The 25-acre site of the Minary Center was originally purchased in 1916, by George and Bertha Schrafft from their next-door neighbors, who still own their property to this day. The Schrafft family had developed the largest candy company in the United States, and the company’s origin can be traced back to providing gum drops to the Union troops during the Civil War. The family had a great passion for Squam Lake, which spurred various family members to build four different houses on the lake.
The first structure on this property was modest in size, and gave George and Bertha Schrafft a foothold on Squam Lake. After George’s death in the late 1920’s, Bertha began to make plans for the construction of the estate that was to be known as Lochland. The house was built in a very formal style for a lakefront home, but Bertha’s goal was to develop a tranquil setting that has been preserved to this day. The vision and planning that went into the development of Lochland was extraordinary, and it has been said that her passion continued well after the construction had come to an end.
After the death of Bertha Schrafft in 1957, the family decided to sell Lochland to William Paley, the founder of CBS broadcasting. When the Paleys purchased the property all the furnishings were included in the sale. To Mrs. Schraffts credit, Mrs. Babe Paley stated that she was not going to change a thing (“The monogram bath towels are better then mine”).
The Paleys did change one thing, though: they renamed the estate Kiluna North, which was the sister house to Kiluna South; both named in reference to the Paleys’ primary residence on Long Island, N.Y. The Paleys used the estate to entertain celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Groucho Marx and Lucille Ball. By the late 1960s, though, the Paleys were not using the estate much, so with the help of financial adviser John S. Minary, they made plans to donate the property to Dartmouth College.
John Minary and Mr. Paley met when they were on General Dwight D. Eisenhower's staff during Would War II, and after the war they continued to work together. In 1970, the estate was given by Paley to Dartmouth in the name of John Minary who had graduated from the College in 1929.
At first College officials were not sure what to do with the property, but they knew they had acquired something that was very special. It was decided that, because of its tranquil setting, the property would be an ideal location to hold retreats, and the property was named the Minary Conference Center, in honor of John Minary.
Today the Minary Center is primarily used by the Dartmouth Community, but is also available to external organizations for board meetings, strategic planning meetings, and educational seminars. The Center is unique in that we offer excusive occupancy to the groups using the facility, to insure that they can achieve extraordinary meeting results and to enhance personal relationships.
Over the years the College has made many improvements to the facilities, always keeping in mind what Bertha Schafft had created. To this day, it still has the feeling of Old World charm that has made it so special to the many people that have had the good fortune to experience this property.
