Stepping into the elms is like being transported to Europe. The Elms is located on Bellevue Avenue and was home to Mr. & Mrs. Edward Julius Berwind. The Berwinds were a powerful family of the Gilded Age, and the Elms showcased their affluence. Mr. Berwind built his fortune in the coal industry. The Elms was modeled after an 18th century chateau outside of Paris. Built for $1.4 million dollars in 1901 (equivalent to $54 million in 2026) it served as the summer home of Mr. & Mrs. Berwind. The Elms included one of the earliest electrical system in a private residence along with luxurious bathrooms and refrigeration. We really enjoyed exploring this mansion. Every room had intricate details from floor to ceiling, and personally I found it one of the cozier, warmer mansions that we've explored. Touring the Elms offered a vibrant look into the lifestyles of the wealthy in Newport, Rhode Island. Outside, the grounds have massive beech trees which were so fun to explore and take pictures near. There is a carriage house located on the property with a cafe which features elevated New England classics and farm to table flare. We didn't have a chance to dine there, but on a beautiful day would be a great spot to have a beverage on their patio! lentz_explore read more

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Lovely summer cottage and the docent who greeted us suggested a membership, as that would be the most economical way to visit more than one mansion. Not only that, but you get access to NARM, which basically pays for itself. I enjoyed the spectacular mansion and especially learning about and seeing photos of the little papillon doggie that once lived here. It is a 14 acre property and the acreage of every other mansion in Newport pales in comparison to this one. A new favorite indeed. The Carriage House restaurant leaves a lot to be desired, but I think it is only fair to review that separately, which I have done. There was some construction here, which was mildly distracting, but nothing too crazy. Everything else here is wonderful. read more

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I always love stopping in at this mansion. The butler's pantry is so cool, and it's been fun watching a lot of the restoration process. I love walking around and seeing if they've changed anything for the different seasons too. It's fantastic to visit here around Christmas time, the trees are gorgeous. At some point I'll have to do a tour. read more

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The Elms was far and away my favorite Newport "summer cottage". So beautiful and a living lesson too-- it was rescued days from the wrecking ball by the Preservation Society. As you visit and look at the marbles think on that! Docents were friendly and knowledgeable but not intrusive. I know tastes vary but this is top of my list in Newport. read more

Good self guided house tour. It's nice that they are getting more of the original furniture back, look especially at Mr. Berwins bedroom...we did not have time but the guided servant quarters tour is awesome. read more

The Elms - Dining room - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

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Beautiful mansion. I heard from eavesdropping to the tour that it was built to become a competition to the breakers. But this is not the same size as the breakers Further and comprehensive info at newportmansions.org read more

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Technology filled The Elms which was built for Edward and Sarah Berwind at a cost of $1.5 million dollars. Although they never had children, their nieces and nephews spent time at the mansion and its grounds. Inspired by a French château, Château d'Asnières, the summer cottage is really beautiful. Coal baron Edward Berwind was very interested in technology. The Elms was one of the first houses in America to be wired for electricity without any backup system. The "summer cottage" also had one of the first electrical ice makers as well indoor plumbing. Although it never had washers or dryers, it was still quite advanced for its time. The original carriage house and stables was replaced in 1910 with a garage for their new automobiles. The new garage was 125-foot long by 70-foot deep, one of the largest private garages in America. It sported a central indoor track and two gasoline tanks. As the automobiles replaced horse-drawn carriages, the Berwind's head coachman became the chauffeur. Since he was unable to back out of the garage, an automobile turntable had to be installed. After Sarah died, Edward invited his sister Julia to run the home. She liked to invite the children of working-class families over for milk and cookies and drive herself around Newport in a luxury car. After her death in 1961, none of the family was interested in living at The Elms. Initially, the home and contents were auctioned off and slated for demolition. In 1962, The Elms saved from destruction by the Preservation Society of Newport County for a cost of $116,000. Today you can visit The Elms and its beautiful grounds. Lots of parking is available. Download the app to learn more. Tickets are $29 for one home or $46 for three. We used our NARM reciprocity passes for reciprocal benefits for entry. read more

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This was an outstanding mansion tour in Newport, RI. The Elms itself was easy & very interesting, but, surprisingly, the grounds were even more stunning, and at the end of it all sat the newly-opened "Carriage House", a real treat which offered just delicious food & wine in an incredibly calming ambience. The prices were fabulous and the food was even better. The gluten-free clam chowder might've been the best I've ever had visiting New England. Absolutely recommend this stop on the opposite, overlooked side of Bellevue (mansion) Avenue! read more

