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· collected 2026-08-18 · by TOI World Desk
Marjorie Merriweather Post, an heiress and philanthropist, built the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida in the 1920s as a private home for grand parties. The mansion was completed in 1927 after four years of construction at a cost of $7 million, equivalent to over $100 million today, covering 20 acres with a main house of over 37,000 square feet. According to freelance journalist Michael Luongo, Post's goal was to create a social hub that would bring together the wealthy elite and underprivileged individuals through lavish parties and charity events. The estate, which now serves as US President Donald Trump's Florida residence, hosted high-profile guests including royals and diplomats during Post's ownership.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
But the Palm Beach property had already lived several lives before Trump became associated with it.
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Trump → live → it
The mansion was built in the 1920s by Marjorie Merriweather Post, an heiress and philanthropist who was among the wealthiest women of her time.
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who → build → time
According to NPR, long before government documents and political events brought it global attention, Mar-a-Lago was known for lavish parties, royal guests, charity events and a social life centred around Post.
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Lago → accord → Post
The name itself reflects the unusual location of the property.
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name → reflect → property
Mar-a-Lago means Sea to Lake in Spanish.
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Lago → mean → Spanish
The estate sits between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Worth in Palm Beach, Florida.
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estate → sit → Beach
Post built it as a private home, but it soon became much more than that.
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it → build → that
Its history began with Post's enormous wealth.
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history → begin → wealth
She was the heiress to the Postum Cereal Company, which later became the General Foods Corporation.
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which → become → Company
After her father died, Post took control of the company at the age of 27 and became one of the richest women in the world.
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Post → die → world
A mansion built for grand parties
Mar-a-Lago was completed in 1927 after about four years of construction.
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Lago → build → construction
Post spent about $7 million on the property, a figure that would be worth more than $100 million today.
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that → spend → figure
The estate covered about 20 acres, while the main house measured more than 37,000 square feet.
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house → cover → feet
It had 58 bedrooms and 33 bathrooms.
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It → have → bedrooms
The interiors included 36,000 historic Spanish tiles, imported Italian stone, thousands of feet of marble, gold-plated fixtures and gold leafing.
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interiors → include → marble
The scale of the mansion reflected the wealth and consumerism of the 1920s.
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scale → reflect → 1920s
Even by Palm Beach standards, it was considered unusually grand.
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it → consider → standards
Freelance journalist and Purdue PhD student Michael Luongo, who studied the Post Family Papers at the University of Michigan and wrote about Mar-a-Lago's history for Smithsonian Magazine, described it as grandiose.
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who → study → it
Post was known for hosting large gatherings, and her first Florida home had become too small for the parties she wanted to organise.
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she → know → parties
Mar-a-Lago gave her the space to entertain guests on a much larger scale.
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Lago → give → scale
Post was the richest woman in the US when she built Mar a Lago.
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she → build → Lago
"Florida in the 1920s and the 1930s served the same role that it does now.
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it → serve → role
It was a place where people vacationed," Luongo told NPR.
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Luongo → vacation → NPR
"But we are not talking about your ordinary middle class family going to Disney.
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we → talk → Disney
We are talking about the very elite who would come down to Palm Beach, who would come down to parties that she would host."
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she → talk → that
Post's guest list included royals and diplomats.
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list → include → royals
She also organised elaborate parties and charity events, including the International Red Cross Ball.
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She → organise → Ball
Some of these events were open to people from the surrounding Palm Beach community.
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Some → surround → community
Post also wanted her property and social events to have a wider purpose.
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property → want → purpose
Luongo said she was particularly interested in allowing underprivileged people to attend some events.
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people → say → events
"She also was very keen on ensuring that the underprivileged were invited to events so that they could experience, for example, musical concerts," Luongo said.
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Luongo → ensure → concerts
That combination of wealth, entertainment and charity became an important part of Mar-a-Lago's early identity.
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combination → become → identity
The property later gained official historic recognition.
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property → gain → recognition
In 1969, the Department of the Interior made Mar-a-Lago a national historic site.
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Lago → make → Interior
It was later added to the National Register of Historic Places.
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It → add → Places
Post wanted it to be a 'Winter White House'
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it → want → ?
When Post died in 1973, she left Mar-a-Lago to the federal government.
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she → die → government
Her wish was for the mansion to become a retreat for US presidents and diplomats.
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mansion → become → presidents
She wanted it to serve as a 'Winter White House'.
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it → want → House
However, the government decided that maintaining such a large property would be too expensive.
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maintaining → decide → property
…and 26 more, not listed.
