October 8, 2014
Cranwell Spa and Golf Resort: A Wedding Destination for Any Season
Matthew Wexler READ TIME: 4 MIN.
Are you looking for the quintessential fall getaway? Cast your gaze no further than Cranwell Spa and Golf Resort. Nestled in the bucolic hills of the Berkshires (that's western Massachusetts for those not familiar with the east coast), Cranwell offers a picturesque escape from life's daily doldrums and is packed with rich history. It's also the ideal location for a wedding or honeymoon as the property welcomes gay and lesbian couples with open arms.
At Cranwell today you are treated like royalty. For wedding celebrants, especially, from their rehearsal dinner to their farewell brunch there is no better treatment than the pampering experience that echoes the historic past of the property. In the historic domain of the rich, richness of the total experience is truly at the forefront.
Romance Any Time of Year
Cranwell is truly a timeless setting. From the grand terrace the views are much as they were a century and a half ago. The grandeur of the buildings combined with the magnificent romantic setting is a piece of marital heaven that the current management loves to share with couples and their guests.
If Downton Abbey is your cup of tea, this Gilded Age mansion transcends distance and time to provide just what you'd expect from an adventure in hinterland of Britain. No one wants his or her wedding to be anything less than superb. At Cranwell the afterglow proves that the place makes the difference and for same-sex couples who have craved such an opportunity - long denied them - the results are clear. Romance blooms in such a setting.
Autumn's dramatic colors provide a backdrop with spectacular views of the season's foliage. A wintry wedding in front of the cozy fireplaces and pristine scenery will be breathtaking. Spring's renewal of green and scattered colors inspires lovers to move forward into the long summer of their love. And, summer itself affords so many opportunities to stretch the experience into the performing arts including the Boston Symphony, the many theaters and Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival which provides a longer, richer experience for wedding couples and their guests.
The resort offers some unique packages to suit your style and time of year. In addition, all wedding couples receive:
The Cranwell Legacy
Whether you visit Cranwell as a bride, groom, wedding attendee or simply as a guest of the property, you can't help being swept away by the historical significance and rich heritage of the region.
The year was 1853. Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of "The Scarlet Letter," had left the Berkshires and his most intimate friend and rival, Herman Melville, had returned to the eastern part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Halfway between their homes, which can be seen on easy drives from Cranwell in Lenox, MA, was Blossom Hill, where the Cranwell Mansion now stands.
It was purchased that year by the acclaimed "Handsomest Man in America," the Reverend Henry Ward Beecher, for $4,500. He loved the views from the top of the hillside. His sister Harriet Beecher Stowe, who grew to considerable fame after writing "Uncle Tom's Cabin," inherited the mansion after the Reverend passed away. General John F. Rathbone purchased the estate in 1869 and moved Beecher's farmhouse to the side of the hill so that the new home he built would have the commanding view of the countryside. That house, called Wyndhurst, was enormous by any standards of the day.
At the same time, on the back side of the hill, another family was building yet another cottage. U.S. Naval Captain John S. Barnes, Flag Officer of the North Atlantic Fleet during the Civil War, purchased the land for $10,000 in 1882 and erected Coldbrooke, now known as Beecher's Cottage. A "cottage" in the Berkshires referred to a property of no fewer than 19 rooms on at least five acres of property. The New York '400' built enormous cottages throughout the Berkshires and Newport in the years to come.
Among them was John Sloane, a relative of the Vanderbilts by marriage whose nearby homes can be seen, and co-owner of the famous furniture firm, W & J Sloane, who became the next owner when he built his cottage in 1894. After tearing down Rathbone's Wyndhurst, Sloane constructed another Wyndhurst, which rivaled the enormity and elegance of the first. He also commissioned Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect responsible for creating Central Park, to design the grounds.
This new Wyndhurst stands on the hill today. After a brief stint as the Berkshire Hunt and Country Club in the 1920s, Edward Cranwell deeded the estate to the Society of Jesus of New England to be turned into a private school for boys named after the generous benefactor. After prospering for many years, the school slipped into decline, closing its doors in 1975. It was converted into a year-round resort and country club in 1993. In 2002 the 35,000-square-foot Spa at Cranwell opened with state-of-the-art facilities, offering more than 50 services.
For additional information, visit www.cranwell.com or contact Megan Hajduk at 413-881-1676 or by e-mail at [email protected].
And take a sneak peak at Mark & Jonathan's Cranwell wedding by clicking here.
Matthew Wexler is EDGE's Senior Editor, Features & Branded Content. More of his writing can be found at www.wexlerwrites.com. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @wexlerwrites.
This story is part of our special report: "Gay Marriage". Want to read more? Here's the full list.
