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A History of Elm Court

Bob Vila meets with Bob Berle at Elm Court in the Berkshire Hills. Berle�s great-great grandparents, Vanderbilt-Sloanes, had the home built in 1886. It expanded through several additions to become the largest shingle-style home in the United States. The original architects, Peabody and Stearns, oversaw all the additions to the home and kept it within its original character while adding some flare, like the Tudor timberwork and towers. The Vanderbilt-Sloanes liked size and when they copied a fountain from the Piazza Mattei in Rome, they increased it by about 20 times the size of the original. The grounds and surrounding gardens were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect who designed Central Park in New York. The grounds beautifully transition the home into the surrounding countryside. Elm Court, named after a three hundred-year-old Elm tree in the backyard, has been the site of several historic gatherings including the 1919 Elm Court Talks that led to the Treaty of Versailles.

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Chapters from this episode

Elm Court Foyer and Fireplace Now Playing

Elm Court Foyer and Fireplace

Adapting New Technology to Historic Properties Now Playing

Adapting New Technology to Historic Properties

Elm Court's Library and Architectural Detailing Now Playing

Elm Court's Library and Architectural Detailing

A History of Elm Court Now Playing

A History of Elm Court

Clip Transcript For:

A History of Elm Court

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Bob -- is the fifth generation of the family that built this house back in 188686. And as I understand at the house was locked up by your grandfather in 1957. That's correct have to air. Fifty years that the -- living in the house has a summer house -- and expanded. Started at about 20000 square feet right. And a series of five or six editions over the next thirty year period. Results in a house that's now about 70000 square feet the biggest shingle style house in America and the shingle style obviously as defined by. A skin a wooden shingles that runs throughout it and here we have an opportunity see how to shingle style evolved so that it includes other types of detailing like -- there were. Timber work almost a tutor like towards this cracks that architects were Peabody and Stearns. And they also oversaw every edition of the house and so the main portion of the house from the original. You can see the wavy type shingle work there in -- in that gable end up there. Yes and as the style evolved other elements were were included in the style. For example the most to see look of the shingle design there -- gables everywhere and of course something like. A French turret there what would that have been amusingly that was a fire watch I think once you had a house that was about 70000 square feet. You were concerned that is made out of wood and if it did catch fire. It wouldn't take long to be gone. And so 24 hours a day there was somebody who is on in that terrorists -- Watching the roofs for fire and it was a counterpart on the ground who walked around. And also looked for fire amazing story I'm sure there -- a lot of amazing stories now what about a fountain like this -- in the middle of the drive here. This was actually a copy of a fountain from -- so montagne in Rome the original sounds only four feet tall and we assume. The fountain of the turtles was seen on vacation. And they wanted to build it here they built it about I don't know twenty times bigger communities they enlarged it. And of course during the fifty years that the house was closed dobbs. It suffered from theft vandalism and a lot of borrowing so that the bronzes that were once there have disappeared that's correct. And remember Bob this is the -- of horse drawn carriages right so that the coaches would arrive here under the -- shape. And this would be the main entrance to the cottage that's correct yeah. And at the time that this house is built. Some my great great. Grandparents' relatives were building things like the Biltmore in North Carolina. The breakers in Newport among others the Vanderbilt had a -- for large summer cottages they liked to entertain a little thing yeah so this -- in many ways is the most modest of all the houses that were built. I think it reflects more of a country aspiration than some of the others and great attention was put not only into the house but also how it fits into the Linton. Certainly. Frederick law Olmstead everywhere took that in mind when Olmstead being the designer of Central Park in New York and have many of the settings for the great estates of the late nineteenth century. Now this is. The -- backside well Hostin really -- back sided that's important facades everywhere you go tell us a little bit about what we're seeing along here."

" Well this side of the house faced what was a tennis court put more notably their their house was named after tree and elm tree yeah. That was 300 years old at the time houses built. In was the first house to be wired for lightning protection interest. Another thing of note is that the elm court talks in 1919 were held on the porch here after the end of World War I that's correct. In those discussions led to. We drafting the treaty of Versailles and the creation of the league of nations and what about the indeed far side of the house the western terrace the western elevation was the last portion of the building to be built. And does show the somewhat classic style of shingle style and that it was a melding in a true American style of many influences as you mentioned before -- And obviously all the shingle work spectacular."

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