Lenox and Stockbridge— Real estate developer and investor Linda Law said that her purchase of the Elm Court estate in December had everything to do with her love of history. “When I first came here, I saw beauty,” Law told The Berkshire Edge. “It wasn’t over-the-top beauty, other than the woodwork. It had pretty simple and huge rooms. But I’m a history lover, and I felt something.”
According to the Middle Berkshire Registry of Deeds, Law, who is from Menlo Park, Calif., purchased the estate for $8 million in December. She was previously the owner of the Blantyre estate in Lenox, which she owned from June 2017 to November 2021.
As Law noted many times during her interview, the 89-acre Elm Court estate has a very storied history. The estate was originally designed in 1885 as a summer residence for Emily Vanderbilt and her husband, William Sloane. The grounds were designed by Frederic Law Olmsted, who designed Central Park in New York City and the current grounds of the United States Capitol.
In a press release by Law’s publicist, Leslie Lefkowitz, noting the property’s history, she wrote that “one notable historical anecdote is the fact that the end of World War I was initiated on the terrace at Elm Court through the creation of the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations.”
Lefkowitz wrote that starting in 1948, the descendants of Vanderbilt operated The Elm Court Club Inn to preserve the estate. However, the inn eventually shut down in 1957 due to operational costs. For over 42 years, the property was abandoned and passed down through generations of the family.
In 1999 it was passed on to Robert Berle, a great-great-grandson of the Sloane family. Along with his wife, they undertook a $5,000,000 restoration project. The property was reopened as a luxury inn in 2002. However, as it was in 1957, once again the inn was too costly to operate. It was placed on the market in 2005 for $21,500,000 but taken off the market in 2006.
In 2012, both Berle and his wife Sonya sold the property to Amstar/Travaasa Experiential Resorts for $9,8000,000. Over the next few years, the company procured land use entitlements to open up a wellness resort. After litigation over the project, the company decided to sell Elm Court right before it shut down. The property was put on the market in 2020 and purchased by Law two years later.
During her interview with The Berkshire Edge, Law spoke about the history of Elm Court multiple times. Along with its history, Law pointed out that the property is the largest shingled residence in the United States. “Winston Churchill started the League of Nations and The Treaty of Versailles on that deck right there,” Law said, pointing outside as she was being interviewed. “We have stories of Theodore Roosevelt playing pool here, and Eleanor saying ‘I’m sick of this! I’m going to Tanglewood! You boys are driving me crazy!’”
Law said that she has been trying to purchase the property for over seven years. “I love Lenox a lot, and I have had a 50-year draw to this town,” she said. “I finally was able to purchase this place after there was a perfect storm with the sellers. I made a risky offer to purchase this property, and I was afraid I was out of my mind when I did. But I knew that this property was going to be my last legacy.” Law observed that “we are just stewards of this place because it is going to go on and on.”
She said that the estate, including the 112-room building, was in good condition when she purchased the 55,000-square-foot property. Law said that there would be no effort to modernize the estate itself. “I think history has to be respected,” Law said. “I don’t want to contemporize it. This estate isn’t garish. A lot of these historic places are garish. I want this place to be attractive.”
Law is working with her business partner, Rick Peiser, on the property. Peiser is a professor of real estate development at Harvard University’s School of Design.
In the press release by Lefkowitz, she wrote that both Law and Peiser were considering opening a luxury resort. During their interview, however, both Law and Lefkowitz would not say what their plans for the property would be. “We have something stirring up that I think is going to happen, but I can’t talk about it yet,” Law said. “It is something that will be remarkable for the community. It’s something that is very special and no one else has thought of. I think that we don’t need another wellness and health spa, I can tell you that. Even though everyone wants to do health and wellness, we’ve got plenty in the community. We’re looking at some interesting alternatives. My background has always been in public-private partnerships, always. It has to make everyone happy. But of course, that never happens. But I want both sides happy, not just one.” Law added, “I think what we’re cooking up is going to be a killer.”
Clarification: This article has been updated to reflect that the property is located in both Lenox and Stockbridge.
