This episode explores the Wentworth by the Sea Hotel in New Castle, New Hampshire. The hotel was placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservations endangered buildings list in 2012 and a preservation group called Friends of the Wentworth has raised $50,000 in order to save the property by hiring a preservation consultant to find a buyer for the hotel. The Victorian building shut in 1982 and has a rich history, namely it was the site of negotiations that ended the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-5. Helen Sweeney, who previously worked at the Wentworth, is interviewed. She discusses what drew vacationers to the hotel and how the hotel drew patrons with fine dining, theater shows, and symphony orchestras throughout the week. The history of the hotel is further discussed with the preservation consultant, Albert Rex, and how the luxury hotel became out of vogue with vacationers by the 1980s. Rex discusses how the property fell into the hands of various developers who were not interested in renovating the hotel because of the cost of modern improvements. Perspectives is a talk show featuring in-depth conversations with experts and important figures.
