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The Gilded Age was a time of immense wealth and unprecedented economic growth in the United States-- new "barons" of industry, like those making new fortunes on the railroad, oil, and retail, made money like no other...and spent it too! Building houses (read: mansions) with some of the most opulent details, hiring world-renowned architects, and hosting the highest of society, the wealthy elite of the Gilded Age made quite a statement in history.
But as times marched on and the nature of wealth changed, the rich buildings that these Gilded Age players constructed stood frozen in time. This is very true in the Berkshire Mountains region of Massachusetts, a spot where many Gilded Age-rs would flee their city homes during the summer for crisp, clean air and open spaces (not much has changed because people still do luxury getaways there today!). But even vacation homes had to be grand, so the imposing remnants of the Berkshires' brush with the Gilded Age also remain as a time capsule to this era's past. Today, visitors to the Berkshires can have their own brush with the Gilded Age by visiting some of these era-specific buildings in Lenox, Massachusetts.
The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Famous Haunt
While technically this stunning hilltop home is a little outside the Gilded Age window (historians classify the era as post-Civil War to the turn of the 20th century), its famous inhabitant embodied all things Gilded Age wealth. Edith Wharton, a famous American writer/designer, was herself a member of New York's moneyed elite and wrote about this insider knowledge in her novels. Age of Innocence, anyone?
Wharton designed and built this home in 1902 as a country estate. Built in the style of Belton House in the United Kingdom, Wharton collaborated with Beaux-Arts architect and interior designer Ogden Codman Jr. and her niece, Beatrix Jones Ferrand, to create her perfect house on a hill. With an imposing grand main house, and beautiful Italianate gardens, The Mount was nothing short of a spectacular Gilded Age mansion. Today, visitors can visit the house and its grounds to learn more about the illustrious writer and the era during which she thrived.
- Address: 2 Plunkett Street, Lenox, Massachusetts
- Hours: Open seasonally, and hours are updated accordingly. The season opens on May 13th. Grounds are open from dusk to dawn, year-round.
- Cost: $20 for adults, $18 for seniors (65+), $13 for students (with ID), Military $10 (with ID), free for children under 18; grounds are free year-round.
- Highlight: Try the Ghost Tours (when available) to hear about Wharton's obsession with the paranormal, or eat at the Terrace Café for a stunning Gilded Age-like meal!
Ventfort Hall, Built For A Gilded Age Princess
Built for members of the Morgan Family (yes, that Morgan family of the Morgan Library), namely JP Morgan’s sister, Sarah, from 1891-1893, it has a storied history. The Morgan family owned the home for many years, renting to members of other prominent families like the Vanderbilts. It has changed hands many times, becoming a dormitory for music students as well as for a religious organization.
It was meant to be demolished in the 1990s, but the non-profit organization Ventfort Hall Association saved the building, repairing the building’s extensive damage. Now the mansion is a tourable museum that teaches visitors about the culture, society, and history of the Gilded Age. While Ventfort Hall ruled the early 20th-century scene, another Vanderbilt-associated property, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, rules our 21st-century scene today!
- Address: 104 Walker Street, Lenox, Massachusetts
- Hours: Open Monday-Friday, 10 am-4 pm (last entry at 3 pm)
- Cost: $18 for adults, $17 for seniors and health care workers, $10 for students (18-23) with ID, $7 for children 5-17, and free for under 4-year-olds.
- Highlight: Attend one of their champagne and talk events for a very Gilded Age evening!
Wyndhurst Mansion, A Tudor “Cottage”
Built in 1894 by home furnishings tycoon John W. Sloan and his wife, Adela Barry Sloane. John and his brother William Sloane were founders of W& J Sloane, the first home décor store in the country. Brother William built Elm Court in 1886, near where John would eventually settle to build Wyndhurst.
Over the course of the next century and a half, the home would change hands many times, serving both private and public purposes. It was a family residence, a school, and a country club-- and now it's part of Miraval Berkshires, a luxury wellness resort. The Wyndhurst Mansion houses 10 renovated luxe rooms furnished with some of the richest linens and detailed touches found. Visitors to the resort, even if they don't rent a room in the mansion itself, can still enjoy the building by having dinner at the 1894 restaurant or having afternoon tea!
- Address: 55 Lee Road, Lenox, Massachusetts
- Hours: 1894 Restaurant is open Thursday-Saturday, 5:30 pm- 8:30 pm (reservations encouraged!)
- Cost: Pre Fixe menus with wine pairings start at $129 per person
- Highlight: The cocktails are not to miss at this Gilded Age-themed bar!