Notorious 1920s Party Girl, Madam Sherri
A scenic 40-minute drive from East Hill Farm in Chesterfield, New Hampshire, lies a forest with much more meaning than people may know. Madame Sherri’s Forest holds breathtaking views and wonderful hiking trails, but the land also holds many stories of a time passed.
Antoinette Bramare, or “Madame Sherri” grew up in Paris, France. In her early years, she worked as a seamstress and sang and danced in French music halls. In 1909, she met a man who called himself Andre Relia and they married. Madame Sherri soon discovered that her husband was an American fugitive on the run from the police, his name was actually Anthony Macaluso. Soon after they were married, the couple moved to Manhattan, New York.
After landing in New York, Madame Sherri discovered a passion for costume design and quickly became a successful costume designer on Broadway. Andre also had a successful career while in New York, as a professional dancer.
In 1924, Andre passed away after years of deteriorating health. After his death, Madame Sherri visited a friend in New Hampshire and fell in love with an area in Chesterfield. In 1929, she bought around 600 acres of land which is now known as Madame Sherri’s Forest.
Soon after purchasing her land, Madame Sherri started the construction of her infamous castle. When the castle was finished it had three floors designed for hosting parties. The lower floor was set up like a bistro with many tables dressed in red tablecloths. On the main floor there was a bar that was surrounded by trees that poked through the ceiling of the house. The third and final floor was Madame Sherri’s personal quarters and was only accessible through an exterior stone staircase that surrounded the house. The house was filled with extravagant animal fur rugs and paintings of famous people covered the walls. Madame Sherri’s house was known for lavish parties and served as a party house throughout prohibition.
With the passage of the 21st Amendment and the end of prohibition, Madame Sherri’s house parties became less and less frequent and her only form of income, checks from her friend Charles LeMaire, stopped completely. Madame Sherri soon found herself broke, and her health declined. She moved to Brattleboro, Vermont, where she lived out the rest of her days in a nursing home. In 1959 the empty house was vandalized and much of it was destroyed. She was devastated and vowed never to return. In 1962, the house burned to the ground, leaving only the foundation and stone staircase.
The property was purchased by Charles LeMaire (her former protégé) who then sold it to Ann Stokes. While on her deathbed, Madame Sherri was visited by Ann Stokes who promised to take care of Madame Sherri’s land. Madame Sherri died at the age of 87 in 1965.
In 1991, Ann Stokes donated the land to the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, and it was renamed Madame Sherri’s Forest.
In 2021, the top part of the stone staircase fell, leaving only the bottom half still standing. It is roped off, and tourists are asked to not climb the remaining stairs.
Staff at the Farm highly recommend visiting Madame Sherri’s Forest! Stay tuned for a future post where we will tell you about a few trails you can hike in these quiet woodlands.
Visit the following websites for more pictures and information on the interesting life of Madame Sherri:
https://www.chesterfieldhistoricalsociety-nh.org/madame-sherri
https://www.chesterfieldhistoricalsociety-nh.org/tales-of-madam-sherri (a short 7-minute video accompanies this article)
Pictures in this article are courtesy of Jeffrey Newcomer, the Brattleboro Reformer, the NH Forest Society, the Chesterfield Conservation Commission, and Holly LeClair.