A home is a place of refuge. It’s a place where one has the privacy they need to relax, be around what and who they love, engage in hobbies, and escape from the stresses of the outside world. Homes take on many shapes and sizes and meet big and small needs. Income plays a large role in whether someone can afford to purchase a home, what kind of home one can buy, and where the home is located.
It certainly feels like many Americans are just fighting to own a home instead of renting, even in the most affordable housing markets. High interest rates and a struggling market have caused many to hold off on a purchase lately. Small apartments have become hard for people to find. But that’s not the case for everyone. The rich cannot only buy their own homes but rather large ones tailored to their needs and wants. Some homes are 20 times larger than the average American family house.
Do they really need so much room? It’s hard to say, but there’s no doubt that owning a large house is a great way to show off your wealth, get privacy, and store all your items. And with many of these homes owned by rather big names like Dodge, du Pont, and Vanderbilt, a small home isn’t even an option.
Ready to learn about the 15 largest houses in America, starting with the one in 15th place, who owned them, and their current use? Continue reading below to see what sites like Explore, Family Handy Man, and Largest have to say about these exorbitant family homes.
Why Does This Matter?
It’s very likely that you’ll never get to live in a house like the one below. However, when talking about Wall Street, it’s important to talk about the lives of the one percent that have influenced the country’s history. Speaking of history, some of these homes are quite old and have a rich history and important functions currently as museums, college buildings, and even research facilities. It’s important to see how the one percent live, and what they use with the wealth they accrue.
15. Woodlea
- Square Footage: 70,000
- Location: New York
- When Built: 1895
A Victorian Beauty
Woodlea, situated in Briarcliff Manor, New York, is a beautiful Victorian-style home. This 70,000-square-foot home was first built for Elliot Fitch and his wife, Maggie, and featured 75 different rooms within its walls. They later sold the house to Sleepy Hollow Country Club. Now fully converted to host all sorts of golfers, the home still retains much of its original details and beauty.
14. Idle Hour
- Square Footage: 70,000
- Location: New York
- When Built: 1882
A Piece of Art
This home, finished in 1882, was built for William Vanderbilt of the Vanderbilt family. Though it’s the same size as the house before it, this one holds 110 rooms. It was considered one of the most beautiful homes in all of America for a while. In 1920, William passed away, and the house went through several different owners before eventually being auctioned off due to bankruptcy in 2017 where it was sold to Mercury International LLC for $26.1 million.
13. Pensmore
- Pensmore was designed to last up to 2,000 years by its millionaire owner.
- Square Footage: 72,215
- Location: Missouri
- When Built: 2016
Sturdy Construction
Pensmore is a newer build, started in 2008 and completed in 2016. It can be found in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. Steven Huff built and still currently lives in the home, and he made it able to handle all sorts of natural disasters and emergencies like tornadoes, earthquakes, and even bombs. With five stories, 12-inch thick walls, and 13 bedrooms, Huff believes the house will last at least 2,000 years.
12. Indian Neck Hall
- Square Footage: 75,000
- Location: New York
- When Built: 1897
A Bourne Legacy
In 1879, Frederick Gilbert Bourne, president of Singer Manufacturing Company, built Indian Neck Hall. At the time it was built, this 110-room home was the largest on Long Island. The family stayed in the home until Frederick passed away. Then, his children sold the estate. In 1926, the home opened as a military academy and is now used as an additional campus by St. John’s University in Queens.
11. Florham
- Square Footage: 80,000
- Location: New Jersey
- When Built: 1899
The Vanderbilt Fortune
This house was also built by a Vanderbilt, though by Florence Adele Vanderbilt this time. It was thought the home cost about $5 million to build this mansion, which is about equal to $146 million today. In 1955, the estate was broken up, with Fairleigh Dickinson University aquiring te mansion and 178 acres of garden.
