A Castle in NH Woods?

(Very) former front entry of Castle Sherri

Many people regard their home as a castle, don't they?

And, while the chances of finding the remains of a "castle" in a wooded area in the Southwest corner of NH seems improbable, it's not impossible.

Exactly what we thought so after reading stories and seeing online photos, we set on a 90-minute day trip to an off the main road forest in West Chesterfield, NH, to locate what Madame Antoinette Sherri called her house, Castle Sherri — we succeeded in our quest.

Castle Sherri circa 1930s

As you can readily see, this wooded forest retreat, shown as it originally existed above, wasn't really a castle, but an elegantly proportioned house built by an eccentric NYC costume designer who is said to have entertained with lavish parties in the 1930s. It's most notable feature was (and still is) the stone spiral staircase which ascended to the second floor. This architectural detail remains a lone reminder of the house’s former glory days.

Finding this place was quite an adventure. We wondered how years ago guests ever made the  off-road trek into the forest. Our highway drive was followed by a turn-off then drive on gravel and dirt roads and we passed the forest entry at least once (maybe twice) then saw a sign for “Mme. Sherri Forest” in a small parking area. 

An information kiosk at the end of the parking area, before the start of the trail provided a wealth of information and photos. Many of these photos were from the Chesterfield, NH Historical Society and available on line. They have been included in this post for purposes of telling the very intriguing and interesting story of the who, what, where and when of this place.

After checking out the very informative information kiosk, we crossed a wooden footbridge then headed in the direction of the Madame Sherri Forest. Many years ago, this bridge was most made of stone as evidenced by the remains of a wall and stone posts. After a short walk in the woods, we saw the ruins, which can't be missed.

What's astounding is to see this massive, arched stone stairway that curves upward and ends in mid-air. These remains of what was a grand spiral staircase that ascended to the second floor was the most notable feature of a house designed by its owner, Madame Antoinette Sherri, for comfort and entertainment. Now, it's a deteriorating reminder of the former glory of this place.

Nearly 50 years after Madame Sherri's death, the legend remains. Whether or not the tales of her wild late-night forest parties are true is uncertain, as there's no one alive to verify the tales. Yet, they've provided great story fodder for many years that continues even now.

Who was the Mysterious Madame Antoinette Sherri?

Antonia De Lilas

Madame Sherri was born Antoinette Bramare in 1878 in Paris, and trained as a seamstress. Later she assumed the name of Antonia De Lilas changing her career to become a popular music hall performer. She sang and danced in some of the most well-known clubs in France.

Andre Riela & Madame Antoinette Sherri

In 1909, she met a man calling himself Andre Riela, an American-born conman named Anthony Macaluso, who had fled to Europe to dodge an extortion charge. He found work as an actor and dancer in Paris. They married in Puerto Rico returning to NYC in 1911. Macaluso was a fugitive, so an elaborate ruse was devised that he was the son of a prominent Italian diplomat. The ruse worked, they were accepted into NY society and Macaluso resumed dancing under the name Andre Riela. Antoinette opened a millinery shop on 42nd Street and designed costumes for Broadway productions and theatrical revues.

Madame Sherri and Ziegfeld costume designs

By 1916, Antoinette wanted a new name to promote the business, selecting, House of Sherri after Madame Sherry, a French vaudeville act staged in NYC as a musical show. She and Andre became known as Mr. and Madame Sherri (the names Riela and DeLilas no longer used). The House of Sherri became known for elaborate and ornate costume designs for NYC productions, notably the Ziegfeld Follies. This was during Prohibition when people were going to shows, not bars. In the next eight years, the couple became very successful.

Charles LeMaire

During one of their biggest hits, Frivolities of 1920, Antoinette began what was to become a long-term connection with Charles LeMaire, a Chicago vaudeville pianist and actor who wanted a career in costume design. 

LeMaire moved to NYC in 1921 became Antoinette's protege and soon was working with Flo Ziegfeld. By 1925, his success took him to Hollywood where he was employed first by 20th Century Fox. LeMaire was later credited with convincing the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to create an Oscar for costume design. In a 37-year career and over 300 films, he earned 3 Academy Awards and 13 nominations. LeMaire later became Antoinette's financial benefactor. (She claimed that she had adopted LeMaire, which was untrue.) Yet, there’s no doubt that LeMaire's early NYC career with Antoinette led to his future Hollywood success.

Andre & Sherri in Puerto Rico after their marriage

In 1924, Andre went blind, then insane and died 3 years later at the age of 27. He was at least a decade or more younger than his wife and his early death devastated Antoinette. She designed costumes for a few years, sometimes with LeMaire before closing her NYC shop in 1930. Later, she spent summers visiting stage friend Jack Henderson and regularly attended his extravagant parties held in Chesterfield, NH, before deciding to leave NYC and permanently relocate to NH.

Castle Sherri as it once stood in West Chesterfield, NH

In 1929, she became a NH resident and by 1930 had purchased 600 acres of West Chesterfield farmland and forest on Gulf Road. By 1931, with LeMaire providing the finances, Sherri started building. She brought in stonecutters from neighboring MA and without blueprints or plans designed the house by walking the lot and putting down stakes. Local contractors reportedly found her hard to work with claiming she would hover and constantly change her mind, but the one-of-a-kind house was eventually completed.

