The forest is named after Madame Antoinette Sherri. Madame Sherri, who had worked as a costume designer for the Zigfield Follies in the 1920s, had built her country “castle” in the woods of Chesterfield, NH. She became famous for the parties she threw for visitors from the city and often wearing nothing but a fur coat. Madame Sherri died in 1965 at the age of 84 but for many years prior the castle had fallen to neglect and vandalism. On October 18, 1962 it was destroyed by fire. The foundation, chimneys and a grand stone staircase from the once magnificent house can still be seen.
Madame Sherri photo courtesy of the Brattleboro Historical Society Madame Sherri’s “original castle” photo courtesy of the Brattleboro Historical Society