Gilded Greats

This biographical profile explores the turbulent life of Huntington Hartford II, the heir to the A&P grocery fortune who sought to redefine himself as a cultural visionary. Born into immense wealth, Hartford distanced himself from the family business to fund ambitious projects in the arts, theater, and real estate, including the development of Paradise Island and a controversial modern art gallery in New York. While he successfully established lasting landmarks like the Huntington Hartford Theatre, his penchant for lavish spending and several high-profile divorces eventually led to the dissipation of his inheritance. The text highlights his connection to the South Carolina Lowcountry through his mother, though he spent most of his life navigating the high societies of New York, Newport, and Hollywood. Ultimately, the source portrays Hartford as a man of grand ambitions and magnificent failures who prioritized a creative legacy over financial preservation.

Rebekah Harkness, an influential figure in American high society and the arts, was more than just a wealthy heiress. As a patron of the arts, composer, and philanthropist, she played a significant role in founding the Harkness Ballet. Her life, marked by grandeur and controversy, continues to fascinate. Known for her generosity and enigmatic personal life, which inspired many stories and songs, Harkness left a lasting legacy in the cultural landscape. This article explores her captivating world.

Discover how Henry Flagler's second career shaped Florida's history. Explore the remarkable legacy of a man who transformed the Sunshine State.Visit gildedgreats.com for intriguing stories and family photos, including the Harkness and Flagler legacies.

Today we discuss the Harkness and Flagler families and how they teamed up with JD Rockefeller to found Standard Oil. Perhaps you're familiar with Henry Flagler, whose name is practically synonymous with the sunshine state of Florida. What about the Harkness family? Not many connect them to the Standard Oil story but should. Visit gildedgreats.com for intriguing stories and family photos, including the Harkness and Flagler legacies.

Lamon V. Harkness was the first Harkness "Standard Oil" heir. He was also the King of Standardbred Horses. Learn about his legacy and interestingly, how his life changed as Standard Oil grew.

Today, we dive into the intriguing tale of Daniel M. Harkness, long-time Bellevue resident and a man whose influence stretched far beyond his time, shaping the landscape of Ohio and even leaving a peculiar connection to modern pop culture.

Explore Stephen V. Harkness's pivotal role in Standard Oil's formation. Born in 1818, Harkness, alongside John D. Rockefeller and Henry Flagler, shaped the company that revolutionized the late 19th-century oil industry. We delve into Harkness's early life, business acumen, and contributions to Standard Oil's expansion, shedding light on the era's intricate dynamics of wealth, power, and influence. 

Like much of the area, the land known as Belfair today was likely originally inhabited by the Yamasee tribe and even earlier indigenous natives, but in those days, it was a sparsely populated area. For a period before the Revolutionary War, it became part of the "Devil's Elbow" barony claimed by the Lord Proprietor Sir John Colleton.

Henrietta Pollitzer, born in Bluffton, SC, married Edward Hartford, an heir to the A&P Grocery fortune, and later she married an Italian Prince. So, in a sense, she was "Bluffton's Gilded Age Princess".

One of the most beautiful properties in the Lowcountry of South Carolina is in Okatie, SC, between Bluffton, SC, and Beaufort, SC, along the Okatie River. It is called Chelsea Plantation, and it was recently up for "re-development" into 1,400 homes, multi-family housing, mini-storage, and commercial space! Thankfully, it was saved by The Nature Conservancy and will be made available for public access.

Ida Alice Shourds married Henry Flagler in 1883. She was influential, inspiring the Ponce de Leon Hotel and having the yacht Alicia named after her. Concerns arose in the 1890s due to her interest in Spiritualism, her use of an Ouija board to claim communication with historical figures, and her speaking openly of Flagler’s infidelity. 

David Sinton Ingalls, the U.S. Navy’s first flying ace with six confirmed victories in World War I, belonged to the First Yale Unit, chronicled in "The Millionaires' Unit," a group of privileged young men who volunteered for air combat. After his wartime heroism, Ingalls became a lawyer and Assistant Secretary of the Navy (AIR). In 1922, he married Louise Hale Harkness, and they later founded the Ingalls Foundation to advance education and culture.

Alfred Lee Loomis, a Wall Street tycoon turned self-taught scientist, transformed his Tuxedo Park mansion into a secret lab that drew minds like Einstein and propelled major advances in physics. He funded MIT’s Rad Lab, speeding radar development crucial to WWII and paving the way for the atomic bomb. Loomis also owned 22,000 acres of Hilton Head Island.

Explore Palmetto Bluff's Gilded Age history, where financier Richard T. Wilson Jr. built a 72-room palace in 1902. Meet "The Marrying Wilsons," who linked their fortune to the Astors, Vanderbilts, and British aristocracy. Hear the story of their dazzling rise and the tragic fire of 1926 that ended the mansion's reign. We also look at the luxury resort that stands there today.

As key figures in the Standard Oil trust, the Harkness family stood among America’s Gilded Age elite. For these industrial magnates, wealth was both power and performance. Summer resorts like Bar Harbor, Maine, offered the perfect stage—where fortunes were displayed, alliances formed, and leisure became a mark of status.

Explore the dramatic life of Louisa Carolina Colleton (1763–1822) in this biographical podcast. Once heir to a vast South Carolina dynasty, Louisa survived pirate captures and the Revolutionary War's destruction of her family estate. Despite her status, her fortune was squandered by an extravagant husband and son. Drawing on her personal diaries and Kishanda Fulford’s The Spite of Fortune, this tells a moving tale of wealth lost to history.

Rose Hill