Wentworth by the Sea

Wentworth by the Sea is a lovely Victorian hotel that was once featured as a haunted hotel in a movie. For years, it sat forlornly on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in New Hampshire and was almost demolished. Today it’s a thriving, beautiful hotel once again.

Fun Facts

• Wentworth by the Sea is the last standing coastal hotel from the Gilded Age.
• Built in 1874 by Daniel Chase, it was a popular destination for the wealthy for many years.

  

• Frank Jones purchased the hotel in 1879 and expanded it.
• The hotel was the location of the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth in 1905. This treaty brought Japanese and Russian delegates together to end the Russo Japanese War. President Theodore Roosevelt won a Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the peace talks, and the delegates stayed at the hotel free of charge.

  

• Harry Beckwith purchased the hotel in 1920; Margaret and James Barker Smith purchased it in 1946 for only $200,000.
• Emerson and Jane Reed were the first African American couple to eat in the desegregated dining room on July 4, 1964.

  

• The hotel fell into disrepair during the latter part of the 20^thcentury as people’s travel tastes changed. Only 4 acres remained of the hotel’s original 256 acre site. It closed in 1982 and was scheduled to be demolished in 1995.
• Fortunately, it was featured on the History Channel and gained the attention of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In 1995, it was the setting for the hotel in the movie

  

• In 1997, it was purchased by Ocean Properties, renovated, and reopened in 1999. Today the hotel has 161 guestrooms and suites, swimming pools, restaurants, and historic gardens.

Vocabulary

1. Forlorn: neglected, sad
2. Demolish: to destroy
3. Delegate: political leader appointed to represent a country

 

Questions and Answers

Question: What is the Gilded Age?

Answer: The Gilded Age was a time of rapid growth and economic prosperity in the Northeast and Western United States. Men built their fortunes on steel, railroads, and automobiles, and families like the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts built huge mansions.

The Gilded Age lasted from the 1870s to about 1900. During this time, other parts of the United States, such as the South, experienced hardship and poverty. Poor immigrants from Europe did not share in the wealthy’s privilege.

Learn More

Watch a video to learn more about the Gilded Age.