Robert Paterson was introduced to the Lenox, MA area in the late 1890s by his friend John Sloan (of W&J Sloane)
Robert Paterson was introduced to the Lenox, MA area in the late 1890s by his friend John Sloan (of W&J Sloane). Lenox already had many great estates even before Blantyre, prompting the area to be known as “the queen of inland resorts” or, as Cleveland Amory wrote, “the Switzerland of America.”
Paterson acquired the Lenox estate of 220 acres called “Highlawn” from the Dorr family. He tore down the modest house, keeping the outbuildings. Hence, the Carriage House Stables and The Retreat at Blantyre date from the late 19th century. He set about building a property on a grand scale, although the initial plans were purported to be drawn on the back of an envelope by the architect, Robert Henderson Robertson. Robert Paterson’s concept was for no less than a castle of “feudal architectural features,” replete with towers, turrets, and gargoyles. The house was modeled after his mother’s ancestral home in Blantyre, Scotland. Construction began in 1901, at times employing over 300 people on the grounds and buildings.
The Manor House was furnished in English style with all furniture brought in from England. The family used the house during summer and fall seasons and entertained frequently, as was the fashion in those days. There were garden parties with musicians imported from New York and grand dinner-dances with each party becoming more and more lavish, befitting the “Gilded Age.”
When the end of the era came some 15 to 20 years later, hastened by the introduction of the income tax, so, too, ended a lifestyle that was never to be repeated. Over the next 60 years, Blantyre went through several transitions, including a particularly destructive period in the 1970s.
In 1980, Jack and Jane Fitzpatrick fell in love with the abandoned Blantyre and organized to purchase it for their daughter, Ann Fitzpatrick Brown, who became the eighth owner. Determined to restore it to its former elegance, Ann reopened Blantyre in 1981, after extensive renovation. Blantyre achieved the vision of the Fitzpatricks – a beautiful country house, recognized as one of the finest hotels in the world, where guests can come and stay and experience the life and service of a bygone era.
Beginning in 2000, Ann and the staff of Blantyre planned and worked toward fully winterizing Blantyre. In May 2005, Blantyre opened its doors for the first time in 25 years as a year-round operation, with The Retreat, Blantyre’s cozy and intimate spa.
After Fitzpatrick Brown’s passing in 2016, the property was purchased by Linda Law, a veteran real estate investor, who discovered the Berkshires as a student and had Blantyre on her bucket list for more than three decades. Ms. Law decided that the beloved Manor deserved a twenty-first-century upgrade, with a bow to the old and a nod to the new, bringing this Berkshires getaway resort into a new age of Gilded Grandeur.
Free
WiFi
welcome@blantyre.com
- Private property (hotel)
- Accessible for wheelchairs
- Pets are allowed
- Guided tours are offered