She was briefly married to a photographer before marrying philanthropist William Hale Harkness, half-brother of Henry Flagler, in 1945. Please try again. A year later, she married William Hale Harkness, a wealthy investor and a co-founder of Time magazine. Readers like you make our work possible. Rebekah and Bill had one child; a daughter named Edith. Harkness had three husbands. Her parents Allen and Rebekah were incredibly wealthy, her father was a stockbroker and the co-founder of the G. H. Walker Company. Rebekah had full custody of the children and remained living in Manhattan, working in advertising and studying music composition. Auto news: Old Datsun sells for $1.1 million, breaks auction records in Japan - caradvice.com.au. According to author of Blue Blood, Craig Unger, an example of Rebekah's early misbehaving was when she put mineral oil in the punch at her sister's debutante ball. First, a brief biography: Born Rebekah Semple West in St. Louis in 1915, Harkness was a divorcée whose second marriage was to Standard Oil heir William Hale Harkness. Ballet was always a passion of Rebekah's and, in the early 1960s, she created the Rebekah Harkness Foundation, sponsoring the Robert Joffrey Ballet. At the Harkness' Rhode Island mansion, Holiday House, Rebekah hosted wild parties almost every weekend, with famous guests including Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali and J.D Salinger. The character named Bill is in reference to Rebekah Harkness’s second husband, William Hale Harkness, who was in fact the heir to Standard Oil. The couple had a private ceremony attended by Rebekah's parents, her children Allen and Terry, along with William's daughter with his ex-wife Elizabeth. Holiday House was owned by Rebekah Harkness, an eccentric patron of the arts and founder of the Harkness Ballet. Myths handed down through the decades? She was a widow at 39, and friends were deeply concerned for her. Places! , fans were left wondering about the subject of her song 'The Last Great American Dynasty' - Rebekah Harkness. Harknes… There goes the loudest woman this town has ever seen. Rebekah attended a South Carolina finishing school that was famous for having the offspring of rich families such as the Roosevelts, Biddles and Auchinclosses. But following artistic disagreements, Rebekah's company disbanded in 1970, after she spent an estimated US $86 million. As it turns out, number three on the album, The Last Great American Dynasty, is based on the story of Rebekah Harkness and her husband William Harkness… We encountered an issue signing you up. Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images. , Craig Unger, an example of Rebekah's early misbehaving was when she put mineral oil in the punch at her sister's debutante ball. In 1939, at 24, Harkness married the first of her four husbands, Charles Dickson Walsh Pierce, a Yale graduate who worked for an advertising firm and was described by friends as a Walter Mitty-like character with his head in the clouds. "As soon as I walked down the aisle. Meet the previous resident of Swift's stately mansion in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. • The Lakes: Probably referring to the Lake District in England, a historic national park that’s home to many lakes, although we’ll know better once we’ve heard Folklore’s bonus track of the same name. • New York: Taylor’s home base for a few years and the city she sings about on 1989’s “Welcome to New York.” She continues to keep a residence there. All rights reserved. For the purposes of our statistical analysis, let’s say that there were three Bitch Pack members, because with Rebekah, that makes four, and everyone knows the best cliques have four members. When Bill died after a heart attack in 1954, Rebekah's life was turned upside down. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ third daughter, The Cartoonist Behind the Only Meme Worthy of Our Current Train Wreck, historically important 4th of July parties. Here, we … As a sad footnote to the story of Rebekah Harkness is the tragedy of her three children. She also made some rather eccentric decisions when she renovated Holiday House; installing an incredible eight kitchens and 21 baths. (Getty), Rebekah Harkness and her Harkness Ballet at her estate in Watch Hill, R.I., 1964. The truth is Rebekah Harkness was once one of the wealthiest women in America. It seems more likely to be those lakes than the U.S.’s Great Lakes or another group of lakes because Taylor Swift is dating an Englishman, actor Joe Alwyn, and as you might have heard, she has spent time with him in England. The subject of “Folklore” song “The Last Great American Dynasty,” Harkness — née Rebekah Semple West — was born in 1915 to “a rich, emotionally frigid … An avid dance enthusiast who had studied ballet and Spanish dance, her second marriage – to Standard Oil heir William Hale Harkness – made her one of the wealthiest women in America. In addition to Charlotte's death, Brosnan has had to live another drama: his son Chris ended up getting hooked on heroin and cocaine. When Taylor Swift released her latest album Folklore, fans were left wondering about the subject of her song 'The Last Great American Dynasty' - Rebekah Harkness. In 1947, Rebekah married husband number two, Standard Oil heir William "Bill" Harkness, whom she met at Watch Hill, her parents' summer holiday mansion in Rhode Island. • The High Line: A park in New York City built on out-of-service railway tracks, but also a backdrop for romantic moments in ballads. In 1954, something curious happened to Rebekah Harkness: Her oil tycoon husband passed. • Levi’s: A brand of jeans worn by someone who is an object of the affection of the narrator of the song “Cardigan.”