Trees to the West of the Lawn

The Winthrop Estate is home to some remarkable tree specimens.  To honor these sylvan elders we recently compiled a list of common and Latin names of twelve of our favorite, grandest trees and had arboretum quality labels engraved and hung upon their trunks for our guests to peruse.

As you walk around our grounds, you will see Fagus sylvatica, Copper Beech; Ginko biloba, both male and female; Picea pungens, Colorado Blue Spruce; Robinia pseudoacacia, Black locust; Salix alba, White willow, and Aesculus hippocastanum among others.

The Berkshire Botanical Garden is another wonderful venue for those who enjoy horticultural. berkshirebotanical.org is open May through October and is a the non-profit, educational garden that boasts 15 acres of brilliantly designed and planted ornamental gardens.  A vegetable garden, and an herb garden are further sources of inspiration there.  Hosting classes, lectures and workshops as well as tours of the garden, the Berkshire Botanical Garden is a true Berkshire gem.

Winthrop Estate is one of the few remaining Berkshire Cottages of the Gilded Age.  We are proud to be restoring and maintaining a magnificent architectural gem of American History.

In the latter part of the nineteenth century into the early twentieth century, the growing wealthy upper class aspired to create elite resorts and communities for themselves in which to play, entertain and network.  The Berkshires were home to one of those communities; wealthy families from Boston and New York hired talented architects to build sumptuous houses.

A passage from Richard S. Jackson Jr. and Cornelia Brooke Gilder’s book, The Houses of the Berkshires, 1870-1930 helps to illustrate the significance of the “Berkshire Cottages” in the wider scope of American architecture.

“The intersection of ambitious clients with versatile architects achieved a significant physical presence in a number of cities and resorts, and particularly in one small corner of Massachusetts.  Within a few hundred square miles comprising Lenox and Stockbridge, the best architects from New York and Boston, plus some remarkable able local practitioners, invented a unique and uniquely American landscape of great country houses.”

It is our passion and honor to be the current owners and caretakers of the Winthrop Estate.  We strive to recreate an atmosphere of authentic luxury.  With great pleasure, we invite you to be our guest for your wedding, family reunion or corporate retreat and participate in living a lavish piece of American history.

The Bream Bedroom

Setting the tone to this decidedly French and luxuriously inviting room is a Louise XV-style chaise long with cabriole legs in old white paint and a Louise XV-style Bergere with a curved arched padded back, molded frame and cabriole legs. To the left of the bed is a French tulip wood bijouterie cabinet with a marquetry decorated lift top opening to a mirrored interior, c. 1880, and to the right is a French fruitwood one drawer stand with cabriole legs, c. 1870.  A gilt and white paint convex mirror hangs over the fireplace.  A salmon lobed vase decorated with white figures is mounted as a tabletop lamp.  Hanging over the desk is an 18^th Century carved figural plaque of a sea creature with a later clipped corner frame faux painted in a complementary manner.  There is a mid 19^th Century bronze bas  relief roundel of a woman in profile in a gilt frame and  a pair of 19^th Century French prints in rectangular frames which give the room depth and a sense of collected artifacts.

Relaxing by the library fireplace

The Library is one of my favorite rooms at the Winthrop Estate.  I love to be surrounded by books, and the craftsmanship and quality of the woodwork on the library bookshelves and paneling makes the room feel cozy and luxurious at the same time.  Add to that a large crackling fire and some big, white snowflakes drifting down outside the bay window, some music on the stereo system and a good book, and I am in heaven.

Beautiful Photo by Konrad Brattke

Winthrop Estate Wedding Images Video

I made a short video (37 seconds) on YouTube, as when I showed this one (inserted into this post above) to my friends, their attention wandered about half way through, and this one is only 2 minutes!  Though the short impression works for YouTube and TV (and apparently my friends), at the Winthrop Estate, the pace of life does seem to slow down a bit, and time sometimes seems to expand, especially on special occasions and vacation, and this video shows a lightness of spirit, a bit of fun and lets you pause a minute (or two) to imagine… a weekend in the country.

Even though it’s the dead of winter and we aren’t outside playing on our lawn right now, we are thinking ahead to this summer.  Days are long, skies are clear and all we want to do is be outside.  That’s why we decided to add  a bocce set to our lawn game collection.

