Madame Sherri's Castle - Virtual Reward Virtual Cache

Madame Sherri Forest - Ann Stokes Loop is a 2 mile hike featuring varied terrain, rugged slopes and a stand of large hemlocks. East Hill provides exceptional views of the town of Chesterfield and Indian Pond. The 488-acres of the Madame Sherri Forest was generously donated for conservation to the Society for the Preservation of New Hampshire Forests by Anne Stokes.

Directions:

This is a Virtual Cache... Nothing physical has been placed. Read the cache page to learn about the location and logging requirements. You must answer questions and submit a verification photo to claim the find. Send your answers by email or the Geocaching Message Center directly to the cache owner.

  Required information:

1. Estimate how many steps the spiraling arched stairs ascend?
2. How many "roof" support columns still stand on the main level of the castle?
3. Add a photograph with you or your foot with the object in the center of the main level.
4. How many steal joists do you see holding up the ceiling in the cellar? (Ruin Exploration)
5. OPTIONAL: Share photos of yourself or the surrounding area in your Found It log. (No Spoilers)

Once you send your answers, you may log your find online before hearing back from the cache owner.

Description:

Madame Sherri was born in Paris, France in 1878 by the name Antoinette Bramare. Sherri, originally trained as a seamstress, but also performed on stage as Antoinette DeLilas, dancing in some of the trendiest clubs in France. She also worked as a costume designer for the Zigfield Follies in the 1920s. She became known as the eccentric Madame Antoinette Sherri after immigrating to the United States. After her husband Andre died in 1927, she looked elsewhere for solace and found it in the beautiful woods of Chesterfield. She became famous (or infamous) for the parties she threw for visitors from the city.

In 1931 she built her “Castle” as a summer retreat. Employing local handyman Paul Welcome to oversee the construction, she brought in stone-cutters from Fitchburg, Mass., and laid out her grandiose plan. She kept the builders busy with frequent changes in design and floor plan. The final product was a physical manifestation of her unique theatrical vision. The house looked like a cross between a Roman ruin and a French chalet. In the cellar, there was a cozy little bistro, with several tables, draped with red cloths. The main floor was a huge bar, which you entered between two huge trees, growing through the roof. The third floor held Sherri’s private quarters, accessible by a huge stone staircase that ran up the side of the house. The castle was always available for huge shindigs, as her New York friends drove into town, and celebrated the night away. Sherri was always in the middle of it, holding court in her massive Cobra-backed chair.

She was certainly eccentric and the more scandalous she was the more she was loved by the community. She peaked interest when Sherri had purchased a 1927 cream-colored Packard (Car) from the State Department, which she used to tool about town attired in a large fur coat, with not a stitch on underneath — usually in the company of several beautiful young people. On these trips, she was also invariably accompanied by a small monkey on a leash. Madame Sherri was known to pay for pretty much everything in cash, which she would retrieve in rather boisterous ways.

Madame Sherri actually lived in a modest farmhouse across the road. In the spring of 1959, after spending 6 months away as a Jehovah’s Witness, she returned to the castle to find it had fallen to neglect and vandalism. This had her screaming in both French and English and she never returned to her Castle again. A fire on October 18, 1962, left only the foundation, chimneys and a grand stone staircase. Madame Sherri died on October 21, 1965, at the age of 84, ironically on the very same day Ann Stokes finalized the sale of the property.

Local Trails and Trail Information:

Madame Sherri Forest is the jumping off point for the 488-acre area. Ann Stokes Loop covers nearly 2 miles and provides an interesting tour of both the Madame Sherri Forest and the James O'Neil Sr. Forest. The trail was dedicated October 17th, 1998 and has become one of the most popular trails exploring the natural beauty of Chesterfield. The loop includes a visit to Indian Pond as well as the excellent views of East Hill and covers widely varying terrain.

1. The Indian Pond Trail is an easy 45 minutes round trip hike to the secluded and beautiful mountain lake.
2. The Ann Stokes Loop is a 2-mile hike (1.5 hours) featuring varied terrain, rugged slopes and a stand of large hemlocks. East Hill provides exceptional views of the town of Chesterfield and Indian Pond.
3. The Daniels Mountain Loop is a 1.8 hike (1.5 hours) over moderate terrain with occasional steep sections. Special features are the tree covered summit of Daniels Mt. and two outstanding views (East Hill and Moon Ledge). The Daniels Mt. Loop is accessible from the Madame Sherri Parking Lot on the east leg of the Ann Stokes Loop (1/2 hour), or from Plain Road on the Daniels Mt. Trail.
4. Daniels Mt. Trail which is a 3/4 hour hike crossing small streams, passing by stone walls and through a magical forest of moss and hemlocks. This trail leads to the summit of the Daniels Mt. and links to the Daniels Mt. Loop.

Click for Madame Sherri Forest and Wantastiquet-Monadnock Greenway Trail Map

Virtual Reward - 2017/2018

This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.