Birchwood Inn
Innkeeper Ellen Gutman Chenaux
Lenox, Massachusetts
When did you become interested in historic properties?
I've had a lifelong fascination with old homes, starting with my grandmother's Victorian home in New Jersey and my cousin's pre-Civil War estate in Pennsylvania. Older homes have so much character and detail. Birchwood Inn is my first opportunity to indulge my love of historic homes.
When did you first visit Birchwood Inn?
I first visited Birchwood in October 1998 and purchased the inn in February 1999.
Birchwood has been a bed and breakfast inn since 1981. Its history, elegant presence, extraordinary "bones," architectural details, large common rooms, English gardens, New England stone fences, fireplaces, and gracious porch enticed me.
Was much renovation required?
The inn was in need of some renovation but mostly in the form of redecorating. My guiding principle as an innkeeper has been that the inn be warm and welcoming. This premise has guided all of the renovations. In the two years after I purchased Birchwood, I redid the entrance, all of the common rooms, and eight of the 12 guest rooms. The biggest project was the renovation of the adjoining 1885 carriage house. We gutted the first floor, which had been an apartment, and created two lovely new guest rooms. This is a labor of love, and the inn will always be a work in progress.
Please tell us a little about your inn's history.
Birchwood Inn has been welcoming friends, new and old, for more than 225 years.
The property which is now Birchwood Inn was the first residential property deeded by the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1765. The core of the house, most likely the oldest home in Lenox, dates from 1766-67. In fact, the first town meeting was held here, probably in what is today the parlor, on March 11, 1767, the year that the town of Lenox was incorporated.
The home has changed hands many times since first built, and all of the inn guest rooms are named in honor of former residents.
Of great significance in the history of the house was its purchase in 1885 by Florine and Richard Dana, a prominent New England family. Florine made extensive renovations to the property, and the house we see today is a result of her efforts. It was also Florine who named the property "Birchwood."
Birchwood remained in the Dana family until 1953, when it was purchased by Charlotte Wagner. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Schallers converted the house into a home for World War II veterans. When Paul and Gail MacDonald bought the home in 1981, they had to do extensive renovations as the building had fallen into disrepair. In 1982, they opened Birchwood Inn as a bed and breakfast.
The inn was later purchased by the Hittlemans, and General Dick and Joan Toner owned and operated the inn for most of the 1990s. I am the most recent owner and inheritor of this lengthy legacy, having purchased the inn in February 1999.
We believe we have a ghost or two living at Birchwood. Many guests have heard what sounds like a cat crying in Room 10 (The Loring Room), and Room 3's (The Wagner Room) poltergeist likes to move things around. Village legend, moreover, claims that the ghosts of Colonel Hubbard and his horse can sometimes be seen trotting along Hubbard Street.
What's your favorite room in your bed and breakfast?
Each room has a piece of my heart. Of the common rooms, I probably love the library most. An enormous fireplace is the central focus of this very spacious room. The colors, warm yellows, reds, and greens are inviting, and the nearly floor to ceiling windows provide a wonderful view of greenery. The floors are 120 years old and have that wonderful patina of age.
And I love being surrounded by my vast collection of books. The library has grace and dignity while being warm and welcoming. I can just imagine the Dana family hosting elegant soirees in this room. In the library, the past and the present live very well together.
What makes a stay in your inn unique?
Birchwood offers history, a warm welcome, outrageous service, country elegance in a village setting, and extraordinary breakfasts. We sincerely love what we do.
Please tell us a little about the Lenox area.
The Berkshires, of which Lenox is the heart, is the foremost cultural resort in the U.S. During the summer, the hills are alive with the sound of music and theater. Lenox is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra as well as the year-round home of Shakespeare & Co.
The Norman Rockwell Museum, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, The Clark Art Institute, and Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MassMoca) are all nearby, as are theater, music and arts festivals. The Berkshires also offer year-round leisure and recreational activities, from golf, tennis, and water sports in the summer to downhill and cross-country skiing in the winter.
