From The Archives

The town of Lenox was the center of the social season in the Berkshires during the Gilded Age, the period between the Civil War and the First World War. Drawn to the Berkshires by artists and writers such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Catherine Sedgwick, Fanny Kemble and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who had settled here early in the 19th century, as well as the beautiful countryside and scenic views of mountains and lakes, many prominent financiers and industrialists constructed luxurious and imposing summer homes in Lenox and the surrounding area. In fact, Ventfort Hall was one of about seventy-five Berkshire Cottages built in Lenox and Stockbridge during this period.

Ventfort Hall was rescued from demolition in 1997 and has been under restoration since then. Currently, the first floor and a majority of the second floor are open to the public. We have events, lectures, children's programming and more bringing the Gilded Age to life. Please visit us soon!