9. Entertaining at Mar a Lago proved lavish and expensive
When Marjorie commissioned Joseph Urban to do design work for the Florida estate, one project assigned to him was the completion of a unique dining room table, with a top of interlocking polished stones. The mosaic top, manufactured in Florence, Italy, by hand, included polished alabaster, red jasper, and many other stones. It was pieced together as if it were a gigantic jigsaw puzzle. It took a full year for the craftsmen to complete the top, including six separate leaves which could be added to increase its length by another twelve feet. The entire top weighed two tons. At Mar a Lago it saw use for only about six weeks of the year, when Marjorie stayed at the property from early January to mid-February. Used for formal dining, the table was relocated to Hillwood, outside of Washington, following Marjorie’s death.
Besides the costume balls, dinner parties, sporting events, and other entertainments, Marjorie spent lavishly to become the Queen of Palm Beach Society during the winter months. Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus wintered in Florida, and Marjorie hired them to set up their tents and perform their full show for guests at her estate. She hired the casts of Broadway shows to perform their plays, symphony orchestras and jazz orchestras, and conducted both formal dances in evening dress, and square dances on the lawns. While she was in residence, 75 servants maintained the grounds and attended to the live-in guests. During periods of the house being closed, a staff of 32 worked there daily. The expense of operating Mar a Lago rose annually, but Marjorie refused to consider selling the estate. She continued to add to its decor with new artwork and updated fabrics, indifferent to the expense.
