Steeped in HistoryAs you stroll about the grounds of Cranwell,
you are walking through history. Over the years, Cranwell has
served as a home to wealthy industrialists, clergy, writers,
students, golfers, and culture. The centerpiece of the property,
with its extraordinary views of the Berkshires, is the hilltop
Tudor-style Mansion, which has dominated the countryside for more
than a century. The history of Cranwell is entwined with many
stories of the opulent period between 1880 and 1920, known as the
Gilded Age. Cranwell was constructed then, and the eras vision of
rural splendor is the source of the exceptional beauty we still
revel in today as Cranwell thrives as a premier four-season resort.
The resort offers 114 distinctive rooms, one of the largest spas in
the Northeast and an 18-hole historic golf course. In the winter,
snow turns the course into a cross-country skier paradise.
Exquisite cuisine is served in the award-winning Wyndhurst and
Music Room, while casual fare can be found in Sloanes Tavern
year-round. Each year, as companies from around the world gather
here to meet, Cranwell plays host to storybook weddings of all
proportions and indulges guests in contemporary comfort while
offering them the experience of a bygone era.
Historic Hotels of AmericaCranwell is a proud member of the
prestigious National Trust Historic Hotels of America (HHA), an
organization of more than 200 quality hotels that have faithfully
maintained their historic architecture and ambience. To be selected
for this program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old, listed in
or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or
recognized locally as having historic significance.
Cranwell Chronology1803 Ezra Blossom bought the property for
$70.1853 Reverend Ward Beecher, brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe,
bought the property for $4,500. 1869 Sold to General John F.
Rathbone for $8,000, who razed Beechers Cottage & built a Tudor
style mansion called Wyndhurst (not todays building). 1893 John
Sloane, a relative of the Vanderbilts (Emily Vanderbilt married his
brother William and built Elm Court in 1886) and co-owner of W
& J Sloane Furniture, bought the property and built the present
mansion, Wyndhurst.1894 Wyndhurst was completed. Sloane
commissioned Frederick Law Olmsted, landscape architect of Central
Park, to design the lawn and gardens. 1897 President McKinley
visited.1902 President Roosevelt invited to Wyndhurst for lunch,
but he never arrived; his carriage was hit by a street car, a
secret serviceman killed and the president thrown out, resulting in
minor bruises.1907 Daughter Evelyn Sloane married William Griswold
in one of the largest high society weddings in Lenox.1920 Property
left to Sloanes daughters who were not interested in retaining the
estate. Sold to a group of wealthy developers from New York City
and Palm Beach. They purchased it along with Blantyre and
Coldbrooke to form the 695 acres and 43 buildings of the Berkshire
Hunt and Country Club.1926 The golf course was built, designed by
Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek.1929 The Club never fully succeeded
and finally closed following the Crash of 29.1931 Edward Cranwell
of New York City bought the property and used it as a summer home
for the next 8 years. He then deeded it to the Society of Jesus of
New England to be used as a private school.1939 The Cranwell School
for boys operated for 36 years.1975 During the years leading up to
1993, the property was operated by a variety of owners and manage-
ment companies that developed the condominiums on the back nine and
began hotel renovations. 1993 Purchased by a group of private
investors including Burack Investments, the managing partners.
Cover golf photo courtesy of The Berkshire Eagle
rev. 8/15 Lenox, Massachusetts 800-272-6935 cranwell.com
Walk Through HistoryA Self-Guided Tour
Preserving the Berkshires Experience
BeechersA walk past the practice putting green brings you to the
oldest building on property. In 1882, United States Naval Captain
John S. Barnes, Flag Officer of the North Atlantic Fleet during the
Civil War, purchased the land next to Wyndhurst for $10,000 and
erected Coldbrooke, now known as Beechers. This Queen Anne-style
shingled house with a central gable was designed by Peabody and
Sterns and is located near the 1st tee of the golf course.
Golf CourseThis magnificent 18-hole golf course was built by
Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek in 1926 on the site of the original
Berkshire Hunt Club. They also designed the Taconic Course in
Williamstown and the Wahconah Golf Club in Dalton. Magnificent
views, tree-lined fairways and naturally-contoured greens have been
carefully preserved.
