Rebekah Harkness
Historical figure
American · 20th century
Rhode Island socialite, arts patron, and oil heiress. Owned a mansion at Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Known for her extravagant lifestyle and complex legacy.
Connection to Taylor Swift
The real woman at the centre of the last great american dynasty. Rebekah Harkness, the Standard Oil heiress who owned Holiday House at Watch Hill before Taylor bought it, gives the song its true story: a widow branded mad for her extravagance, her parties and her refusal to behave. Taylor has spoken about the pleasure of telling it, the woman who had a marvelous time ruining everything, before the final lines reveal that the scandalous house is now hers. Harkness lets Taylor draw a line between two women judged for taking up space.
Notable Works
- Standard Oil heiress and arts patron who founded the Harkness Ballet; the subject of Taylor Swift's "the last great american dynasty".