Curbed National considers Henry Flagler's Palm Beach estate, Whitehall, to be one of the biggest examples of whale-sized real estate in United States history. The 55 room Beaux Arts mansion was designed by Carrere & Hastings, and included a private rail spur. Flagler opened the swampy land of South Florida to real estate speculation for the first time with his Florida East Coast Railroad, without which South Florida would still be a bug-infested wilderness to this day. Now, the bugs have been replaced by tourists (and more bugs) and Flagler's house is a museum. [Curbed National]
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