Northfield Chateau

Birnam Road, Northfield, Massachusetts

Completed in 1903, for Francis Robert Schell (1851-1928) and his wife, Mary. Their summer home was inspired by the Chateau de Chambord and was designed by Bruce Price whose work included the iconic Chateau Frontenac that still dominates Quebec City. The Schells lived at 21 East 62nd Street, New York, but started to summer at Northfield from 1890 through their interest in the religious works of Dwight Moody. Their 99-room chateau included 36-bedrooms, 23-bathrooms and 22-fireplaces, as well as a private chapel; and, the 125-acre estate contained landscaped gardens and a purpose-built lake half a mile in length. Before its demolition in 1963, much of the furniture was salvaged by the Tinney family and displayed at Belcourt Castle, most notably the vast pair of mirrors seen in the Banquet Hall today. 
Contributed by Mark Meredith on 03/12/2018 and last updated on 21/10/2021.
Front Image Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Historic American Buildings Survey Collection; The Night We Broke Into the Northfield Chateau (2008) by Susan Chapman Melanson

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