Front entry steps then and now

The uniquely styled and named Castle Sherri resembled a French chateau of NH stone with a chalet roof and a Roman ruin with arches. Vintage photos show that the two and a half story house had a pitched roof, stone on the bottom, clapboard on the top floor and a top floor, surrounded by a wrap-around deck. The main floor had a large bar area between 2 trees that grew through the roof. Portraits adorned the walls. Furnishings included Persian rugs, a polar bear rug, Buddhas, player piano, Italian pottery and brocaded tapestries. Two upstairs bedrooms had mirror-lined bathrooms. The third floor was Sherri’s private quarters accessible only by the stone staircase running alongside the building. The cellar was a bistro/dining grotto with six tables covered with red tablecloths.

The stone arched stairway alongside Castle Sherri

The exterior staircase was hewn from ledge rock with stone flower boxes that once held red and white flowers with three rounded arches facing the front of the house. The main stairs were cut into the rock ledge and led to a massive red front door. 

The theatrically staged house was only used for entertaining; it wasn't her residence. She lived in a small run-down farmhouse elsewhere on the property. Well-dressed NYC male and female socialites and show business friends were reported to attend these summer events. Madame Sherri reigned and held court on The Queen’s Throne, a carved cobra-backed chair. She chain-smoked Fatima-brand cigarettes and proudly boasted of using a single match to light only the first one. She was known for making a grand entrances garbed in sequined gowns with a feather-plumed headdress or makeshift turban. Her costumes included strands of pearls and jewelry, most of which was stage paste.

1927 Packard of Madame Sherri

Madame Sherri's lifestyle became the talk of the area, most of which as farmland back then. According to online stories, she delighted in shocking merchants. Local lore is that she wore a large fur coat, with nothing else on and paid for everything in cash, pulled either from a garter belt strapped to her thigh or her cleavage. After buying a 1927 cream-colored Packard, she had its wheels painted bright red, hiring uniformed young men to chauffeur her around. She said that the car was built on commission for the Prince of Wales. (This wasn't true as the car had been purchased for $3,500 directly from Packard Motors.) 

Madame Sherri’s decline began shortly after WWII ended when LeMaire stopped sending funds that had subsidized her wild lifestyle for so long. Trying to remain afloat, she came up with many schemes, including turning the castle into a nightclub and selling mineral rights to the property. 

None of these worked out and by the late 1940s, Madame Sherri was indigent, relying on neighbors for food, firewood and transport. The Packard sat idle on her property. She spent time in VT before returning to NH in the spring of 1959 to find that the house had been burglarized and trashed and the front door ripped off. Madame Sherri fled from the house and never returned, moving into a nursing home in Brattleboro, VT. 

Three years later, disaster struck Castle Sherri again in late October 1962, when a fire ravaged it reducing it to the stone foundation visible now with collapses since then. In July 1963, Charles LeMaire foreclosed on the property. It later sold to local resident Ann Stokes who finalized a sheriff's sale purchase in October 1965, on the same day Madame Sherri died at age 87. For years, Stokes kept the legend of Castle Sherri and Madame Sherri alive by promoting concerts, performances and parties within the house ruins. In 1992, Stokes donated 488 acres of Madame Sherri Forest to the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests which protects it today. There are numrous walking trails and no admission fee to hike or visit the ruins. 

Remains of Castle Sherri now

While the arches remain a favorite destination, the years and New England weather have taken their toll. As seen above, shifting and cracks can be spotted in the arches stone work. There are no handrails or columns on the steps and climbing them is strongly discouraged now. 

Our plans did not include climbing upward. We were just happy to have found and to explore the ruins and amazing staircase. However, I read that for years, visitors would ascend the stairs and claim to have seen the ghost of Madame Sherri. Bebes! who was rumored to exclaim to her arriving guests, Mes cheres! Please enter and enjoy yourselves!

Madame Sherri is buried in meeting House Cemetery, Brattleboro, VT. LeMaire died in 1985 in Palm Springs, CA, at age 86 after enjoying a career that was far more successful than that of his former mentor. The Packard auto sold for $7500 at auction in September 1963. Sherri’s farmhouse residence was later condemned and torn down. 

This was a longish post (as usual) but the subject matter was very interesting. And, if you live in New England or can visit NH some future time, a trip to find Castle Sherri would be well worth some time and effort. Grenville and I agreed the site was one of the more interesting ones we've seen on a day trip. But, it's not the last; this week a friend shared info about another castle site in neighboring MA, and it's on our list for a future day trip.

My apologies to fellow bloggers as I have not kept up with your posts on a daily basis. Some days (more than one), I spend way too much time preparing a post. Also there are other interests which grab my attention span, which is short enough. However, I always try catch up with your recent posts by the weekend. Thanks for your visits and comments on my own posts. All comments are read and are very much appreciated. I know that you have other interests as well.