17 replies to this topic

[BANE]

Excerpt from: www.chesterfieldoutdoors.com

The 488 acres of the Madame Sherri Forest was generously donated for conservation to the Society for the Preservation of New Hampshire Forests by Anne Stokes. The forest is named for the eccentric Madame Antoinette Sherri. Madame Sherri, who had worked as a costume designer for the Zigfield Follies in the 1920s, had built her country "Castle" in the woods of Chesterfield. She became famous (or infamous) for the parties she threw for visitors from the city and was said to have driven about the town during the summer wearing a fur coat and nothing else. Madame Sherri died in 1965 at the age of 84 but for many years prior the castle had fallen to neglect and vandalism. On October 18, 1962 it was destroyed by fire. The foundation, chimneys and a grand stone staircase from the once magnificent house can be seen adjacent to the Madame Sherri Forest on a side trail close to the entrance off the Gulf Road.

Edited by BANE, 27 March 2011 - 10:23 PM.

[Marcel]

Great pics Bane! Looks like a really cool place!

[BANE]

Marcel, on 27 March 2011 - 10:26 PM, said:

Great pics Bane! Looks like a really cool place!

It is! But it's about 20 miles past the middle of nowhere on a few miles of single lane dirt roads. A real fun ride, if you have a truck.

[Chaindrive]

Makes me wonder what the house was made of, if it burned to the ground.

[BANE]

Chaindrive, on 27 March 2011 - 10:39 PM, said:

Makes me wonder what the house was made of, if it burned to the ground.

Lemme see if I can find a picture of it when she lived there.

[abandonedfreak]

Beautiful place, awesome find

[BANE]

Chaindrive, on 27 March 2011 - 10:39 PM, said:

Makes me wonder what the house was made of, if it burned to the ground.

Here's what it looked like

[BANE]

abandonedfreak, on 27 March 2011 - 10:54 PM, said:

Beautiful place, awesome find

Thanks!

[schwim]

It's heartbreaking to hear of all these neat places burning to the ground. Most can be attributed to arson and you have to wonder how little someone has going for them to go torch any place, much less one with such character.

[abandonedfreak]

Chaindrive, on 27 March 2011 - 10:39 PM, said:

Makes me wonder what the house was made of, if it burned to the ground.

I would guess wood

[BANE]

abandonedfreak, on 27 March 2011 - 11:02 PM, said:

I would guess wood

UH HUH HUH! You said wood!

[Chaindrive]

Silliness abounds.

The pic of the castle looks like wood, I wonder where the staircase was inside it.

[BANE]

Chaindrive, on 28 March 2011 - 12:15 AM, said:

Silliness abounds.

The pic of the castle looks like wood, I wonder where the staircase was inside it.

The staircase was outside and looks like it lead to an upper floor.

[Chaindrive]

Hmmm. Weird. The house looks like it was pretty traditional.

[BANE]

Chaindrive, on 28 March 2011 - 12:32 AM, said:

Hmmm. Weird. The house looks like it was pretty traditional.

You're right, it was rather traditional. The only thing that stood out was that big staircase leading to the balcony.
The footprint of the house wasn't big at all, but the locals called it a castle anyways. But the parties and whatnot far exceeded the style of the house. She seemed to have been constantly the talk of the town.