Elm Court - Lenox
It's time to travel beyond the boundaries of the great cities, and move into the country, something which occurred seasonally among certain classes, to escape the noise, heat, and smell of American cities. One of the popular destinations were the Berkshires, with Lenox being the heart of this region. Circa 1890 Elm Court, the country cottage of William Douglas Sloane and Emily Thorn Vanderbilt Sloane, was begun on December 9, 1885. Designed by Robert S. Peabody, it is the largest and most private of Lenox's surviving cottages. Sloane was the head of W&J Sloane, a top-of-the-line New York rug and furniture store. He was a member of t he Union Club, Metropolitan Club, Union League Club, Raquet & Tennis Club, Automobile Club of America, Riding Club, New York Yacht Club, Garden City Golf Club, Sleepy Hollow Country Club, and the Aero Club. His wife, a granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and daughter of William H. Vanderbilt, was also the sister of the owners of The