Susan Chapman Melanson

The Night We Broke into the Northfield Chateau Susan Chapman Melanson

The Northfield Chateau was a landmark in western Massachusetts from the time it was built in 1903 until it was demolished in 1963. A year before the magnificent structure met the wrecking ball the author and several friends spent an unsanctioned evening exploring the 125-room summer home of the Schell family of New York. The memories and images of that evening were captured on a primitive Brownie camera. The photographs and negatives became dog-eared and faded over the years until Sue Melanson resurrected them through her watercolor paintings. Along with her detailed artwork, she has included vivid descriptions of the Chateau as well as background information about its owners and their lifestyle, and even floor plans for the reader to enjoy.