Margaret Louisa Vanderbilt Shepard
Margaret Louisa Vanderbilt Shepard was an American heiress and a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family. As a philanthropist, she funded the YMCA, helping create a hotel for guests of the organization. She was married to prominent New York City lawyer, banker, and newspaper editor Elliott Fitch Shepard.
Portrait of Margaret by John Singer Sargent, 1888
The Shepards' New York City townhouse (right), part of the Vanderbilt Triple Palace
The Vanderbilt family is an American family who gained prominence during the Gilded Age. Their success began with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the family expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthropy. Cornelius Vanderbilt's descendants went on to build grand mansions on Fifth Avenue in New York City; luxurious "summer cottages" in Newport, Rhode Island; the palatial Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina; and various other opulent homes. The family also built Berkshire cottages in the western region of Massachusetts; examples include Elm Court.
Image: Cornelius Vanderbilt three quarter view (cropped)
Image: W.K. Vanderbilt LCCN2014685935 (3) (cropped)
Image: Governor of Rhode Island. Washington, D.C., March 8. LCCN2016877246 (cropped)(2)
Cornelius Vanderbilt