. Seems like a good bet that her story resonated with Swift: She was one of the richest women in the world as well as a target for media criticism and public disdain. Fans offering queer readings of the song suggest that James could be a woman, like one of Lively and Reynolds’ daughters, or like Ms. • India: A country in South Asia that’s home to more than 1.3 billion people, and also, for the purposes of this song, a place that the young protagonists in “Seven” hope to escape to avoid a seemingly abusive father. The couple had a private ceremony attended by Rebekah's parents, her children Allen and Terry, along with William's daughter with his ex-wife Elizabeth. All contents © 2020 The Slate Group LLC. This money was eventually passed on to heirs, and in the case of Standard Oil, much of it went to William Hale Harkness, Rebekah West Harkness’s second husband. After a first marriage to photographer W. Dickson Pierce, she married William Hale Harkness – heir to the Standard Oil fortune – in 1947. Help us continue to provide the reporting, commentary, and criticism you won’t find anywhere else. Rebekah was a philanthropist who was passionate about ballet, a composer who was married four times and part of a group she christened the "Bitch Pack". That married only lasted four years. Rebekah said, "I hope the beauty of Harkness House will persuade some of these people that ballet need not be dingy and that by their patronage they are contributing to the splendid and glamorous.". At the time, she claimed to have married him because she had "nothing else to do". Due to her family's wealth, she was raised by a series of nannies, and attended a finishing school after High School. • St. Louis: The Missouri city Rebekah West Harkness came from. (The New York Post via Getty Imag), Taylor Swift to victims of sexual harassment: 'My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard', Taylor Swift has finally been paid the $1 she won in sexual assault lawsuit, Taylor Swift's adorable engagement party appearance, Ed Sheeran drops surprise track 'Afterglow', Madeleine West: 'This year's festivities are feeling a little….. forced', How your Christmas lunch will influence your stress levels this festive period. This money was eventually passed on to heirs, and in the case of Standard Oil, much of it went to William Hale Harkness, Rebekah West Harkness’s second husband. And you'll never see this message again. In her day, Harkness was as much of a media darling as Swift is now, and often the target of unfavorable headlines and press coverage. After her husband died, Harkness renovated the house she owned in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. I don’t know, it could; maybe someone will think to save it because it literally says “folklore” on it? • Standard Oil: A now-defunct oil company that was dismantled for its monopolistic activities but not before robber barons used it to become filthy rich. By joining Slate Plus you support our work and get exclusive content. And they were right. 'Is there a chic way to go?'" The best of movies, TV, books, music, and more, delivered to your inbox three times a week. Life was exceedingly grand and Rebekah loved being married to Bill as she was thrown right into the spotlight of the upper class. • Holiday House: The historic name for Swift’s mansion in Rhode Island, which dates back to Rebekah West Harkness’ years there. Taylor Swift bought Holiday House for US$17 million in 2013. Suddenly, Rebekah was a rich widow—one of the wealthiest women in America, in fact. She was also a very colourful woman with a tendency to self-destruct. Watch the Stan Original film A Sunburnt Christmas now on Stan. That ‘town’ is Watch Hill, Rhode Island – an affluent coastal village where Swift purchased a cliff side mansion in 2013 that was once owned by Rebekah and her husband William Harkness, a Standard Oil heir who was one of the wealthiest men in America. Rebekah was also passionate about sculpting and she became a patron of the French sculptor Guitou Knoop. ... Harkness was a divorcée who married Standard Oil heir William Hale Harkness in 1947. (Photo by Jack Mitchell/Getty Images) (Getty), "There goes the loudest woman this town has ever seen. Rebekah West Harkness (April 17, 1915 – June 17, 1982) also known as Betty Harkness, was an American composer, sculptor, dance patron, and philanthropist who founded the Harkness Ballet. The couple was married just seven years before William passed away of a heart attack, leaving the Harkness fortune and Holiday House to Rebekah. Story: Swift and Aaron Dessner co-wrote The Last Great American Dynasty based on the eccentric life of socialite Rebekah Harkness, who was known to … You can cancel anytime. The two purchased a mansion in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, which they nicknamed Holiday House. • Dalí: Salvador Dalí was a painter known not only for his surrealist, Dada work, but also for his eccentricities, particularly his signature pencil mustache. • Rebekah West Harkness: A 20th-century socialite (she died in 1982) who used to own Taylor Swift’s Rhode Island mansion. But despite their immense wealth, home life was anything but rosy. The two women have something in common – Swift now lives in what was once Rebekah's home, "Holiday House" in Rhode Island. (Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images), Bill's daughter Elizabeth later married actor Robert Montgomery, the mother of actress Elizabeth Montgomery who found fame as Samantha in the classic TV series, Rebekah Harkness, composer, sculptor, dance patron, and philanthropist, photographed in her office in 1964. ", Rebekah Harkness reading music on January 28, 1969. Rebekah Harkness and her Harkness Ballet in 1966. In 1973, at 36 and with his grad-student days not far behind him, Lauersen married 58-year-old Rebekah Harkness, widow to William Hale Harkness, of the Harkness philanthropic dynasty. • Centennial Park: There are several parks with this name, but “Invisible String” is probably referring to the one in Nashville, where Taylor Swift lived for years and still keeps a home. