A further distinction is the rare overall carte blanche seemingly given McKim as chief architect on the design and furnishing of the ground floor reception rooms. The Vanderbilt Mansion is a home built expressly for the aristocratic lifestyle for a family whose name is the very definition of wealth and privilege. The children of William Henry Vanderbilt—at one time the wealthiest man in America—were the most prolific home builders of their era. And Mrs. Vanderbilt will shortly take up their residence in the handsome mansion.” On May 14, 1899, the paper reported that “Mr. And Mrs. F. W. Vanderbilt entertained a large party of guests who came by special train at their mansion on Friday last.” Most likely, this was a reference to the Vanderbilts’ first house party at Hyde Park.

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Together, we build a thriving recovery community that emphasizes accountability, shared growth, and lasting relationships. House Mentors and staff lead and support each sober living home; helping to ensure a positive recovery environment for all guests. Our vision is to establish 11 regional offices and 220 service areas to support 2,400 recovery homes in the VSL network across the US. Applications are accepted on our website, as well as faxed, e-mailed, or over the phone. We carefully screen each application and conduct a telephone screen prior to approval to ensure a good fit in our homes. Sober homes screen guests for alcohol and drugs, enforce house rules and curfew, and each guest holds their brothers and sisters accountable.

• House Mentors provide guidance and accountability, while VSL Chartered Operators ensure high standards and a supportive and recovery-focused environment.
• Our sober living homes provide a supportive, structured environment for individuals on their recovery journey.
• The architectural lines of new house built for the Vanderbilts was derived from the 1847 Langdon mansion that preceded it.
• Though members of elite, wealthy society, Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt lived graciously without spectacle.
• Rates start at $120 a week depending on home and room available.Germain Estate is a home for women in Worcester, Massachusetts.

© 2025 💜  Vanderburgh Sober Living ™ is a cooperative network of independently operated sober living homes organized by The Vanderburgh Foundation, Inc., a registered 501(c)3 Charitable Foundation. The VSL and Vanderburgh House ™ brands are used with permission by VSL Chartered Operators. VSL Chartered Operators offer structured sober living for men and women where every guest is supported in their recovery journeys.

Recovery Home certification plays a vital role in maintaining the highest standards of safety, structure, and support for individuals on their recovery journey. Certification is guided by the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR), a national organization which sets standards for recovery residence certification. NARR’s framework is built on a social model of recovery, emphasizing peer support, accountability, and community engagement. Their certification process evaluates homes on essential aspects such as safety, resident rights, operational integrity, and quality of service. Becoming a VSL Chartered Operator gives you the opportunity to own and operate a sober living home while making a lasting impact in your community. Our mission is to empower operators with the resources, training, and support needed to run successful and sustainable recovery housing.

At Hyde Park, an extensive complex of greenhouses, formal gardens, and a model farm supplied flowers, produce, meats, and dairy for the Vanderbilt table wherever they were in residence. We exist to ensure access to a supportive, affordable, and sustainable home for each person on a recovery journey. Sober homes offer an opportunity for men and women in recovery to live together and support each other while pursuing a new life in recovery. In the construction of Gilded Age country houses, prominent architects like McKim, Mead & White, generally collaborated with an interior decorator.

• Guests adhere to a curfew, submit to drug and alcohol screenings, and participate in home and community events.
• Ogden Codman would design Louise Vanderbilt’s suite, and Georges Glaenzer would design Mr. Vanderbilt’s bedroom, his office, the den, and the reception room.
• Our free NPS App offers interactive maps, self-guided activities, and much more to enhance your visit.
• The new mansion, distinguished by its sturdy classicism, is grand, but not overwrought—a testament to McKim’s reserved use of classical vocabulary.

Our Mission & Values – Explore our commitment to recovery-focused sober housing. Apply online; someone will call you to conduct a phone screen usually within a few hours. Guests of sober homes pay affordable and simple all-inclusive rent payments on a weekly or monthly basis. Mr. Vanderbilt vanderburgh house wrote the firm placing the sum of $50,000 at the disposal of Stanford White to purchase articles of furniture and architectural salvage obtained in Europe. White’s acquisitions were guided by McKim’s wishes, a rare illustration of his aesthetic judgement, as well as a reflection of White’s effective decorating eye.