Bocce is very popular in Europe and was brought to America by Italians.  Descended from a game played in the Roman Empire, bocce involves rolling balls on a clay, asphalt or smooth lawn.  Anywhere between two to eight players compete in teams.  The United States Bocce Federation has a great website with information, playing tips, and tournament schedules.  They are aiming to get bocce into the Olympic Games!

Even if you are not as serious as those bocce enthusiasts, you will find our bocce set to be the very best available on the market. The Perfetta Club Pro Bocce Set I just ordered should last for years to come and be a focal point for many happy memories.  Our lawn is great, the views spectacular and we have no doubt that bocce is going to become a favorite pastime here at Winthrop Estate!

Ethelwynde Bedroom

Spring fresh colors highlight this wonderful room with views out to the Great Lawn.

A grand late 19^th Century post humous  portrait of Sarah Oakley Vander Poel in an elaborate laurel leaf and ribbon gilt frame hangs over the fireplace.   A Beidermeier secretaire with ivory escutcheons and pulls as well as a Beidermeir sleigh bed, both c. 1840 decorate the room.  There is a 19^th Century print with reverse painting on glass matt in an octagonal frame above the secretaire.  On either side of the bed is a group of four19^th Century engravings from “The Cries of London” series.  Small pieces like the Beidermeier fruitwood stool with cabriole legs and needlepoint cover, a 19^th Century mahogany French gaming table with satinwood inlay and a 19^th Century Charles X candlestick with incised decoration all add to the charming appeal of this quiet retreat.  Underfoot is a Portugese needlepoint carpet of neoclassical design with a laurel leaf pattern surrounding floral medallions.

On our Yoga Platform. Photo by modernArtistry.com

The Winthrop Estate is proud to be neighbors with one of the nation’s premier yoga centers, Kripalu. Hence, our little village of Lenox has a large population of very skilled yoga teachers.  To enhance our guests stay at our luxurious mansion we are now offering complimentary morning yoga classes.  If you let us know one week in advance that you would like to take a class (or two) during your stay with us, we will book a teacher to give you a private lesson, or a small group lesson at a time that works best for you.

Breathe, relax…..  and  feel how wonderful it is to be here!

Thanks to Dave Donato at www.modernArtisty.com for this lovely photo.

A lovely note from a summer bride:

Words cannot describe how pleased I am with our wedding weekend at The Winthrop Estate. From the moment we arrived, we knew that we were being taken care of by a staff that seemed to truly care about our experience. From the decor, to the staff, to the homemade snacks that were provided throughout our visit, to the lovely manicured estate, everything was simply perfect! It was as though we were in the comfort of our own home. Another benefit to hosting our rehearsal dinner and staying at the estate for our wedding weekend was the personal connection that you had with all of the local vendors. It made things so much easier for everyone involved. I can honestly say that our wedding would not have been even close to as wonderful as it was had we decided no to stay with you! There was a true connection that was made by so many of our guests that I believe would not have been possible without this central location for everyone to convene at various times throughout the weekend. My only wish is that we could go back and do it all over again. I cannot thank you and your team enough.  I would recommend The Winthrop Estate to anyone and everyone for a wedding and a variety of events! It truly was the best wedding weekend ever!

Thanks for everything and best of luck to you and your family.

Ben and Andrea

TEDxBerkshiresWomen2011

TED…..ideas worth spreading.  We agree.  The TED conferences have gained worldwide recognition as a venue for the most innovative, brave, inspired, out of the box thinkers of our time, sharing ideas that they think will change the way we live with one another and the world.

Last week the Winthrop Estate hosted a TEDxWomen live simulcast.  We invited 60 of the Berkshires most dynamic women to come and watch TED presentations in our music room.  The energy was palpable. Barbara Streisand spoke passionately about the need for more research money to find a cure for women’s heart disease; Tan Le shared a triumphant personal story of overcoming obstacles as a young minority immigrant; Lamis Zein awed us with her bravery (she works to demolish cluster submunitions in Lebanon, her homeland).

Everyone had a great time.  The food was excellent and the company stimulating.  This was our second annual TedxWomen event and we look forward to our next.  We are now in the planning stages of a May TEDxBerkshires conference.

Stay tuned for more ideas worth sharing!  www.TEDxBerkshires.com