The Kennedys are the closest thing to American royalty, and much like actual nobility, the politically influential brood possesses several luxe properties. The Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, though, is undoubtedly their favorite getaway.
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“I’ve always been really interested in stories with a strong sense of place, and I’ve also been interested in people we think we know and looking at them through a different lens,” Kate Storey, the author of “White House by the Sea,” told WWD. “What drew me to the subject was thinking about these houses, and thinking about the Kennedys not as this incredibly important, famous family, but as neighbors and how they fit into this community.”
Storey’s book, out now, charts the history of the Kennedy Compound and sheds light on some of the family’s favorite memories there. Ahead, an inside look at their grand Hyannis Port homes.
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From the Malcolm Cottage to the Big House
The first, and now largest, of the Kennedy Compound abodes is the aptly named “Big House.” The property, erected in 1904, was built by Cape Cod local Frank Payne for the Malcolm family. John F. Kennedy’s parents, Joe and Rose Kennedy, rented the cottage in the early ’20s before purchasing the property in 1929. They soon renovated the home, doubling it in size.
With 11 bedrooms, a sauna, a pool, a tennis court and a basement movie theater, it eventually became known as the Big House. “Joe Kennedy was working in the film industry at the time,” Storey said. “…[A] big part of life in Hyannis Port in those early years was these big movie nights they would host for the family and for the neighbors.”
Expanding the Kennedy Compound
In the ’50s, the Kennedys purchased two more properties adjacent to the Big House. Robert and Ethel bought their home in 1955, while John and Jackie acquired what would later be called the “President’s House” in 1957. With these new additions, the Kennedy Compound now totaled six acres of waterfront property.
Tapping into her knack for antiques, Rose decorated the Big House and the President’s House with a 135-piece set of 17th and 18th American furniture, art and rugs.
Style on the Cape
Jackie Kennedy was known for her glamorous wardrobe, but the Kennedys mostly kept it casual on the Cape. They did, however, dress up for important family occasions like Thanksgiving and church. In Storey’s book, she details their 1961 Thanksgiving celebration where Jackie donned a pink Schiaparelli suit before teaching her children “The Twist.”
“She took center stage in the living room, demonstrating by swinging her hands to one side, her hips to the other, her feet staying planted on the plush rug,” writes Storey. “Music piped through the sound system Joe had installed on the first floor a few years earlier… Jack sat back in his chair with a small cigar, smiling, watching his family together, laughing and teasing like they had in that living room when they were kids.”
Nantucket Sound and Beyond
The Kennedys spent most of their time in Hyannis Port sailing the waters of Nantucket Sound, but this isn’t their only preferred pastime on the Cape. They’ve also been known to play golf at the local Hyannisport Club, and back in the day, the family enjoyed horseback rides on Joe’s nearby farm.
Touch football was also a favorite sport among the Kennedys, who frolicked on the Big House’s large front lawn.
There is little to do in Hyannis Port as it’s primarily residential, but the Kennedys would occasionally venture outside of their compound. The family’s favorite ice cream shop, Four Seas, still stands in the village of Centerville.
John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette also frequented a restaurant called Gourmet Brunch in Hyannis proper, where the couple would enjoy meals in the front booth.
The Kennedys’ Catholicism is what partly led them to Hyannis Port: Joe and Rose were welcomed into the Hyannisport Club in the ’20s, a time when Catholics were banned from many private clubs.
After moving to the Cape, the Kennedys regularly attended services at St. Francis Xavier church in Hyannis. Bobby Kennedy’s son Christopher was christened there in 1963, and it’s where Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger tied the knot in 1986. Shriver and Schwarzenegger’s star-studded nuptials included high-profile guests like Oprah, Andy Warhol and Grace Jones.
Major Events at the Compound
During John F. Kennedy’s presidency, he hosted several press conferences and political meetings at the compound. Journalists including Walter Cronkite and Barbara Walters also visited the family’s Hyannis Port homes to interview the president and his younger brother, Ted.
In 1981, the compound served as the venue for the 10th annual Robert F. Kennedy Pro-Celebrity Tennis Tournament, where stars faced off against the sport’s best athletes on the court at the Big House.
Family members including Maria Shriver and Ethel Kennedy attended the event, as did stars Marcia Strassman, Susan Saint James and Cheryl Tiegs.
The Kennedy Compound Now
The Kennedy Compound became a U.S. National Landmark in 1972, but none of the homes are open for public visitation. Ethel Kennedy still owns and resides in the home she lived in with her late husband, while the Big House was donated to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate in 2013.
While tourists may not be allowed at the compound, they can check out the John F. Kennedy Museum and Memorial in nearby Hyannis, where visitors can learn more about the family’s connection to Cape Cod. They can also embark on a self-guided tour to visit some of the Kennedys’ favorite local spots.