In the early 20th century, can faux marble be more expensive than real marble?

[mm]

alt.home.repair: In the early 20th century, can faux marble be more expensive than real marble?

About 25 years ago I toured the Vanderbilt mansion, on the Hudson River, somehwere near Tarrytown.

The tour guide pointed to the banister, and maybe the bottom of the beside the stairs, and maybe some other part of the staircase, and said they were faux marble, painted wood, and that at the time, this was more expensive than real marble.

I found that hard to believe at the time and still do.

What I thought was that even Cornelius Vanderbilt didn't like to spend more money than necessary, and someone, maybe Mrs. Vanderbilt started this story that it was more expensive. Maybe she told her friends or her kids. I figure something like that might account for all this.

[Sev]

Dunno about the faux marble- I've only walked the grounds, I think, can't recall if I ever went inside. But it's in Hyde Park, near Roosevelt place. Tarrytown has Phillipse Manor, where they're rather more frank than they used to be about the fact that he(Philipse) owned and traded slaves. Sort of the Rockefeller of his era. Their place is nearby also- Kykuit.

[mm]

I havent been there. Was it open to the public 24 years ago?

By "near Tarrytown", I"m afraid I mean any place north of NYC on the east side of the Hudson, and south of Albany. I think all this is actually south of the Tappan Zee Bridge, and I'm 99% sure it was the Vanderbilt mansion. If not that, then Franklin Roosevelt's place, but I don't think so.

I think I"ve been to Washington Irving's house also, but I can't remember what it is called. Isn't that in Tarrytown, or Sleepy Hollow?

Don't remember Rockefeller's house being open to the public 24 years ago.

[Cliff Hartle]

Yes it can be. You have to think of it as art, not a replacement for the real thing.

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It's hard for me to think of it as art, but at least I can think the tour guide wasn't goofy. Thanks.