Hohenwald's Connection to the Gilded Age:

A picker's hunt turns up a treasure revealing more than just silver and gold

 

April 30, 2020

Photo credit: family photos

Charles and Magda Goodheart, original owners of the family bible and domestic servants of the Vanderbilts, Andrew Mellon, and many other Gilded Age descendants.

"I would probably still be there, but Mr. Mellon was made Ambassador to the court of St. James (England), so we were all let go except for the butler who was also his valet. We had a large staff at Mr. Mellons: a butler, three footmen, a chef, housekeeper, pantry girl, parlor maids, chambermaid, houseman, cook, kitchen maid, and night watchman. The food we had to eat was plentiful and delicious. The pay was good, and the men were supplied with their morning work clothes, the footman's uniforms, soft shirts, black fore and hand ties, stiff- bosomed shirts with wing collars and white bow ties. In fact, all I had to buy was my underwear, socks, and shoes. The chef we had was brought from Belgium by Prince DeLinge, Ambassador to America; their embassy was across the road from our apartment. Mr. Mellon acquired him when Prince DeLinge left. I must say that the culinary skill and artistry of this chef - I never saw equaled and I've seen many. The food he prepared to be served at Mr. Mellon's formal dinners were culinary works of art."

The couple had a child named Mary, born in Washington, D. C. in 1926. Charles and Magda continued working as domestic servants in different cities, boarding Mary in the Winter to German immigrant friends in Newport.

But soon, they both took employment in the same house:

"My wife and I worked together for the first time as butler and lady's maid for Mr. and Mrs. Chester C. Bolton, in their large home on Wyoming Ave., N. W. He was the Congressman for the State of Ohio. They also had a large Moorish-type house in Palm Beach, with our own private beach, swimming pool, orange and grapefruit trees and a yacht at Lake Worth. We stayed there for two months in the winter from February thru March. Mr. Bolton died and his wife, who was a Bingman from Boston's Back Bay set, succeeded him in Congress. One of their three sons was a congressman from Ohio as well. At the time, the only mother and son representatives in Congress from the same state."

"Everyone working in large households never interfered with each other's duties except to help at large parties. The butler never entered the chef's kitchen until it was necessary, and the chef never entered the butler's pantry. Washington was a beautiful, clean city to work in and very exciting on occasion. After leaving Washinton, my wife and I worked in New York, and I was a butler and footman. My wife worked as a parlor maid in homes of people who came to Newport."

"One of the last jobs I had as a footman in New York was in the last private home on Park Avenue between 85th and 86th Street in the area called Yorkville. This is where most of the German people lived and where the beer halls and bakeries were located. The elderly lady I worked for was married to a famous musical composer named Reginald Dekoven, so it was a house given to Sunday afternoon musical sessions. Mr. Dekoven composed the song "O Promise Me" that they were married to. One very exciting event took place while working in this house, and that was the time Bruno Hauptman was executed for the alleged kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby. One didn't dare go out into the street that night."

The willingness to change their address each year allowed domestic servants to continue their employment with America's elite. Of course, the Goodhearts always returned to Newport during the Summer season.

Once Mary became school-age, the Goodhearts settled permanently in Newport, where Charles went to college to become an engineer and took a job with the newly formed Newport Electric Cooperation; but this didn't stop his service to wealthy families. He and Magda both continued to work part-time as domestic servants. The couple's daughter, Mary Seliga, explained in a recorded oral history interview in 2000: "Magda (my mother) worked many weekend parties as a waitress, going off impeccably dressed in a black dress with a white lace collar, a white lace apron, and shoes polished to a gleaming shine. She always returned home with pastry treats for me and stories of what all the ladies wore. She was also capable of filling in as a parlor maid or kitchen maid and was competent at almost any position. Magda also teamed with another local woman to open the great Newport houses for the summer season, which could take up to a month to get everything in readiness. They started in the servants' quarters and worked their way down, airing the house out and waxing and polishing every surface until it was immaculate."

In later years, Charles went on to work for the electric corporation but was often called upon to serve as wait staff, and as an announcer to call out the names of arriving guests at society functions. Charles was a highly sought-after domestic servant - he presented himself with an elegant stature to go along with his deep, rich voice. Charles spent his later years and extensive knowledge of the Newport mansions, as a guide for Viking Tours.

In an interview, Mary Seliga said of her parents: "I was very proud of my mom and dad for the things they did, the manner with which they conducted themselves, the polish they had. I tried very hard to emulate them."

"She [Magda] was a very hard working lady," Mary said of her mother. "Nothing was too demeaning or too great for her. She could do just about everything - such a beautiful woman. And my dad was equally handsome."

Mary recalled how incredibly proud her mother was to become an American citizen: "When she came home from New York, she had a little American flag in her hand. And you have no idea what that means to someone who hasn't been born here."