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. The mansion was once owned by Rebekah Harkness, a high profile socialite who famously married into the Standard Oil fortune. She and her second husband, Standard Oil heir William Hale Harkness, reportedly had a happy marriage, although “little evidence is given in support of … • The Moon: A rock that’s orbiting our planet, and Swift compares its distance from Earth to how much she loves someone in “Seven.” May not technically qualify as rural or pastoral, but it definitely ain’t urban. She died surrounded by her family: from her husband Alex, her children Isabella and Lucas and her brothers Christopher and Sean," she said. But equally unapologetic as Swift. If Rebekah Harkness was playing card games with him, it means she kept some pretty wild company. Slate relies on advertising to support our journalism. Being a patron of the ballet was Rebekah’s passion. (Are these true stories of the common people? HOW SHE BECAME RICH. Join Slate Plus to continue reading, and you’ll get unlimited access to all our work—and support Slate’s independent journalism. (Getty). Rebekah West was born in 1915 in St Louis, Missouri. • James: The narrator of the song “Betty,” the one who wants to be forgiven. • Inez: Someone who passed gossip concerning James onto Betty. Rebekka Harkness in New York, 1965. You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Swift’s song, "The Last Great American Dynasty" is actually a tale about Harkness. People! Born in 1915 in St Louis, Missouri, Harkness was the second daughter of prominent stockbroker Allen Tarwater and his wife, also named Rebekah. Before their divorce in 1946, they had two children: Allen Pierce & Anne Terry Pierce. The Holiday House was once owned by Rebekah Harkness. • Pennsylvania: A large state with many cities and towns in it that is most notable for being the U.S. state where Swift grew up—specifically at a Christmas tree farm in its southeastern region. But will Folklore live on in folklore? Swift herself, who was named after James Taylor. . Read next. She even hosted a ballet workshop there for 20 dancers from the Robert Joffrey Company (now known as the Joffrey Ballet) in 1965. There's only so far new money goes.". Rebekah died in June 1982 after a battle with cancer, her ashes placed in an urn designed by Salvador Dalí. Will we pass it on, generation to generation, around a campfire? Rebekah Harkness Rebekah Harkness (1915-1982) Rebekah Harkness, born Rebekah Semple West, was one of the foremost American patrons of dance. I had a marvellous time ruining everything. She also founded Harkness Ballet and built a ballet studio, trying to create her own version of the luxurious European ballet schools, with a marble staircase and a crystal chandeliers. His grandfather was Daniel M. Harkness, a half … She also made time to indulge her love of ballet, hosting 20 dancers for a series of workshops. Once again, its great distance from us is meant to represent the copious amounts of love Swift has for the subject of “Seven.”. Things! Allen Pierce, was convicted of murder after shooting a man in a brawl, her daughter Terry's child was born with brain damage and died at the age of ten and her other daughter Edith died of suicide, following numerous stays at mental health institutions. Peter is our cultural shorthand for immaturity and the struggle of leaving adolescence. Rebekah's father was said to be a tyrant, while her mother was more interested in focusing on her social life. Barrie’s classic story. And just how folkloric is this thing, anyway? The woman was a 20th-century socialite whom we’ve covered some facts about. So how did she become Swift's muse? In 1947, Rebekah married husband number two, Standard Oil heir William "Bill" Harkness, whom she met at Watch Hill, her parents' summer holiday mansion in Rhode Island. But music was her biggest love and in 1955 she gained recognition as a composer when her 20-minute tone poem "Safari Suite" was performed at Carnegie Hall. Bill's daughter Elizabeth later married actor Robert Montgomery, the mother of actress Elizabeth Montgomery who found fame as Samantha in the classic TV series Bewitched. Rebekah Harkness didn’t tuck herself away either. You’ve run out of free articles. • Sunday: Either the seventh or first day of the week, depending on who you ask, and if you’re Taylor Swift, a good day to take in a matinée—while contemplating loves lost. Was she a fictional character drawn from the depths of Taylor's imagination, or had she once been a living woman with a tale to tell? At Fermata, Rebekah wrote in her diary that she wanted to ''do everything bad". When Taylor Swift released her latest album. But Rebekah's story is intricately more complex that the one set out in Swift's lyrics. She'd inherited Bill's enormous fortune and, without Bill or her father (who had died just the year before) to keep an eye on her, friends feared she'd land herself in trouble. The Return of Concorde: Is this the most glamorous Christmas present for 2020? So who exactly is Rebekah Harkness and why did she inspire Swift's latest track? In 1939, at the age of 24, Rebekah married her first husband Charles Dickson Pierce. Harkness also allowed her passions for dance and music to follow her into adulthood, using much of her inheritance to become a patron of the ballet, as well as to compose music. Taylor Swift surprised-released a new album called Folklore on Friday, and like all her albums, it’s bound to be a hit. Send me updates about Slate special offers. • The Bitch Pack: This is the name for Rebekah West Harkness’ group of friends (you might say, squad), who helped Harkness gain her reputation for being outrageous. Estate in Watch Hill estate was called, began to acquire the character of Rebekah life. To the Standard Oil fortune had two children, Allen and Terry, but the marriage lasted just years! 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