In the late 1800s, the Berkshires in Massachusetts was a prime spot for the Gilded Age wealthy to show off their money by building giant mansions, or “summer cottages” as society’s upper crust called them. Most have been lost to fire or demolished as impractical for a family to manage and finance. One of the biggest and best – Vanderbilt Berkshires Estate, formerly Elm Court – has just been sold for $8 million. Elm Court is about the same size as the White House – so big that it spans two towns.
