United States of Kennedy: "The Kennedy Compound"
Podcast: United States of Kennedy
Hosts: George Civeris & Julia Claire
Guest: Kate Storey (author of White House by the Sea)
Date: December 22, 2025
Episode Theme: An exploration of the Kennedy Compound at Hyannis Port—the iconic family residence—unpacking its history, cultural meaning, and the personal stories that shaped its mystique.
Episode Overview
This episode delves into the heart of the Kennedy family’s legacy through the lens of their famed summer residence: the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. Journalistic guest Kate Storey, author of White House by the Sea, brings new perspectives on the compound’s role—both as a physical place and as a symbol—exploring the private lives, complex dynamics, near-mythic status, and community relationships that defined the property across generations.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Compound’s Mystique and Purpose
- Why write about the Kennedy Compound?
- Kate Storey (05:18): It’s a place shrouded in mystery, integral to Kennedy lore, but also fiercely private. Storey was drawn to how the compound functioned as both the beating heart and quiet retreat for a family stalked by public fascination and tragedy.
- Quote:
"It always seemed like such a mysterious place that kind of would come up over and over again in stories about the Kennedys ... There's just such a longevity to the interest.” —Kate Storey [05:18]
- The compound offers a lens to understand family dynamics, generational change, and the blending of public and private Kennedy stories.
2. Exploring the Reality vs. Myth of the Compound
- Description and physical reality:
- Contrary to expectations, it’s not a walled-off fortress; rather, a group of three houses (with more added over time) connected by lawns and a sense of community.
- Quote:
“It does not look like what you imagine unless you’ve been there. ... These are not like McMansions. These are summer houses.” —Kate Storey [07:03]
3. Origins & Early Days: Outsiders in Hyannis Port
- The Kennedys as non-WASPy, Irish Catholic outsiders:
- Exclusion from elite Boston-area clubs led them to Hyannis Port, where they were initially resented by old-money neighbors for being ‘new money’ and Catholic.
- Quote:
“They were viewed as the Irish Catholic. New money in town was the view of the Kennedys for a long time.” —Kate Storey [11:51]
- Rose Kennedy’s shyness vs. Joe Kennedy’s ambition and parental focus.
4. Family Life, Power, and Contradiction
- Joe Kennedy used the compound to shape his children’s competitiveness and values but also brought his mistress, Gloria Swanson, there—a sign of the family’s contradictions.
- Quote:
“Joe Kennedy also brought the woman he was having an affair with, the actress Gloria Swanson, to Hyannis Port ... There’s one definitely firmly reported instance of her being at Hyannis Port during the period of them having an affair.” —Kate Storey [14:10]
- Quote:
5. Reporting the Book: Access and Method
- Storey cracked the compound’s local wall of privacy by building trust and focusing on the place, not just its famous occupants.
- She interviewed over 100 people: Kennedys, staff, neighbors, and local historians.
- Memorable story: To get an interview with Max Kennedy, she had to join him on a sailboat in the cold—an initiation into Kennedy family tradition.
- Quote:
“He said, okay, listen, I'll talk to you, but it has to be on my sailboat, and it has to be this weekend. ...I was frantically asking, what do you even wear?” —Kate Storey [21:52]
- Quote:
6. The Compound as a Microcosm of Kennedy Stories
- It’s mostly a family retreat, not the site of major scandals or political drama.
- Focus of the book is on family relationships and the people who supported the Kennedys—not just the headline-makers.
7. The Unheard Voices: Staff, Neighbors, and Community
- Storey spotlights stories from staff (housekeepers, drivers, piano players), neighbors, and local figures like Eugenia Fortes, a Cape Verdean civil rights leader instrumental in keeping the public beach open.
- Quote:
“To think about the family through the eyes of the people who were crossing their paths in that way was the most interesting to me.” —Kate Storey [32:10]
- On Eugenia Fortes:
“She really, really fought to keep that beach public ... Ted Kennedy turned to Eugenia Fortes to say, what should we do with these busloads of people who have arrived?” —Kate Storey [33:11]
- Quote:
8. The Compound in Pop Culture and Public Memory
- The 1980s: the Kennedys as full-blown celebrities (Maria Shriver/Arnold Schwarzenegger wedding with Andy Warhol & Grace Jones, Oprah, etc.).
- Quote:
“The height of it was really that Maria Shriver, Arnold Schwarzenegger wedding ... she invited this incredibly shiny a-list guest list.” —Kate Storey [28:04]
- Quote:
- Items of “sacred” status, like the “couch the Pope sat on” (before papacy), and stories of famous visitors (Taylor Swift’s time dating Conor Kennedy and neighborly acceptance).
9. The Compound Today
- The main house is owned by an organization in Ted Kennedy’s name and is intended for political meetings, but remains largely vacant due to logistical challenges.
- Other houses are private residences still in Kennedy family hands, and the tradition of summer gatherings continues with new generations.
- Quote:
“I asked one of the family members at one point, why do you still go there? And what they said was that this is where our family is, and this is how these cousins know each other.” —Kate Storey [44:18]
- Quote:
10. Rose Kennedy’s Legacy and Humanity
- Rose Kennedy is seen in a new, more human light—her desire for solitude, her deeply religious beliefs, and her capacity for opening up later in life with trusted friends.
- Notable Quote:
“Any mother will know. It's not splendor, it's solitary confinement I need.” —Rose Kennedy (quoted by Kate Storey) [46:16]
- Notable Quote:
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “It was just such a Kennedy classic to flaunt your affairs, to basically want to have it both ways and be this symbol of integrity and patriotism and also be just very clearly embroiled in 15 scandals at any given time.”
—George Civeris [15:41] - “How do you not resent these people?”
—Julia Claire (in response to the family’s privileged traditions) [23:14] - “To exhaust Oprah ... it really goes to show you that it's a unique and special family.”
—George Civeris [30:04] - “The thing about Hyannis Port is a lot of the big scandals that you associate with the family just ... they didn’t really happen there.”
—Kate Storey [23:39]
Important Segment Timestamps
- [03:23] — Episode introduction & setup
- [05:18] — Kate Storey explains why she chose the compound as her focus
- [07:03] — Physical description & myth-busting of the compound’s look
- [11:51] — Discussing Kennedy outsider status & early days in Hyannis Port
- [14:10] — Joe Kennedy’s contradictions and personal life
- [21:52] — Gaining access to Max Kennedy via sailboat
- [25:08] — Discovery of Ted Kennedy’s lost oral history project
- [28:04] — Compound’s role in celebrity/social history (Maria Shriver wedding, Oprah, Taylor Swift)
- [32:10] — The experiences of staff and local community (piano player, Eugenia Fortes)
- [44:18] — State of the compound today & enduring family ties
- [46:16] — Rose Kennedy’s solitude and personal insights
Summary Takeaways
- The Kennedy Compound encapsulates midcentury American mythology, privilege, aspiration, and secrecy; it’s shaped as much by everyday people and community context as by national dramas.
- Storey’s reporting breaks through myth with real stories from those who lived and worked in and around the compound, offering a full, nuanced portrait.
- Family rituals, memory, and place intertwine to define not only Kennedy history, but the social history of Cape Cod.
- The episode reveals how public memory chooses its icons—sometimes at the expense of the lesser-known figures, but always shaped by place.
Recommended for listeners interested in American dynasties, social history, the intersection of power and place, or anyone curious about the second lives of American icons beyond the headlines.