Category

Gilded Age

The growing wealth of the post Civil War era lead to demand for showy new housing – including social gathering spots like Newport and Lenox. Local Lenox farmers were only to happy to sell average for these showy seasonal homes — somewhat humorously called “cottages.” Other Lenox residents of the late 19th and early 20th century built or worked in the cottages or created town shops and services to support their gilded age visitors.