Preppy/"Old" Money DC - tell me everything

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All lot of this seems new money to me. Old money DC to me is things like getting your Christmas cards engraved at Brewood, being a member of the Friday Morning Music Club, having a contact at Weschler's who calls you when certain pieces are going to come up at auction, etc.

I'm the person whose DH's family has been here for many, many generations. We don't have any inherited money left so DCUM would probably sneer at us. But we actually do have a family contact at Weschler's FWIW.

[Anonymous]

PP here. Also FWIW the older members of DH's family all have what is called the Piedmont accent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid went to one of these schools and that wasn’t our experience at all.

Lots of new money. Most old money families have spent all their money.

Yeeeeah, that's not how it works

It is for most of them. Or are you thinking of just two generations of professional upper middle class instead? Most of the true “old” money hang on to who their family “used to be” even though the money is gone. Like desperately using old family names for their kids and maintaining the WASPy customs like monogrammed linens and silver place settings, philanthropy of some kind, but not actually being wealthy.

DH ‘s father’s side was old money, English upper class, town named after them when they settled, nannies, servants, boarding school at age 6 kind of upbringing. The only thing that he kept from that lifestyle is some antiques and good manners.

[Anonymous]

This thread is gross. But for those wondering what a cave dweller is it’s basically the very wealthy non political (meaning not in government as a president, VP or cabinet member - mostly business men) in Washington DC in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. And the exact people that those professing to be “old money” today on DCUM would call “new money” and social climbers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is gross. But for those wondering what a cave dweller is it’s basically the very wealthy non political (meaning not in government as a president, VP or cabinet member - mostly business men) in Washington DC in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. And the exact people that those professing to be “old money” today on DCUM would call “new money” and social climbers.

All money was new once.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid went to one of these schools and that wasn’t our experience at all.

Lots of new money. Most old money families have spent all their money.

Yeeeeah, that's not how it works

It is for most of them. Or are you thinking of just two generations of professional upper middle class instead? Most of the true “old” money hang on to who their family “used to be” even though the money is gone. Like desperately using old family names for their kids and maintaining the WASPy customs like monogrammed linens and silver place settings, philanthropy of some kind, but not actually being wealthy.

DH ‘s father’s side was old money, English upper class, town named after them when they settled, nannies, servants, boarding school at age 6 kind of upbringing. The only thing that he kept from that lifestyle is some antiques and good manners.

Lot of truth to this. I've got multiple NYC "400" ancestors and some of their things -- the leftovers others didn't already cash in -- and I've been pretty hung up on it. I get a kick, and maybe an ego boost, from reading old news articles about their comings and goings. But the $$ in my line is long gone, thanks to dissipation, the depression, and financially unfortunate marriages. But my grandparents, with their lockjaw, instilled a hint of haughtiness that's hard to shake. Similar thing with southern families who pine about their glorious CSA ancestors or gracious plantations.

Some people are still going strong: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who is a Crocker, hangs in Newport, and had Whitehouse ancestors in the 400; the Pynes of NY/NJ, the Burdens; and the descendants of Astors and Millses who are now English nobles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pull back the shades. They are all from families with alcoholism, prescription drug abuse, infidelity, and some sex abuse.

Pretty much this. Messes with money. Think Kennedys.

The Kennedys are a whole different subculture.

New money of dubious means, now old(ish), at least for US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Warshington"

That’s a Midwest accent so definitely not old money, preppy . Could be newish money trying to be old money/preppy.

My now-deceased grandmother, who grew up in Greenbelt, and all of her daughters, who grew up in Kensington, pronounce(d) it this way. Her branch of the family goes back many generations in Maryland and the mid-Atlantic area. They were not moneyed. But definitely not ever midwestern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does old money exist anymore?

Only in old money circles. So, don’t worry about it - you won’t mix

Yeah, I wasn't worried about mixing with a bunch of inbred frumps, but thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Warshington"

That’s a Midwest accent so definitely not old money, preppy . Could be newish money trying to be old money/preppy.

My now-deceased grandmother, who grew up in Greenbelt, and all of her daughters, who grew up in Kensington, pronounce(d) it this way. Her branch of the family goes back many generations in Maryland and the mid-Atlantic area. They were not moneyed. But definitely not ever midwestern.

Ugh, my grandmother pronounced it this way too.

[Anonymous]

I think Warshington tends to have Germanic roots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've attended a bunch of private school admissions events this fall, and I'm getting my first glimpse into a VERY distinct preppy / wasp-y crowd. They're not really Cave Dwellers (although surely some of their parents and grand-parents were) -- very few seem to work for the administration or in the government. In fact, they seem apolitical unless you count wearing a Barbour jacket as a religion. The most common threads I've been able to discern is that most are white and either from DC or the South, they all know each other well, and even though I know there are other exclusive country clubs out there, they are basically all members of the Chevy Chase Club. Who are these people: where is the money from, how were they raised, and how do they spend their time?

Not old money and definitely NOT elite in any way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've attended a bunch of private school admissions events this fall, and I'm getting my first glimpse into a VERY distinct preppy / wasp-y crowd. They're not really Cave Dwellers (although surely some of their parents and grand-parents were) -- very few seem to work for the administration or in the government. In fact, they seem apolitical unless you count wearing a Barbour jacket as a religion. The most common threads I've been able to discern is that most are white and either from DC or the South, they all know each other well, and even though I know there are other exclusive country clubs out there, they are basically all members of the Chevy Chase Club. Who are these people: where is the money from, how were they raised, and how do they spend their time?

I am laughing. They are not elite at all - definitely mostly from the South, Florida, Texas, midwestern states. Not many from old money or Northeast or New England circles. Definitely Southern/Midwestern. By the way it is very easy to cheaply get the preppy look. You must not be looking at very many high caliber schools as the most sought after and prestigious schools do not have much of this crowd except Beauvoir, NCS, STA has some. Other top schools like Sidwell, Maret, GDS do not have much of this crowd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is gross. But for those wondering what a cave dweller is it’s basically the very wealthy non political (meaning not in government as a president, VP or cabinet member - mostly business men) in Washington DC in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. And the exact people that those professing to be “old money” today on DCUM would call “new money” and social climbers.

There is a Civil War connection too; families here before and during the Civil War, who retreated to their caves, socially speaking, after the side they rooted for lost.

"Many old families known as Cave Dwellers, who were here for the duration and not linked to any one administration, are still a fixture in Washington, and many of their forebears were Confederate sympathizers. The ring of forts built around the city was constructed as much to intimidate them as the Rebs, but no one in D.C. worries about Cave Dwellers defecting anymore."

https://gardenandgun.com/feature/the-southern-flair-of-washington-d-c/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact that you know the term "cave dweller" means you already know more about those people than 99% of the strivers and new money on DCUM.

Enlighten me? I'm what you'd consider "old money", but not US "old money". Is it a DC thing or an American thing?

A DC thing:

https://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/26/us/the-lives-of-the-cave-dwellers.html