10. Versailles
- Square Footage: 85,000
- Location: Florida
- When Built: 2023
Exorberant Expense
This house has everything the you may need, including 14 bedrooms, nine kitchens, three indoor pools, a 20,000-bottle wine cellar, and video arcade. Of course, this extravagance, and is thought to have cost over $100 million to build, putting in fourth place for the most expensive house in U.S. history. This home is located in Windermere, Florida and belongs to David Siegel.
9. Meadow Brook Hall
- Square Footage: 88,000
- Location: Michigan
- When Built: 1929
A Mansion Museum
Matilda Dodge Wilson, heir to the Dodge Motor Company, had Meadow Brook Hall designed and built for her personal use. The home has 110 rooms and almost 15,000 acres and cost roughly $4 million. In 1957, Matilda donated the house to Michigan to help create Oakland University. Now, it’s a historic museum, the fourth largest in the United States.
8. Shadow Lawn
- Square Footage: 90,000
- Location: New Jersey
- When Built: 1929
Now Part of the University
Shadow Lawn is one of the largest homes in the US before the Great Depression. A few decades later, in 1985, the home became a National Historic Landmark. There are over 130 rooms and the house was originally a summer home for President Woodrow Wilson. In 1956, the house became part of Manmouth University. It was also used in the movie Annie as the home of the character Oliver Warbucks.
7. Winterthur
- Square Footage: 96,582
- Location: Delaware
- When Built: 1937
Ever-Growing
Though 1937 marked the year Winterthur was originally finished, it underwent several renovations since then. In fact, since 1937, the house has doubled in size. The du Pont family had the house built, and they still own the home all these years later. However, the house is used mostly as a way for the family to collect trinkets and furniture. It’s said that there are over 90,000 trinkets across its 175 rooms, which are available to tour.
6. Arden House
- Square Footage: 97,188
- Location: New York
- When Built: 1909
A House for Research
The Arden House took five years to build for Edward Henry Harriman, a railroad magnate. The home was built in Harriman, New York. Currently, the home is used by the Research Center on Natural Conservation, a nonprofit. The home offers a conference center and 97 guest rooms for visitors and workers.
5. Whitehall
- Square Footage: 100,000
- Location: Florida
- When Built: 1902
Galas Galore
Whitehall was once a home for Henry Flagler, one of the founders of Standard Oil, and his third wife. Now, however, it’s a public museum and venue for galas and balls. The home-turned-museum is in Palm Beach, Florida, and has 75 rooms.
4. The One
- Square Footage: 105,000
- Location: California
- When Built: 2021
A Newer Mansion
This impressive home is the newest on this list, started in 2014 and finished in 2021. The One was built and is still used by Richard Saghain, owner of Fashion Nova. This 105,000-square-foot home in Bel Air, California has 21 bedrooms, 42 bathrooms, a 30-car garage, a bowling alley, and five swimming pools. Saghian bought the home from the developer for $126 million.
3. Oheka Castle
- Square Footage: 109,000
- Location: New York
- When Built: 1919
From Castle to Hotel
Despite its impressive size of 109,000 square feet, this home only took four years to build. At the time, it cost around $11 million, roughly $158 million today. The owner of the home is Otto Khan, a financer who worked in various industries. It’s currently one of the largest homes in all of New York with 127 rooms. However, it’s no longer a private home; instead, it is a hotel.
2. Fair Field
- Square Footage: 110,000
- Location: New York
- When Built: 2003
A Battle For First Place
Ira Rennert, a junk bond billionaire, created this home in 2003. He already had a 63-acre estate known as Fair Field, and this house went onto that property. This house and surrounding buildings are big enough, with the main home having 29 bedrooms, 39 bathrooms, three pools, a theater, and more. Fair Field is worth somewhere between $267 and $500 million.
1. Biltmore Estate
- Square Footage: 175,000
- Location: North Carolina
- When Built: 1895
More Than Enough Space
There’s absolutely no doubt that the largest home in America is the Biltmore House, located just outside of Asheville, North Carolina. This property has 175,000 square feet with 250 rooms. There are 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. The home was built and is still owned by Vanderbilt, specifically, the family of George Washington Vanderbilt II. As big as it is, you could stay on this property forever without growing bored.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.