Heiress, Socialite, Philanthropist, daughter of the Isaac Emerson and Emelie Askew, her father founded the Emerson Drug Co., makers of Bromo-Seltzer. in 1902 she married Dr. Smith Hollis McKim, they were divorced in 1909. she then married Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt on December 17, 1911. they had two sons, Alfred Gwynne II, and George Washington. On May 7th 1915 tragedy struck, the Lusitania was struck by a torpedo and sank, her husband Alfred was on board, his body was never recovered. Margaret chose, a month after her husband's death to go to Lenox, Mass where she rented a modest summer place – Shadow Brook. In 1916 she had to find new quarters as the property had been sold to Andrew Carnegie who could no longer, because of the war, go back and forth to his castle in Scotland. From 1916 to 1917 she rented Ventfort Hall. Erskine Park had been built for George and Marguerite Westinghouse in 1890 and was, by 1911, surrounded by 600 landscaped acres. Margaret bought the property on the condition that the elaborately decorated house be razed. She went right to work to build a brand new Delano and Aldrich designed Colonial Revival home with a large music room and portico. She particularly liked the fact that the grounds included space for croquet, tennis, and a gymnasium for the boys. Nice pad for a few weeks a year (since the family also lived in Palm Beach, New York, and the Great Sagamore). Holmwood, named for a spot in England that was the site of a memorial to Alfred Vanderbilt, was sold to the Foxhollow School for Girls in 1939. Margaret barely made it into Holmwood in time to marry husband #3, Raymond T. Baker (1875-1935). In another "you can't make this stuff up," she had met Baker in Reno when she was getting a divorce from husband #1. One of the social columns** reported, before she married Alfred, that "Mrs. McKim created quite a stir in San Francisco on one occasion when she departed for the orient, waving kisses to Ray Baker, the novelist and clubman, when the steamer left the dock." They had a daughter, Gloria (1920-1975). They divorced in October 1928. Not one to let the grass grow under her feet, Margaret married husband #4, Charles Minot Amory (he was from Boston – they had met in Palm Beach) October 14, 1928, this marriage did not last and they divorced in 1931, Margaret resumed using her maiden name. Margaret never remarried after her divorce from #4. Margaret died on January 2, 1960 at Doctors Hospital in Manhattan after having suffered a heart attack a few days before. Her funeral was held at St. Patricks Cathedral, She was buried at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, Ny. Margaret was inducted into the United States Croquet Hall of Fame in 1979.
Bio by: Bobby Kelley
Bio by: Bobby Kelley
Heiress, Socialite, Philanthropist, daughter of the Isaac Emerson and Emelie Askew, her father founded the Emerson Drug Co., makers of Bromo-Seltzer. in 1902 she married Dr. Smith Hollis McKim, they were divorced in 1909. she then married Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt on December 17, 1911. they had two sons, Alfred Gwynne II, and George Washington. On May 7th 1915 tragedy struck, the Lusitania was struck by a torpedo and sank, her husband Alfred was on board, his body was never recovered. Margaret chose, a month after her husband's death to go to Lenox, Mass where she rented a modest summer place – Shadow Brook. In 1916 she had to find new quarters as the property had been sold to Andrew Carnegie who could no longer, because of the war, go back and forth to his castle in Scotland. From 1916 to 1917 she rented Ventfort Hall. Erskine Park had been built for George and Marguerite Westinghouse in 1890 and was, by 1911, surrounded by 600 landscaped acres. Margaret bought the property on the condition that the elaborately decorated house be razed. She went right to work to build a brand new Delano and Aldrich designed Colonial Revival home with a large music room and portico. She particularly liked the fact that the grounds included space for croquet, tennis, and a gymnasium for the boys. Nice pad for a few weeks a year (since the family also lived in Palm Beach, New York, and the Great Sagamore). Holmwood, named for a spot in England that was the site of a memorial to Alfred Vanderbilt, was sold to the Foxhollow School for Girls in 1939. Margaret barely made it into Holmwood in time to marry husband #3, Raymond T. Baker (1875-1935). In another "you can't make this stuff up," she had met Baker in Reno when she was getting a divorce from husband #1. One of the social columns** reported, before she married Alfred, that "Mrs. McKim created quite a stir in San Francisco on one occasion when she departed for the orient, waving kisses to Ray Baker, the novelist and clubman, when the steamer left the dock." They had a daughter, Gloria (1920-1975). They divorced in October 1928. Not one to let the grass grow under her feet, Margaret married husband #4, Charles Minot Amory (he was from Boston – they had met in Palm Beach) October 14, 1928, this marriage did not last and they divorced in 1931, Margaret resumed using her maiden name. Margaret never remarried after her divorce from #4. Margaret died on January 2, 1960 at Doctors Hospital in Manhattan after having suffered a heart attack a few days before. Her funeral was held at St. Patricks Cathedral, She was buried at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, Ny. Margaret was inducted into the United States Croquet Hall of Fame in 1979.
Bio by: Bobby Kelley
Bio by: Bobby Kelley
