This Vanderbilt Mansion in the Berkshires Spans Two Towns—and Can Be Yours for $12.5 Million

The United States doesn't have many castles, but it is home to some historic mansions that belonged to the country's most prominent families. Now is your chance to own one; as Home Stratosphere reports, Emily Vanderbilt's Berkshires, Massachusetts, estate has hit the market for $12.5 million.

The 89-acre property is a National Historic Landmark. In addition to being built for philanthropist William Douglas Sloane and Emily Vanderbilt, granddaughter of railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, the grounds of the home also boast a famous designer. Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape artist behind New York's Central Park and the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, was commissioned to design the grounds. The architectural firm Peabody & Stearns was responsible for the house itself.

Elm Court Estate, named for a large elm tree planted near the entrance, has even played a role in international politics. In 1919, the house served as the meeting place for the Elm Court Talks. Those conferences paved the way for the Treaty of Versailles and the formation of the League of Nations.

Even without knowing its history, Elm Court Estate has a lot to offer. The home is as luxurious today as when it was built in 1886. It consists of 106 rooms—including 13 newly renovated bedrooms—spread out over three stories. The sprawling estate also boasts a butler's house, a gardener's cottage, a caretaker's house, a stable, a carriage house, multiple greenhouses, and two barns. The estate is so massive that it spans two separate towns: Stockbridge and Lenox, Massachusetts.

If you've ever dreamed of living like a Vanderbilt, you can contact Timothy Lovett of Berkshire Property Agents in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, to learn more about the listing.