After socialite Oliver Belmont's wealthy father died in 1890, he hired architect Richard Morris to design him the ultimate summer villa for him and his horses using an enormous inheritance.
Source: Belcourt Castle Website, archive
Since Belmont was truly obsessed with his horses, Hunt designed the mansion around the stables, building only one bedroom. But not long after the mansion was completed, Oliver fell in love with and married his neighbor, divorcée Alva Vanderbilt.
Source: Belcourt Mansion Website
The carriage house and its connected stables were originally very central to Hunt's design for the mansion, as one of Oliver's highest priorities was access to his horses. But after Alva moved in, she renovated the mansion to be more of a home for humans than horses.
Source: Belcourt Mansion Website
One of Alva's main goals was turning the mansion into a suitable place to entertain guests. She transformed the carriage house into a banquet hall, and after Oliver died, Alva turned the mansion into a salon for women's suffrage meetings.
Source: Belcourt Mansion Website
The mansion changed hands several times in the early 20th century. There were abortive attempts to turn it into an antique car museum and a jazz venue. Then, in the 1950s, it became home to the Tinney family.
Source: Belcourt Website, New York Times
But the Tinneys soon found themselves in a long and bitter battle over the property's ownership after Ruth Tinney adopted handyman Kevin Koellisch in 1990. Koellisch sued for 1/3rd ownership of the property, draining the Tinneys of the funds necessary for upkeep. Eventually, Belcourt was sold to Rafaelian in 2012.
Rafaelian has been remodeling and restoring the space since she acquired it. While the mansion is still in the process of being restored, restoration tours are available to visitors, with tickets available in advance or at the door.
Source: Belcourt Mansion Website
But restoration is no small task. Rafaelian's restoration team pays close attention to original detail while outfitting the mansion with eco-friendly upgrades, such as transforming a former cistern for Belmont's horses into a new rainwater collection system. The mansion is also being outfitted with solar panels and a geothermal temperature control system.
Source: Belcourt Mansion Website
The vaulted ballroom measures 2,000 square feet and features original chandeliers and stained glass windows. It took a team of five a month to clean the room, and the restoration process isn't finished yet — it still needs a new coat of paint.
Source: Belcourt Mansion Website
A new coat of paint isn't the only way Rafaelian is refreshing the mansion's interior, though. Prior to Rafelian's acquisition of the house, Harle Tinney ran ghost tours of the mansion and wrote about her paranormal experiences in it. When Rafaelian moved in, she had a shaman perform ceremonies to cleanse the house of negative energies.
Source: New York Times