Copyright berkshireeagle
The old "mill and inn property" in Interlaken, also known as St. Helen's Home, has been bought from Liberal Arts Inc., by Howard G. and Dorothy N. Allen of Niagara Falls, N.Y. The price was about $10,000. The Allens plan to use the property as a guest house. The building dates back 140 years, to the days when Interlaken was known as Curtisville and was the center for a number of pulp and textile mills. At that time it was known as the Bancroft House. In 1893 it was established as a fresh air home by John E. Parsons of Lenox, owner of Stonover in that town and a corporation lawyer. Mr. Parsons made it a memorial to his daughter, Helen, when she died of typhoid fever in Florida. The home continued until 1931. Later it became part of the Hanna estate, and was purchased in 1946 by Liberal Arts for the projected college which has been abandoned for lack of funds. In the early days, Curtisville had four pulp mills, a satinet factory producing 40,000 yards of goods a year, a woolen mill, shoddy, and other mills. A large brook flows through the property which supplied power for the various enterprises. St. Helen's Home was supported by Mr. Parsons until his death in 1915. Until 1931 it was supported by his estate. In the most recent sale, Attorneys Francis J. Quirico and Charles R. Alberti represented Liberal Arts Inc.; and Attorney Edwin F. McLaughlin, Mr. and Mrs. Allen. James Downes of Interlaken, real estate broker, handled the transaction.
