Winthrop Estate Foyer, ready for the party

This foyer picture looks South, through the French doors to the verandah and Great Lawn. This room stays quite cool in the summer, and was lovely on hot days even before we added the a/c. The building is mostly a stone façade on the first floor, and this room does not get much passive solar hear and it is the coolest place in the whole house. I remember hanging out with friends in the foyer the first year we were at the estate, before we did any restoration, one summer evening marveling at the heat outside. Now the estate is fully air-conditioned and we revealed the wood floor you see here a few years ago. This space is very popular for mingling and socializing. It’s ready for you. Photo by Konrad Brattke

The Three Muses, our fountain, in Autumn

This picture of the fountain of the Three Muses, made of marble from Baci, Italy, was taken in the fall when the Copper Beech Tree just to the east of the fountain was a rich burgundy. The trunk of the Copper Beech is probably more than four feet in diameter. The area under the branches is covered by a soft mossy green covering and the roots poke thorough in a few places and leaves can grow off them right near the ground. A few of the roots hold water after a rainstorm and I have seen birds bathing there.

Why hello!

This snapping turtle found its way to our lawn after some heavy rain storms.  From the scrapes on the shell, it looks like it has been through a lot.  We have spotted turtles before (painted, box and snapping), usually near a driveway or when we are mowing the grass.  I was surprised that this one found its way to the gravel driveway one day, and the next day I spotted it on the lawn two acres away.  I was a bit surprised that I saw it too, consider its size compared to the lawn and it’s portion of the vista from the verandah from I found it.  Intriguing discovery!

One of the charms of the estate is that every room has a unique purpose. This is the music room, home to our magnificent Steinway. Being in the Berkshires, we’ve seen a lot of musical talent come out of this area. At the estate, sometimes we host chamber music or lectures in the music room. Find out more about our programs at www.LenoxAthenaeum.org.

Fun fact – the room needs to be a certain temperature to preserve the Steinway, and you’ll find this room a lot cooler and quieter than the others. It’s perfect for playing for a small intimate audience.

The two girls lost track of time playing in the conservatory while parents had a chance to relax on the lawn.

Yes, a dragon… makes us smile. Makes the kids smile too, as well as the teenagers and adults

I also love how you can see the entire Winthrop Estate in the background. It’s so beautiful and unassuming. So peaceful.

The three walls of windows in the conservatory face, North, West and South so this room has lovely changing light most of the day. This is the favorite room of many guests. In the cold months it is filled with the bromeliads, palms and ferns from the verandah and in the summer it retains the unusual stag horn ferns on the walls and a ‘footed’ fern with the velvety soft ‘foot.’ It is fully heated and air conditioned, like the rest of the house. The red floor tiles and the green textured paint is original to the house (1920s) and the room is usually used for eating, reading quietly, or socializing.

Note: this isn’t included in the picture, but we now have a mini table with four tiny chairs besides the rocking chair – perfect for a tea party for four year olds and their dolls

We often focus on the grandeur of the Winthrop Estate on the whole, and how majestic the design of the estate and the grounds is. But when you are actually in the estate, you can’t help but notice the smaller details. Like how the bathtubs are larger than any you would find in a hotel today because the Winthrop Estate is over a century old. And how the light reflects off the curtains in the dining room. And how each room is furnished down to the tiniest detail.

Our new driveway finally got completed this month. It sure makes driving in very impressive Especially for a 150 person wedding!