Work Zone Ahead: New Owner Has Grand Plans for $8M Vanderbilt Berkshires Estate
Realtor.com
The innovative former owner of the Blantyre luxury resort in Lenox, MA, has purchased a Gilded Age estate in the Berkshires.
Originally built for Emily Vanderbilt and husband William D. Sloane in 1886, the spectacular mansion on 89 acres is the largest shingled-style residence in the country. The space clocks in at 55,000 square feet and has a staggering 106 rooms.
When the estate first hit the market in October 2020, it was listed for $12.5 million.
“I have had my eye on Elm Court, as it was known, for about seven years and know the market very well,” says Linda Law of Law & Associates.
Law, a real estate developer and investor, purchased the storied property for $8 million with her business partner, Rick Peiser, professor of real estate development at the Harvard University School of Design.
“It was a perfect storm with the owners,” Law says. “I swooped in with an offer and ended up buying it.”
She and Peiser acquired the estate through a direct deal.
Elm Court Archives
Elm Court Archives
Historic home
Elm Court was designed as a summer residence for railroad tycoon William Henry Vanderbilt‘s daughter. After Vanderbilt’s sudden death, each of his children inherited $10 million.
The granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt then hired landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who took more than a year to design the property’s 40 acres of beautiful gardens.
Over time, the property expanded and effectively became a private hotel for friends and family. A daily schedule of activities is said to have been posted in the Manor Hall, for guests. The itinerary offered everything from horseback riding and lawn tennis tourneys to picnics and after-dinner concerts.
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But perhaps most notably, the Elm Court Talks were held here and ultimately led to the creation of The Treaty of Versailles and League of Nations.
Tricia McCormack
Tricia McCormack
In 1948, Vanderbilt descendants operated the property as an inn called The Elm Court Club. It was open for a decade before it fell into abandonment and disrepair for 42 years.
As the house passed through family generations, it later opened as a luxury wedding venue after extensive restorations, but it became too costly to maintain. The property hit the market in 2005 for $21.5 million, but the listing was removed the following year.
Eventually, the home was sold in 2012 for $9.8 million to Amstar/Travaasa Experiential Resorts, a collection of destinations, resorts, and spas. The company has since gone out of business.
Spanning the towns of Lenox and Stockbridge in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, Elm Court is one of the few remaining Gilded Age mansions in the Northeast. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“This property has so much history,” Law notes. “What is interesting is that other Vanderbilt mansions are really ornate, but this one doesn’t have gold ceilings. There are big rooms for parties, but it’s not fancy. Emily Vanderbilt was not a socialite; she was a real down-to-earth girl.”
Elm Court Archives
Elm Court Archives
Grand plans
While the structure needs to be updated, Law has even grander plans for the historic home’s revitalization.
“There are a lot of reasons why the property wasn’t selling, but one of the main ones was it was being sold as a single-family home,” Law says. “We are looking at several options for high-end housing and townhouses. I have done it before with Blantyre and know what is involved. We are going for our approvals this summer and are really excited.”
She explains that her plans include a redo of the manor house to feature wine rooms, movie-screening areas, and a variety of activities. There will be a total of 50 townhouses attached to the building manor, along with single-family homes.
Law hopes building approvals will be complete next year, so that the construction can begin. Her plan is to presell residences in late 2024 and be finished with the project by mid-2026.
“We have done a tremendous amount of research on the architecture and design of the Gilded Age and the history of the Vanderbilt family and feel a tremendous responsibility to pay homage to its legendary past,” Law says. “Our team is going to be very deliberate in its thoughtful renovation, to restore the vibrancy of this treasured landmark.”
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