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The Wentworth is a historic grand resort hotel in New Castle, New Hampshire, United States. It is managed by Ocean Properties as "Wentworth by the Sea, A Marriott Hotel & Spa". It is one of a handful of the state's surviving Gilded Age grand hotels, and the last located on the
The Wentworth was built in 1874 by Daniel Chase, a distiller from Somerville, Massachusetts, and for the first two years was named Wentworth Hall. It was bought by Frank Jones in 1879 and expanded in the Second Empire style. With Jones's death, the hotel was sold in 1902.
In 1905, the hotel housed the Russian and Japanese delegations who concluded the Treaty of Portsmouth to end the Russo-Japanese War. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt suggested the peace talks, and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his actions. Both delegations were welcomed at no charge, with Frank Jones' executor Judge Calvin Page providing hospitality as Jones' will stipulated he should. The final document was signed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard where formal negotiations took place, but the final language of the treaty was drafted, and the armistice ending the fighting, was signed at The Wentworth. In addition, the Japanese hosted an "International Love Fest" at the hotel on the signing.
After a number of owners, Harry Beckwith bought the hotel in 1920 and ran it for 25 years. In 1946, it was acquired by Margaret and James Barker Smith for $200,000. On July 4, 1964, Emerson and Jane Reed became the first African-Americans to overcome the hotel's segregation policy, dining at its restaurant.
With declining fortunes and changing owners, the hotel closed in 1982. A local group, Friends of the Wentworth, formed and tried to preserve the hotel. When they were unable to locate sufficient support, Alan Green, president of the Green Corporation (which owned the hotel at that time), announced its planned Seacoast.com -- The Wentworth Hotel Was Empty Shell
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Official website
Wentworth by the Sea Country Club
Friends of the Wentworth, Inc.
Wentworth by the Sea Stories
accessed 09-04-2008
Portsmouth Peace Treaty: 1905-2005
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wentworth By The Sea Hotels in New Hampshire Hotel buildings completed in 1874 Buildings and structures in Rockingham County, New Hampshire Marriott hotels Golf clubs and courses in New Hampshire Golf clubs and courses designed by Donald Ross Tourist attractions in Rockingham County, New Hampshire New Castle, New Hampshire 1874 establishments in New Hampshire Historic Hotels of America
The Wentworth is a historic grand resort hotel in New Castle, New Hampshire, United States. It is managed by Ocean Properties as "Wentworth by the Sea, A Marriott Hotel & Spa". It is one of a handful of the state's surviving Gilded Age grand hotels, and the last located on the seacoast
The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...
.
Wentworth by the Sea is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...
.
History
The Wentworth was built in 1874 by Daniel Chase, a distiller from Somerville, Massachusetts, and for the first two years was named Wentworth Hall. It was bought by Frank Jones in 1879 and expanded in the Second Empire style. With Jones's death, the hotel was sold in 1902.
In 1905, the hotel housed the Russian and Japanese delegations who concluded the Treaty of Portsmouth to end the Russo-Japanese War. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt suggested the peace talks, and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his actions. Both delegations were welcomed at no charge, with Frank Jones' executor Judge Calvin Page providing hospitality as Jones' will stipulated he should. The final document was signed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard where formal negotiations took place, but the final language of the treaty was drafted, and the armistice ending the fighting, was signed at The Wentworth. In addition, the Japanese hosted an "International Love Fest" at the hotel on the signing.
After a number of owners, Harry Beckwith bought the hotel in 1920 and ran it for 25 years. In 1946, it was acquired by Margaret and James Barker Smith for $200,000. On July 4, 1964, Emerson and Jane Reed became the first African-Americans to overcome the hotel's segregation policy, dining at its restaurant.
With declining fortunes and changing owners, the hotel closed in 1982. A local group, Friends of the Wentworth, formed and tried to preserve the hotel. When they were unable to locate sufficient support, Alan Green, president of the Green Corporation (which owned the hotel at that time), announced its planned demolition
Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a ...
in 1995., accessed 09-04-2004 Attention was drawn to the plight of the Victorian
Victorian or Victorians may refer to:
19th century
* Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign
** Victorian architecture
** Victorian house
** Victorian decorative arts
** Victorian fashion
** Victorian literature ...
hotel when it appeared on the National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...
's (NTHP) list of America's Most Endangered Places America's 11 Most Endangered Places or America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places is a list of places in the United States that the National Trust for Historic Preservation considers the most endangered. It aims to inspire Americans to preserve ex ...
, and the History Channel's ''America's Most Endangered'' the following year. This postponed the demolition sufficiently to identify a buyer, and Ocean Properties, a Portsmouth-based hotel management company, acquired the property in 1997. The hotel was subsequently renovated, reopened in 2003, and is operated by Ocean Properties as a Marriott resort. The Wentworth by the Sea is a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Historic Hotels of America.
The now-independent Wentworth by the Sea Country Club is home to the golf course that was initially designed by George Wright in 1897, enlarged by Donald Ross Donald Ross may refer to:
*Donald A. Ross (1857–1937), Canadian politician
* Donald Ross (golfer) (1872–1948), Scottish-born American golfer and golf course designer
*Donald P. Ross (1902–1973), American horse racetrack and racing stable owner ...
in 1921, and further expanded to 18 holes by Geoffrey Cornish in 1964. The Wentworth Marina is also independently operated and welcomes Wentworth hotel guests.
While the hotel was vacant and forlorn, it was used as a haunted setting for the 1999 film, '' In Dreams,'' starring Robert Downey, Jr.
Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor and producer. His career has been characterized by critical and popular success in his youth, followed by a period of substance abuse and legal troubles, before a resurgence of ...
and Annette Bening./ref>
References
Further reading
* Dennis Robinson, ''Wentworth by the Sea. The Life and Times of a Grand Hotel''. Publisher: Peter E. Randall (April 1, 2004), , . * Sue Chapman Melanson: ''Wentworth-By-the-Sea, 1969: A Novel''. Publisher: Xlibris (Dec. 10, 2000), .External links
Official website
Wentworth by the Sea Country Club
Friends of the Wentworth, Inc.
Wentworth by the Sea Stories
accessed 09-04-2008
Portsmouth Peace Treaty: 1905-2005
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wentworth By The Sea Hotels in New Hampshire Hotel buildings completed in 1874 Buildings and structures in Rockingham County, New Hampshire Marriott hotels Golf clubs and courses in New Hampshire Golf clubs and courses designed by Donald Ross Tourist attractions in Rockingham County, New Hampshire New Castle, New Hampshire 1874 establishments in New Hampshire Historic Hotels of America