness, a St. Louis–born debutante who married the heir to Standard Oil, bought a giant house in … According to the New York Times, Harkness was born in 1915 to "a rich, emotionally frigid St. Louis family." People, the clues, write themselves. Mrs. Harkness … And this is where the connection to T. Swift comes in. We went digging, and, Swifites, we finally cracked who "The Last Great American Dynasty" is about (no, not that Kennedy she dated): Rebekah Harkness. Rebekah has written THE BLISS BALANCE and TURNING THE TIDE, which are available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and various other retailers. As well as the fascinating facts that have become myth - such as Harkness filling a pool with Dom Perignon, dying a cat green (a dog in Swift's song), and being kicked off a cruise for swimming nude - her 1988 biography, Blue Blood, written by Vanity Fair and New York Magazine editor Craig Unger, reveals a far more tragic story, including the fact that her childhood nanny was chosen specifically because she had worked in a mental asylum. And of course, Swift was once known for her lavish parties, filled with all her A-list besties, Anyone remember her iconic Fourth of July bashes, complete with matching swimsuits, blow-up slides, and American flag cake? Lizzo Surprised Her Mom with a Car for Christmas! One Easter egg down, hundreds more to go. The Last Great American Dynasty details the previous owners of the property, most notably Rebekah Harkness the widow of Standard Oil heir William Hale Harkness with whom she ‘ picked out a home and called in “Holiday House” ‘ shortly before he died in 1957. After throwing a series of 4 July parties with celebrity guests including Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and then-boyfriend Tom Hiddleston, the property and beach were swarmed by paparazzi, capturing every moment of the festivities. Salinger and Salvador Dali. Taylor Swift's mansion in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Harkness had quite the life according to The New York Times. Taylor Swift surprised her fans at the end of last week when she released a new album, Folklore, with many spending the weekend dissecting the set of new songs and the meanings behind the singer's lyrics. The Harknesses shared a HUGE Watch Hill, Rhode Island mansion, called the Holiday House, that featured eight kitchens and 21 baths. We may earn commission from the links on this page. Salinger and Salvador Dali. The song ends, 'Who knows, if I never showed up, what could’ve been / There goes the loudest woman this town has ever seen / I had a marvellous time ruining everything / I had a marvellous time ruining everything / A marvellous time ruining everything / A marvellous time / I had a marvellous time. Taylor Fans Think Her BF Joe Co-Wrote Two Songs, See Taylor Swift's Complete Beauty Evolution, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. (It never actually happened, but still.). (Photos: Jack Mitchell/Getty Images, Beth Garrabrant) As the saying goes, well-behaved women seldom make history. Rebekah Harkness is the author of LOVE AND EMPOWERMENT, THE BLISS BALANCE, and TURNING THE TIDE - THE TOP TEN PRINCIPLES OF A SUCCESS MINDSET. Her second husband 's death, with guests including Andy Warhol, J.D sponsor of late... 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