Once considered American royalty, the Vanderbilts epitomized the grandeur of the Golden Age. Known for throwing lavish parties, they are also responsible for building some of the largest and most luxurious homes in the United States. One such site is Elm Court, which is reportedly so large that it spans two cities. It just sold for a whopping $8m (£6.6m), more than $4m short of its original $12.5m (£10.3m) asking price. Click or scroll to take a tour of this wonderful home and learn how it played a role in two of history’s most important events…
Situated between the cities of Stockbridge and Lenox, Massachusetts, the 89-acre estate is undeniably the perfect getaway for one of the world’s most elite families. Frederick Law Olmsted, the man behind Central Park, was even hired to build the mansion’s gardens.
The Vanderbilts are one of the wealthiest families in American history, a fact that is often hushed up as their wealth can be traced back to merchant and slave owner Cornelius Vanderbilt. In 1810, he borrowed $100 (£76) (about $2,446 today) from his mother to start the family business and began operating a passenger ship to Staten Island. He later branched out into steamboats before founding the New York Central Railroad. According to Forbes, Cornelius reportedly amassed a fortune of $100 million (£76 million) over his lifetime, the equivalent of $2.9 billion in today’s money, and more than was in the US Treasury at the time.
Of course, Cornelius and his family used their wealth to build mansions, including the Biltmore estate in North Carolina, which remains the largest residence in the United States. Elm Court was designed for Cornelius’ granddaughter Emily Thorne Vanderbilt and her husband William Douglas Sloan, pictured here. They lived at 2 West 52nd Street in Manhattan, New York, but wanted a summer home to escape the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple.
So, in 1885, the couple commissioned the iconic architectural firm Peabody and Stearns to design the first version of The Breakers, Cornelius Vanderbilt II’s summer home, but unfortunately it was destroyed by fire. In 1886 Elm Yard was completed. Despite being considered a simple holiday home, it is quite extensive. Today, it remains the largest shingle-style residence in the United States. This photograph, taken in 1910, highlights the grandeur of the estate.
However, Emily and William aren’t too happy with their summer stack, as they’ve done some home renovations, added rooms, and hired more staff to cater to their needs. The property was not completed until the early 1900s. With its sprawling cream red façade, soaring turrets, lattice windows and Tudor decor, the estate makes a first impression.
Understandably, Emily and her husband William, who runs their own W. & J. Sloane family business, a luxury furniture and carpet store in New York City, spared no expense in designing their incredible official home in Gilded Age style. For years, the VIP couple has hosted a series of lavish parties at the hotel. Even after William’s death in 1915, Emily continued to spend her summers at the residence, which was the scene of various important if not all social gatherings. In fact, the house hides a rather amazing story. In 1919 it hosted the Elm Court negotiations, one of a series of political conferences that changed the world.
The entrance to the house is as majestic as it was in the heyday when Emily and William lived there. Negotiations held here over 100 years ago helped bring about the Treaty of Versailles, a peace agreement signed at the Palace of Versailles at the end of the First World War. The meeting also led to the formation of the League of Nations, which was created in 1920 as a means of settling future international disputes. Surprisingly, Elm Court played a key role in these two important events.
In 1920, five years after William’s death, Emily married Henry White. He was a former US Ambassador, but unfortunately White died at Elm Court in 1927 from complications from an operation and they were married for only seven years. Emily died on the estate in 1946 at the age of 94. Emily’s granddaughter Marjorie Field Wild and her husband Colonel Helm George Wild took over the stately mansion and opened it to guests as a hotel accommodating up to 60 people. With its impressive coffered ceiling and panelling, this is sure to be a great place to stay!
We can imagine the guests admiring this wonderful hotel. The front door opens into this amazing space, which was meant to create a warm welcome for vacationers. From the massive fireplace adorned with Art Nouveau bas-reliefs of swallows and vines, to the sparkling parquet floors and velvet openwork decorations, this lobby makes a lasting impression.
The 55,000-square-foot home has 106 rooms, and each space is filled with stunning architectural features and decorative details, including wood-burning fireplaces, elegant draperies, decorative moldings, gilded light fixtures, and antique furniture. The lobby leads into a spacious living space designed for relaxing, receiving guests and working. The space is likely to be used as a ballroom for an evening event, or perhaps a ballroom for a lavish dinner.
The richly decorated wooden library of the historic mansion is one of its finest rooms. Bright blue-panelled walls, built-in bookcases, a raging fire, and a stunning carpet that elevates the room, there’s no better place to curl up with a good book.
Speaking of character floors, this formal living space can be used as a place to unwind after a long day or as a dining room for everyday meals. With floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the garden outside and sliding glass doors leading out to the conservatory, the Vanderbilts will no doubt enjoy plenty of cocktails on summer evenings.