The Elms - Carriage House - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

PROS: beautiful home with a nice staff and good proportioned back yard. They had the typical field in the backyard, followed by a weeping willow, then a garden/fountain area. CONS: this place closes early and is not as elegant, large, or luxurious as the other mansions. Also doesn't have a good view of anything OVERALL: this is a good house to see, the lot is on their property so that's convenient. However, it is not as good as marble or breaker house read more

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Beautiful mansion. Horrible to think it was going to be torn down for a parking lot. So amazing to see the rich peoples "summer home" in all its glory. You can download a free audio tour to help as you walk through. There is a written brochure if you do not have the ability to download. read more

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The Elms was one of our favorite mansions to tour. It has a lot of interesting history and is beautiful.

Just beautiful! This mansion brings such historical elegance and is the perfect place to step back in time. I hadn't visited since I was young and it was a pleasure to be back here to reminisce childhood memories while also really being able to take in it's beauty and rich history- pun intended. The grounds are beautifully decorated with art and pristine greenery. A must when visiting Newport. The self guided tours are a wonderful addition to the mansions, making it super easy to go at your own pace and be able to appreciate every ounce of the properties. read more

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In my humble opinion, the most interesting and understated of all the Newport Mansions! The stairwell for the servants says alot about how they were treated here versus some of the other homes! Fans of The Guilded Age will immediately recognize Bertha Russel's kitchen! read more

The Elms - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

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I was so excited to visit the "cottages" in Newport! Only 3 of the houses are currently open due to Covid and staff shortages. The Elms is one of the smaller mansions and not as opulent as the Vanderbilt mansions although it's still a luxurious home. The 1st and 2nd floor were open but lots of rope barriers. The main rooms were beautifully decorated for Christmas! The bedrooms were also decorated. Seeing the rooms and period furniture really let you see life in the Gilded Age. The kitchen where the staff prepared meals was also open for viewing. Although the staff were treated well, it was a quite different life! The grounds are large and beautiful. In the back is a tree that is actually 4 trees growing together. It was my favorite part of the property! The house has a self guided tour. An audio tour is available for no extra charge. It took us about an hour to see the house and grounds. The elevator wasn't working when we were there. read more

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If you're picking and choosing which houses to visit, definitely have The Elms on your list. While it's not the biggest of the houses you can visit, they have it fully decorated and there is plenty to see. I enjoyed visiting this house. read more

One of two mansions opened during pandemic in July. We have visited it during our stay in Newport after previously seeing the Breakers therefore we had a comparison. The space is huge! They managed to keep the area accessible and safe to all visitors who wanted to see it. Some rooms were closed because of limited space but you could still admire the opulence of the house. Personally I would put sights with names outside of each room because the guide got me a bit confused. Definitely worth a visit. If visiting during the pandemic be prepared to wear a mask. read more

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Newport's Gilded age glory... Whats not to be intrigued by?! If you love history, tours and architecture you will definitely enjoy the Elms. Honestly there hasn't been a Newport mansion I haven't enjoyed. I was lucky enough to be taken by my job on Wednesday morning this week. It was a great time! Very quiet and no traffic. WIN! The tour has an audio guide. It's on a lanyard that goes around your neck and I was amazed at how light they are- I think they are apples! The self guided tour really allowed you to travel at your own pace. It walked you through each of the rooms with opportunities to hear extra stories about the Berwind family or about the specific pieces in the room or the architecture. It was really easy to figure out and maneuver through the house! The gift shop employee was super helpful and a dapper dresser! I have to say I loved walking the grounds. Unfortunately with our rough Spring, the flowers were not blooming yet. There was a lot of greenery and you are allotted ample time to spend on the property investigating or enjoying! No fountains were running. Not sure if they only run in the summer or not at all. But either way it's fun to picture what Newport was like in the gilded age and how people lived! read more

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Do the servants tour!!! It's a really look in the life of the staff when the house was used as a summer cottage. The tour is about an hour and definitely worth the $15. Enjoy read more

The Elms - Water fountain - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

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The Elms is one of our favorite Newport Mansions. The house and property are beautiful and cannot be missed. If you love The Breakers and The Marble House, you will enjoy The Elms. Recommend buying a multi-house tour ticket as it's the best way to visit the homes and save money! Photos are allowed to be taken without flash. read more

There is something magical about the Mansions. Yesterday we visited the Elms for the first time. The paintings will leave you standing in amazement and forgetting to move to the next room. The rooms are breath taking and one gets the feeling the family will be back any minute. It is an audio tour and don't be afraid to turn down the volume. Get lost in history to the silence and imagine how life was in this glorious Mansion. Triple A members receive 10 percent off tickets. read more