Warren developed a scheme that would transform the halls on the first and second floors of the mansion and alter the living room. Herter Brothers would carry out the architectural decoration of the entrance vestibule, the elliptical hall and the dining room and A. Ogden Codman would design Louise Vanderbilt’s suite, and Georges Glaenzer would design Mr. Vanderbilt’s bedroom, his office, the den, and the reception room.

This balanced approach empowers guests to take control of their recovery while having the support they need to thrive. Recovery focused, MASH certified, sober living community in Massachusetts. We are structured, requiring 5 meetings a week minimum, random drug testing, working or IOP’s, and much more. They have a 0 tolerance policy that helps separate us from other sober homes. Rates start at $120 a week depending on home and room available.Germain Estate is a home for women in Worcester, Massachusetts. Located in the exclusive West Worcester area, the home is comfy and updated with all the modern conveniences.

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Each VSL Chartered sober living home is independently owned and operated by members of our community who follow VSL’s high standards for accountability, peer support, and structured recovery. Our network spans Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Illinois, and beyond, ensuring access to quality sober living options nationwide. Our sober living homes provide a supportive, structured environment for individuals on their recovery journey. We welcome questions about our homes, House Mentors, and application process. Guests at Miracles of Dignity participate in weekly house meetings and community activities tailored to women in recovery, fostering connection both within the home and independently. Our sober living program is rooted in evidence-based practices and informed by clinical expertise, developed by a team of dedicated recovery professionals committed to strengthening communities through sober living.”

Hyde Park was a seasonal residence, one of a portfolio of homes the Vanderbilts owned in New York City, Bar Harbor, Newport, and the Adirondacks. Typical of the grand estates along the Hudson River, life at Hyde Park was rooted in the pleasures of the outdoors and genteel agrarian pursuits. House parties were leisurely and intimate, marked by games of golf or lawn tennis, carriage rides, and tea at neighboring estates.

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McKim identified key furnishings for the hall, staircase, reception room, lobbies, dining room, living room and porticoes. The formal rooms of the ground floor are arranged in a concise, classical plan. A large living room and corresponding dining room accentuate the north and south end of the transverse axis. Our free NPS App offers interactive maps, self-guided activities, and much more to enhance your visit. Transitional housing is temporary housing for the working homeless population and is set up to transition their residents to permanent housing.

Miracles of Dignity – Germain Women’s Sober House – Vanderburgh Sober Living

Sober houses offer an important service to individuals in early recovery. Independent living is difficult, and sober housing offers an attractive alternative to many options available to men and women in early recovery. The architectural lines of new house built for the Vanderbilts was derived from the 1847 Langdon mansion that preceded it. Both houses exhibit the same classical concepts of simple blocks articulated by pilasters and a semicircular portico on the river facade. The new mansion, distinguished by its sturdy classicism, is grand, but not overwrought—a testament to McKim’s reserved use of classical vocabulary. Though members of elite, wealthy society, Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt lived graciously without spectacle.

Why Refer Clients to VSL?

Applicants must be over 18 years old and haven’t used drugs or alcohol within 14 days. Guests are ofter referred from treatment or other clinical or judicial settings, but many guests self-refer to our homes.

The home also offers historic hardwoods, stained glass, high ceilings, huge rooms, and amazing historic architecture.Residents enjoy eight large and bedrooms and four luxurious bathrooms, and expansive first-floor common space. The grounds offer a quiet covered sitting area, gardens, ivy-covered carriage house, and a private yard for group activities. Our NARR-Affiliate Certified homes meet the highest standards in recovery housing, ensuring supportive, structured, and recovery-focused environments. Operating across multiple states, our network is built to deliver excellence and consistency you can rely on. Our homes foster a peer-driven, structured environment where guests support and encourage each other under the guidance and mentorship of a House Mentor (manager).

A Masterpiece of American Design

Guests live together as a family to develop the tools and strengthen their character in order to live free from substance abuse. VSL homes allow for independence while guided by a set of recovery-focused house rules, standards, and expectations. Guests are engaged in their personal recovery journey by attending meetings and working with a sponsor and a House Mentor for support and encouragement. Guests adhere to a curfew, submit to drug and alcohol screenings, and participate in home and community events. Vanderburgh Sober Living is a membership organization dedicated to supporting independent sober home operators in providing structured, recovery-focused housing.

House Rules in Sober Houses A sober house is often considered to be the br.. We are New England’s premier sober living provider, with homes across Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maine. A $200 deposit is due when moving in, additional to your first week payment. Despite their overall delight with Hyde Park, the Vanderbilts were not entirely pleased with certain aspects of its design.