Mary shared one of her fondest memories, telling the story of the night her mother snuck her in the pantry of The Breakers during the coming out party of Sylvia Széchényi: "And they opened up the swinging door so I could watch the young people dance. Oh. I thought I was in a fairyland. They had the most beautiful ball gowns, and these handsome young men... whirling all those gorgeous girls all over the place. I was allowed to watch for five minutes, then the butler brought me back in. And...I can remember going back home. And I think I must have dreamt all night long that I was a fairy princess, and I was in one of those beautiful gowns."

In later years, daughter Mary recalls her parent's frequent walks along the cliffs, and that her mother would stand and stare at The Breakers, remembering the roles they played in a fabulously opulent time in Newport history.

Charles still remembers it well when speaking to visitors in Newport: "It was a fascinating life. Sometimes the work felt confining, but when you enjoyed what you were doing, it wasn't work. Also, there were lots of fringe benefits to be had from it."

"Although I had a good job, in my free time I continued working as a private waiter at lunches, teas, cocktail and dinner parties in the summer, and also for the Preservation Society as a doorman, waiter, or announcer at some of the large parties sponsored by them. I worked at The Breakers as a footman when Mrs. Vanderbilt was still alive and as a maintenance man during the winter until she passed away in 1934."

"As a doorman, I worked at the large party The Breakers sponsored by the Minister of Australia, the first time they challenged for the cup and all the food and liquid refreshments came from Australia. President and Mrs. Kennedy were the guests of honor at this affair. I also worked as an announcer at The Breakers at the last America Cup Ball when we lost the cup," Charles said.

"Getting back to Mr. Kennedy, I did work at Hammersmith Farm on their wedding reception on September 12, 1952, when as a senator he married Jacqueline Bouvier. That was quite a social event. I liked Mr. Kennedy."

Although their stations in life were markedly different, I've always thought the more exciting stories of the children of the Gilded Age... of grit, strong will, and determination to make a better life, fell not to the rich, but the people who served them. The Goodhearts lived a life in service to others, and I believe they received more joy by serving than being served.

My favorite part in sharing the story of Charles and Magda has been in getting to know their granddaughters, Susan Seliga and Kate Seliga Brown, the rightful heirs to the Bible found by Hohenwald picker, Melissa McCann.

I asked all three ladies to share their experience with readers:

Melissa McCann: "I love finding different things in thrift stores, and I'm especially drawn to vintage bibles. When I saw the little leather bible, it just touched my heart. I knew right away that it was a rare find.

One night I was showing the little Bible to my husband and he decided to search the internet to try and locate the family it belonged to. As they say, the rest is history. I'm so glad the Bible and family are reunited, and I have made some very dear friends."

Susan Seliga: "I admire my grandmother so much for coming to this country as a very young teen, not speaking any English, just to take care of the Vanderbilt/László children. She never wanted to say a bad word about anyone and was a mentor to me. My grandfather had incredible experiences with wealthy people, and I always found him to be a true gentleman. My only regret is that I did not ask more questions."

Susan's sister, Kate Seliga Brown: "During my childhood, you would've never known that my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Seliga, struggled so hard to support our large family. We had everything we needed!

You also would have never known that my Grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Goodheart, were the " help" on Bellevue Ave., Newport R.I.

They carried themselves as regal and impeccably dressed nobles, just as their employers, the Vanderbilts. Their home was peaceful, beautifully appointed, and everything in its place. But it still accommodated their five grandchildren and surrounded us with so much love. We were blessed with frequent reminders of the untouchables, the lessons of etiquette at the table, Grandmother Magda's talent for cooking, and even scrubbed in her tub with vinegar we used for a shiny hair rinse. Of course, we all smelled like pork roasts, but all appreciated the detail to our care, and the honor in which so much love came! Yes, we were blessed!"

I conclude with a beautiful poem by Amanda Bradley that Mr. Goodheart shared with The Newport Historical Society in 1987 while speaking about life as a domestic servant. I believe it speaks to the kind of people the Goodhearts were and the kind of mark they made in the historic city of Newport:

Andrew Mellon (American financier, philanthropist, and secretary of the treasury (1921-1932). Mellon reformed the tax structure of the U.S. government in the 1920s and made possible the building of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

"We may not always realize that everything we do affects not only our lives, but touches others, too. For a little bit of thoughtfulness that shows someone you care, it creates a ray of sunshine for both of you to share. Yes, every time you offer someone a helping hand, every time you show a friend you care and understand, every time you have a kind and gentle word to give, you help someone find beauty in this precious life we live. For happiness brings happiness, and loving ways bring love. And giving is the treasure that contentment is made of."

Thank you, Kate and Susan, for allowing me to tell this heart-warming story of your beloved grandparents.

Sources: Newport Historical Society 1987 Winter Lecture Series on Society and the Gilded Age, by Charles Goodheart, newportmansions.org, Portland Press Herald, The Newport Oral History Project, Mary Seliga, http://www.ancestry.com

The Goodheart/Seliga Family granddaughters, Susan Seliga, and Kate Seliga Brown

Melissa McCann, Hohenwald, Tennessee - good Samaritan: found and returned the Goodheart Hungarian Bible to Kate and Susan.

 

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