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The senior staff was very welcoming and educated and wonderfully informative. Sadly, many of the rooms were roped off and it was impossible to even see into the rooms (signs with photos were propped in the doorways). This may be because of lingering Covid restrictions, but if so prices should have been adjusted or at the very least guests should have been made aware before booking. Like the Breakers, somewhat disappointing was that several younger staff seemed disinterested and uneducated, down to unprofessional dress which seemed odd and out of place in a pricey and formal setting. (Casual dress is fine for touring.) A gorgeous and informative tour but our enjoyment was limited by the restrictions and the few uninformed staff. The outside grounds are amazing, and the available free app download/audio tour is very well done. read more

The Elms - Near the sunken gardens - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

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The Elms is a great tour and I'd say a must see if you are doing the 5 house tour. It's one of the grander houses, and that's what you are paying to see. It's an audio tour and the family is the Berwind, who made money in coal. I had not heard of the Berwinds, so there was some interesting information about a self-made man and his sister who was wearing her Victorian undergarments well into the 20s. This place has the largest collection of Venetian paintings outside Venice. Lots of cool paintings and furnishings to see. There is also a servants tour here that I did not have time for, but if you are into grand Gilded Age houses, this is a great one to hit (good variety of rooms from public first floor ones to bedrooms to some kitchen/prep areas). The light was kind of low though and on a cloudy day, I didn't get many good photos because of no flash policy. read more

The Elms - Cool flower light fixture - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

Its a beautiful castle and totally worth visiting. They have done a nice job to convert it musem and run it during difficult COVID days. read more

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The Elms was the summer residence of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Julius Berwind. A summer residence?!?! My word. What a place to go for a few weeks in the summer. . . I would definitely live there year round. It is absolutely beautiful! Lavish ballrooms, sitting rooms, dining rooms, breakfast rooms, marble grand staircases, and expansive grounds. What sets this mansion apart from the rest is that it does not boast a direct ocean view from its back porch. Instead, there much more of a focus on the landscaping and decoration of the backyard. The audio tour, as is featured at select mansions under the Preservation Society rule, is available here. As I've ranted about in other Newport Mansion reviews, this is definitely the way to go. Much better and more informative than a real tour guide shuffling along. As mentioned before, I fell in love with the backyard of this mansion. The back steps house statue upon statue, each more beautiful and awe-inspiring than the next. Shrubberies and weeping willows/beech tries dot the property making for hidden alcoves where one could imagine curling up with a good book. Fountains and sunken gardens can be found near the Carriage House back there, with the option of partaking in an afternoon luncheon if you so choose. One of the interesting aspects well-outlined by this tour was the lengths went to hide the servants who kept this place running. Walking through servant hallways, hidden staircases, and basement kitchens gives you an inside look to its well traveled past. To exit the building, you leave through the servants entrance which is well hidden under from what above looks like your everyday garden. Amazing! A must see :) read more

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We did the Servants' Life tour. Totally worth it. Only saw the entryway to The Elms, and it's beautiful, before we started outside to enter through the servants' door. These people were taken care of by the owners. Very nice accommodations. The price is reasonable. A ticket to the house is separate. Purchase your ticket(s) online to reserve your spot, as the tour fills up. We did the servants tour first to understand what it took to maintain these gilded mansions. read more

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Just the covid stroll the dr ordered. Amy time to visit and play tourist is a respite. Covid precautions are perfect and staff lovely. Download the ap for the full tour experience read more

When you come in the winter you have a live person tour which is nice but also has some down sides. We were on a bit of a time constriction and the lady kept asking us to stop leaving the toe an going ahead which meant either leaving early and not seeing some rooms or being late to meeting friends. I choose the later which they weren't too happy about but hey I paid 18 bucks to look at this place! I wish they had let us wander a bit more freely because I don't care about who painted painting not original to the house but whatever. I like that they have the option for a servant quarters tour but it wasn't until later and we didn't get to do that. Honestly I would rather have done that one because you get to go up to the third floor and see an area I've never seen before. I would come back just for the servants tour. read more

