{"nrhp_refnum":"85003184","name":"Elm Court","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Stockbridge St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Lenox","county":"Berkshire County","state":"MA","lat":42.33872351750006,"lon":-73.29158296860254,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-12-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Commerce","Agriculture","Politics/Government","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Elm Court is a summer cottage estate on the Lenox/Stockbridge boundary in the Berkshire hills of Massachusetts, begun in 1885-1886 for William D. Sloane. The mansion was designed by Peabody and Stearns and enlarged around 1901.","why_significant":"The nomination presents Elm Court as a grand Shingle Style summer cottage, later expanded with Tudor Revival elements, that retains integrity of setting, design, materials and workmanship. It is tied to the Sloane family and to Lenox and Stockbridge as a Gilded Age resort. It was also the home of diplomat Henry White, and its greenhouses and gardens were widely known.","narrative":"Elm Court is a large summer estate straddling the Lenox and Stockbridge line in the Berkshire hills. William D. Sloane, a New York furniture merchant, bought 110 acres in 1885, and the Boston firm of Peabody and Stearns designed his Shingle Style house in 1885-1886. Around 1901 the same architects enlarged it with Tudor Revival features, including half-timbered and stone towers, producing a structure reminiscent of an English country house. Outbuildings include a courtyard barn, a gardener's residence and greenhouses. Landscaping was associated with Frederick Law Olmsted and later the Olmsted Brothers. The estate reflects Lenox's Gilded Age role as a summer resort, and its greenhouses were considered among the most extensive in America. After Sloane's death, his widow married diplomat Henry White, who served as ambassador to Italy and France. The house later served briefly as an inn and has been vacant since 1952, in severe disrepair, though restoration is anticipated.","period_of_significance":"1885-1886","architect_builder":"Peabody & Stearns","architectural_style":"Shingle Style, with Tudor Revival additions","criteria":["A","B","C"],"status_note":"Vacant since 1952 and in seriously deteriorated condition; restoration and return to residential use are considered likely. Part of the greenhouse and nursery operation and barn spaces remain in use.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:57.586083-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/12/7942/63794212/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/85003184.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85003184/5bec8a1e1a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85003184/5bec8a1e1a-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"John Phelan","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elm_Court,_Lenox_MA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">John Phelan</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elm_Court,_Lenox_MA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63794212","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elm_Court_(Lenox_and_Stockbridge,_Massachusetts)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5366264"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/berkshire-county/elm-court-85003184/"}