AT A GLANCE
Why go?
The Playhouse is a remarkably historic 7,000-square-foot building in Lee, Massachusetts, originally constructed in 1880 by electrical pioneer George Westinghouse as a private theater for his children on his 222-acre Berkshires estate, Erskine Park. After decades of disrepair, it was meticulously restored and now operates as one of the region's most celebrated vacation rentals — a place where Gilded Age innovation history meets contemporary Berkshire culture.↗↗
Listed on Google Maps as a historical landmark and tourist attraction, The Playhouse draws visitors who want to sleep beneath 30-foot vaulted ceilings where President McKinley once visited, or who simply want a grand, art-filled gathering place at the doorstep of the Berkshires' best cultural institutions.↗↗
A Theater Born of Electricity
George Westinghouse, the industrialist who championed alternating current against Edison's direct current, built Erskine Park in the 1880s and installed what is believed to be the first private residence in the world powered by AC electricity. The estate's buildings reportedly held the largest private installation of incandescent light fixtures of their era. At the heart of this experiment in modern living stood The Playhouse — a dedicated theater Westinghouse erected for his son George Jr. and the other children of the household.