The Elms - So pretty! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

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What a lovely, grande home. Lots of marble, silk wall coverings, period furniture pieces and lovely artwork. The history of the building is both grand and sad (almost demolished) and they have some artwork I would have loved to be able to see better but as the rooms are roped off, it was impossible to really enjoy them. Much of the furniture, even the bathroom mirror and light fixtures, are exquisite. Oh to live in this kind of lux. We took the afternoon tour of the servants area which was quite interesting. It included information on the servants who lived there and showed that the family provided very nice accommodations for their staff. The tour also provided a glimpse into the basements, laundry area and pastry kitchen as well as a view from the roof. Not something on the 'regular' house tour. The house tour itself is provided through head sets with several languages available which is very nice for our international visitors. Many of the rooms have 'additional information' recordings that you can choose to listen to (information about art work, people or events for example) or you can just move on to the next room if you do not have a lot of time. We spent about and hour rushing through the house tour in order to have time for the servants tour. If you want to do both in the same day, I recommend a morning time slot. If you enjoy taking in the details of these grande homes, you can easily spend 2.5 - 3 hours in the house alone. The servants tour took over an hour more, so plan accordingly. read more

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Stunning mansion with an excellent audio tour included in entry price. Well worth the walk from town to see our The glitterati of the gilded age lived. read more

While The Breakers was built to resemble an Italian Renaissance villa, The Elms was built to resemble a French chateau. It is built on the interior and doesn't have an ocean view as some of the other mansions do. While a seven bedroom home might seem small for the grand entertaining that the Berwinds did, they also owned three other houses where guests could stay. A few interesting facts about The Elms: The male servants cooked and the female servants cleaned. After the "summer season" the house was "put to sleep". All furniture, lamps, wall sconces, etc. were covered with slip covers. (I immediately thought of an episode of Downton Abbey where the servants did the same thing!) At that time in Europe, Lord and Lady bedrooms were separate, so when building the mansions during the Guilded Age, they too, were separated. Traditionally, the men's bedrooms were smaller. Mr. Berwind worked all week in New York City and only came home on the weekends. The Lady's bedrooms were traditionally larger and served as her office. Managing estates of this size were the equivalent of managing a small hotel. I would definitely recommend a tour of The Elms! read more

Love it! My group was able to free roam this place after hours (cause we're special like that...lol) Place is absolutely gorgeous. Walking in, you approach the foyer with nice marble pilars. Go upstairs to all the rooms...OMG, are they HUGE! The beds are full size beds, but they look so ity bity in them. Each room also had a bathroom. Again, i can't believe how big it is. I also can't imagine living in a place this big. It's too creepy. Lol. Way too quiet.... Now, this isn't the largest mansion, but it's still very nice. Has tons of history to this place. Make sure you go out back and check out the sunken garden. It's beautiful. And all the landscaping/trees are gorgeous as well. I got in some nice shots here! :-) Our dinner was held in the ballroom. Gorgeous!!! Nice chandelier and just amazing in general. Go check out all the mansions! Crazy that these were just summer homes read more

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Although it's not the largest or most lavish of the Newport Mansions, this was one of our top two. The audio tour allowed you to listen to all the stories and features, plus bonus stories if you wanted. The grounds were amazing. They really had a things for french food and cooking so their chefs were either french or french-trained. You could see their menus were in french. It was funny to me that they covered the toilets in the bathrooms so that they looked like actual chairs. Imagine that having an actual toilet would offend their sensibilities! In the kitchen you could see all the different sized copper pots and large cooking surfaces. The other thing that boggled my mind was that they only stayed here for the summer social season. The lady of the house and perhaps her social secretary had their hands full with rsvp'ing and figuring out who should be on their guest lists. So much writing and organizing to do. It was quite the job. It tooks many weeks to ready the place for the owners to come and many weeks after to close up the house. Don't miss this one. read more

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My parents and I decided to visit The Elms as our second mansion visit aside from The Breakers. We didn't really know how it differed from some of the other places such as The Marble House or Rosecliff. I was very glad that we chose The Elms. The art there is stunning. I expected to see pretty much the same thing that we saw at The Breakers but I was wrong -- there were so many more paintings and sculptures! I found the history even more interesting than the one at The Breakers. Again, do not forget to walk around to the back of the mansion. There is not only a sprawling yard, but also a number of amazing sculptures near the steps of the back of the mansion. Truly beautiful. read more

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Just amazing!! Beautiful architecture and amazing views. I recommend anyone who loves history, to visit all the Newport mansions. Also I will recommend to buy the winter pass if you are just visiting because it's cheaper than the 3-4 mansion pass. read more