Olmsted Manor & FoundersTake a stroll to Olmsted Manor and
then through the enclosed walkway to Founders. Both buildings have
been completely renovated (in 2000 and 1997 respectively) but
originate from Cranwells time as a preparatory school. In 1939,
Edward Cranwell deeded the property to the New England Province of
the Society of Jesus, which operated a private school for boys here
until 1975. Ted Kennedy attended his 8th grade at Cranwell in 1945.
Leonard Bernstein roomed with four other student musicians studying
under Serge Koussevitzky at the BSO Tanglewood Music School.
Olmsted Manor was a student resident hall, originally named
Bellarmine Hall, after Cardinal Bellarmine, and built in 1957.
Founders was built in 1963 as an additional resident hall.
Rose TerraceFrom here I can see the very hills of Heaven,
proclaimed the Reverend Henry Ward Beecher, a popular preacher
active in the womens suffrage and abolitionist movements. In 1853
he purchased Blossom Hill, where the Mansion now stands, for
$4,500. The views he loved are the same that can be seen today when
you sit on the Rose Terrace off of the Lobby and are reminded of
the legendary parties that took place on this same hillside over
150 years ago. Ward Beechers sister Harriet Beecher Stowe, author
of Uncle Toms Cabin, and fellow writer Nathaniel Hawthorne were
frequent visitors at this time. Civil War General John Rathbone was
the next owner of the property and built a mansion on this hill in
1869 named Wyndhurst. The building was razed but the name remains.
Rathbone owned a prosperous stove works foundry that eventually
became the biggest in the world. He was also a philanthropist who
is credited with bringing the first computer to the U.S. in 1855.
Views from the hill: October Mountain (East), Laurel Lake (South),
Lenox Mountain and the Taconic Range (West), Mt. Greylock (23 miles
North).
Mansion BallroomFollow the signs down the hallway to the
Ballroom, which was added in 1949 as a dining hall for the Cranwell
School for Boys. In 2013 this 3,025 square-foot ballroom was
completely renovated with dramatic columns of drapery framing the
12-foot windows and chandeliers adorned with strings of crystals to
complement the 16-foot ceiling.
Carriage HouseA short walk from the Mansion, the 18-room
Carriage House was opened in July 2012 to replace the struc-ture
that was destroyed by fire in December 2010. The new building
design respects the historic nature of the property bringing back
much of the glory of the circa 1890s structure, which served as the
Carriage House for Wyndhurst. The original architectural drawings
by Peabody and Stearns Architects were located in the Bos-ton
Public Library and used to help design the guest space,
incorporating many concepts from the original building, such as the
tower, cantilevered floors at the upper level, as well as roof
lines and gables, to create a new design that still respects the
original structure.
The MansionEarly 1900s Lenox became known as the Inland Newport
and at least 42 millionaires were known to spend their summers here
during this time, including John Sloane, a relative of the
Vanderbilts and co-owner of the famous furniture firm W & J
Sloane. He bought the property for $50,000 and in 1894 built his
Peabody and Sterns-designed cottage Wyndhurst, referred to today as
the Mansion. This was known as the Cottage Era where cottages were
defined as a secondary residence with a minimum of 30 rooms and 20
acres.
Presidential VisitPresident McKinley visited Wyndhurst with his
wife on September 25, 1897. He was a close friend of John Sloanes
until his death in 1901. To impress the Presidential party during
dinner, a large centerpiece of an American Eagle surrounded by
roses was mechanically lit up and brought to life. Mrs. McKinley
was startled and so visibly upset that she had to be escorted from
the room by her husband.
Lobby & Music RoomAs you enter the Mansion Lobby, notice the
oak panels and red leather inserts between the ceiling beams. The
fireplace to your left is one of only two still-working fireplaces
at Cranwell. The white Cortina marble fireplace in the adjoining
Music Room is another example of the variety and intricacy of the
15 fireplaces in this cottage. Carved into the woodwork of the
Music Room Lounge fireplace is the year Wyndhurst was built.
Wyndhurst Dining RoomTo the right of the Lobby is the Wyndhurst
Dining Room. The White House Blue Room ceiling was modeled after
this rooms ceiling pattern when W & J Sloane Co. was
commissioned for work at the White House.