The refurbished kitchen is spacious and bright, with design elements that blur the lines between traditional and modern. From high-quality appliances to spacious worktops, exposed brick walls and gorgeous period furniture, this gourmet kitchen is fit for a celebrity chef.
The kitchen opens into a gorgeous butler pantry with dark wood cabinets, double sinks and a window seat where you can enjoy breathtaking views of the grounds. Surprisingly, the pantry is larger than the kitchen itself, according to the realtor.
The house is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and while some rooms have been beautifully restored, others are derelict. This place was once a billiard room, no doubt the site of many raucous game nights for the Vanderbilt family. With its gorgeous sage wood panelling, massive fireplace and endless windows, it’s easy to imagine how stunning this room can be with a little care.
Meanwhile, the gray bathtub is abandoned indoors, and the paint is peeling off the door arches. In 1957, Emily’s granddaughter Marjorie closed the hotel and the Vanderbilt family ceased use of it entirely. According to Compass listing agent John Barbato, the abandoned house has been vacant for 40 or 50 years, gradually falling into disrepair. It also fell victim to vandalism and looting until Robert Berle, Emily Vanderbilt’s great-great-grandson, bought Elm Court in 1999.
Robert undertook an extensive renovation that brought this beautiful building back to the brink. He focused on the home’s main entertainment room and bedrooms, and refurbished the kitchen and servants’ wing. For several years, Robert used the house as a wedding venue, but he never completed all the work. According to Realtor, more than 65 rooms with a total area of about 20,821 square meters have been restored. The remaining 30,000 square feet are waiting to be rescued.
Elsewhere is probably one of the most beautiful staircases we have ever seen. Light green vaulted ceilings, snow-white wood beams, ornate balustrades and dazzling carpets make this dreamy space impeccably decorated. Steps lead up to the dazzling bedrooms upstairs.
If you include all the staff bedrooms in the house, the number of bedrooms rises to a staggering 47. However, only 18 are ready to receive guests. This is one of the few photos we have, but it’s clear that Robert’s hard work has paid off. From elegant fireplaces and furnishings to exquisite window treatments, the restoration has been meticulously crafted, adding a touch of modern simplicity to every room.
This bedroom could very well be Emily’s sanctuary, complete with a huge walk-in closet and sitting area where you can unwind over your morning coffee. We think that even celebrities will be pleased with this wardrobe, thanks to its wall and storage space, drawers and shoe niches.
The house has 23 bathrooms, many of which appear to be intact. This one has an all-cream palette with antique brass appliances and a built-in bathtub. There appear to be 15 more bedrooms and at least 12 bathrooms in the pristine wing of the luxury home, all in need of restoration.
There is an additional staircase, less elegant than the front staircase in the center of the house, tucked away at the back of the house next to the kitchen. Two staircases were common in mansion design as they allowed servants and other staff to move between floors unnoticed.
The property also has a huge basement that is also waiting to be restored to its former glory. It could have been a place where employees could gather during their shifts or store food and wine for lavish parties for the Vanderbilt family. Now a little odd, the abandoned space has crumbling walls, rubble-covered floors, and exposed structural elements.
Stepping outside, you’ll see expansive lawns, lily ponds, woodlands, open fields, walled gardens, and historic insane buildings designed by America’s great landscape architecture icon, Frederick Law Orme. Curated by Frederick Law Olmsted. Throughout his illustrious career, Olmsted has worked at Niagara Falls State Park, Mount Royal Park in Montreal, and the original Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, among others. However, New York’s Central Park remains his most famous creation.
This stunning photograph, taken in 1910, captures Emily and William during their reign. It shows how impressive and magnificent the gardens once were, with neat hedges, formal fountains and winding paths.
However, that’s not all that is hidden in this beautiful backyard. There are many impressive outbuildings on the estate, all ready and awaiting restoration. There are three staff houses, including an eight-bedroom butler’s cottage, as well as residences for the gardener and caretaker, and a carriage house.
The garden also has two barns and a magnificent stable. Inside the stables are equipped with beautiful brass partitions. There are endless options when it comes to what you can do with this space. Create a restaurant, turn it into a distinctive residence or use it for horseback riding.
The estate has several greenhouses used to grow food for the Vanderbilt family. In 1958, a year after the hotel closed, former Elm Court director Tony Fiorini set up a commercial nursery on the estate and opened two local shops to sell the fruits of his labor. The property can restore its horticultural heritage and provide an additional source of income if the new owner so desires.
In 2012, the current owners of the property purchased the site with the intention of building a hotel and spa, but unfortunately these plans never came to fruition. Now that it has finally been sold to a developer, Elm Court is looking forward to its next chapter. We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to see what the new owners do with this place!
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Post time: Mar-23-2023