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This is my second Newport Mansions visit, I went to the Breakers a few years ago. I believe this is the second largest mansion (The Breakers being the first) and it is beautiful. We went on a Friday afternoon in October and it wasn't busy at all. There were still about 20 other people touring as well but not too many where you didn't have each room to yourself. I can't imagine how crazy it must get in the summer. I liked how we could take our time in each room and no one was standing in the way etc. The people who work there are extremely friendly and helpful. Unfortunately only self guided tours were available. I personally prefer tour guides, it makes each experience unique and more fun. You're given a phone with an audio for each room. It was very easy to use and very user friendly. I did accidentally restart my device, I had to exchange it at the beginning for another. Luckily I wasn't too far into the tour. The mansion itself is beautiful and very well kept. You are encouraged to take photos now which is great! It just has to be on a smart phone, no flash or selfie sticks etc. The tour took about an hour. You did have the option of hearing more about each room if time allowed. There are bathrooms at the beginning and end of the tour. Parking is also on the grounds of the mansion. Speaking of the grounds, they were gorgeous as well. It was very relaxing sitting on the grass pretending as if you lived there. There are gorgeous fountains and incredible trees on the grounds as well. We had a guest pass but I'd say the tour is definitely worth the admission fee. Especially if you have more time to listen to all of the stories and experience the grounds. read more

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Ever following in the annual tradition of visiting Newport after Rhode Island Comic Con, we intended on visiting Rosecliff. However, the entrance being barred we went to the next location on our list, being the Elms. Ever following in the style of the guilded age, the Elms is no exception in grandeur. Palacious space with attention to detail, like the covered delivery to the side to obstruct the idea that commoners delivered to the summer home. Sorry, sarcasm, that's all I could think when I saw the ivy-covered delivery driveway. The corinth columns, the sculpted and carved friezes, especially the main entrance with the white marble and plaster design on the stairs is fantastic. This felt more beautiful and appealing without being, 'extra' (which is what the Breakers feels like). This mansion is definitely worth the trip, maybe even more so then the Marble house. Breakers is still the top, but this is a very close second. The audio-guided tour was a breeze, although we had to cut it short due to my wife needing to finish a class project and submit by that evening. This one I wished we could have spent more time visiting, I want to visit again to hear more details about the family and daily life. read more

This may just be my new favorite Newport mansion. Although I was born and raised in RI, I've only been to a couple of the mansions over the years (until recently). The Breakers is where my family always takes out of towners to visit and get the Newport Mansions experience. Although The Breakers is exquisite, after a recently visit to The Elms, I'm blown away. The mansion itself is gorgeous. From the conservatory to the dining room and beyond. It's really quite stunning. The gardens are incredible. They are reason enough to add the Elms to your list of mansions to visit. I could the gardens being an incredible location for wedding portraits too. On top of the standard tour, there is an additional tour you can opt to take at the Elms. It takes you behind the scenes to where the servants lived and worked. Although it's an added cost, it's a one-of-a-kind experience at the Newport mansions, as the other facilities do not offer a comparable experience. I really loved seeing each and every part of the Elms on a recent visit, from the mansion itself, to it's beautiful grounds, and the secret world behind the scenes. I would definitely recommend visiting the Elms for visitors and locals as well. read more

In my previous life... I lived in The Elms. Nothing can prepare you for the beauty, attention to detail in all of the minor accoutrements of the rooms down to doorknobs and hinges. Imagine a lovely era where you work hard and can reap the rewards. No taxes. Smart investments and industrial expansion. I love America, and I just love the era of Gilt. Some are offended by it, modern politicians like Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and the late Ted Kennedy hid their wealth to avoid taxes...but The Newport Mansions are a testament to hard work and reward ... without a political spin. Pish Posh on Mark Twain's notion of the Gilted Era!! If you have it, flaunt it! And they did in the 1880s to 1900s Newport. Every room is a story. My favorite is the main bathroom... salt water/fresh water tub... I'd love to experience that! read more

The Elms is the second best all around mansion behind the Breakers. It is amazing for its inside decor and backyard grounds. The history is rich and it's very underrated. We enjoyed strolling through this home using the individual cassette players! Lots of info!! We had a fantastic tour pertaining to the life of the servants in this house!! Our tour guide for this special tour was amazing . We got to see the servant bedrooms and bathroom and also go out on the area outside these rooms to see the property from the roof!! Fantastic!!! The behind the scene work that the staff had to get done without being "seen" was hard to believe!!! The kitchen was massive and the food cooling area was "cool"!!! We saw old Louis Vuitton travel chests and the incredible tunnel for coal delivery!!! So glad we went on this special tour! read more

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Beautiful building and my friends and clients with family there love the Elms. Great to have a place for the elderly that's so well maintained and just a gorgeous mansion like home that blends in perfectly with the large historic homes on Elm Street. I've known the owner and his family a long time and his commitment and love for the elderly there is amazing. read more