Literary Landscapes of Berkshire County

• Adams Mt. Greylock The highest peak in Massachusetts, 3,491-foot Mt. Greylock can be seen for hundreds of miles. It is said to have inspired Herman Melville, who could see it from his home.
• Ashley Falls
  Colonel John Ashley House at Bartholomew's Cobble This 277-acre parcel held by the Trustees of Reservations is registered as a National Natural Landmark. Glacially deposited cobbles rest amongst hemlock, oak and birch. Forests, streams and meadows are home to 740 species of plants, including 45 species of ferns, and 240 species of birds. A visit to Bartholomew's Cobble is a wonderful opportunity to experience in one place,the diverse habitats that abound in the New England landscape. Also located on the Bartholomew's Cobble property is the Colonel John Ashley House. This house of exceptional 18th Century workmanship was the birthplace of the Sheffield Declaration (1773) against British injustice. As home of one of the first slaves to win her freedom in a 1781 trial, Ashley House is on the National Register of Historic Places.

  

• Great Barrington Monument Mountain Reservation This rugged outcrop of quartzite has inspired such writers as William Cullen Bryant, Herman Melville and Nathanial Hawthorne. It is also the subject of Kindred Spirits a painting by Asher Durand, depicting William Cullen Bryant and painter Thomas Cole admiring the valley below. Melville and Hawthorne are said to have met here and discussed their current works, Moby Dick and the Scarlet Letter, as they sought shelter from a thunderstorm in the crags of this mighty mountain.
• Hancock Hancock Shaker Village Shaker values such as purity, simplicity, efficiency, and unity permeate this landscape. Ingenious farming practices and animal husbandry led to innovative design in architecture, landscape, furniture and other utilitarian crafts. See medicinal gardens, heirloom livestock breeds, arts and crafts demonstrations, and experience the abundance of the Shaker way of life.
• Lee Ted Shawn Theatre @ Jacob's Pillow Formerly a Yankee farmstead and safehouse for the Underground Railroad, Jacob's Pillow now hosts the oldest dance festival in the United States. The "University of Dance" was founded in the 1930's to promote dance as an acceptable career for men, and was responsible for introducing a new athleticism to the art form. The male students provided the muscle required to maintain a working farm as well as performed for the admiring audiences that flocked to see them. "The Pillow's" outdoor venues, rural setting and rustic architecture continue to inspire its artists-in-residence, dance students and audiences alike.

  

• Lenox Edith Wharton Home "The Mount" Author of classic novels (Ethan Frome, The Age of Innocence) and arbiter of 19th Century grace, Edith Wharton created a private retreat now designated as a National Historic Place. Her niece, Beatrix Farrand, a founding member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, helped Wharton design the gardens which serve as outdoor rooms extending from the house.
• Pittsfield Herman Melville Home "Arrowhead" In 1850 Melville purchased this 18th century farmstead where he could write and enjoy a quiet family life. His most famous novel, Moby Dick was completed here. From his North Meadow, Melville contemplated views of Mt. Greylock. In his rustic barn, he and his friend, Nathaniel Hawthorne, spent many hours discussing their works.
• Stockbridge
  
  
  • Chesterwood Daniel Chester French is best known for his sculptural portrayal of Abraham Lincoln housed within the Lincoln Memorial. Chesterwood, his country home from 1897, houses extensive collections of sculpture, including several works-in-progress at the time of his death. French's passions for horticulture and the natural world make his gardens and woodland walks a must-see for those of like mind.
  • Naumkeag The efforts of architect, Stanford White, and landscape architects, Nathaniel Barrett and Fletcher Steele, capitalize on the striking views of the Berkshire Hills from the exemplary 19th Century "Country Estate" of the Choate family. The family's extensive travels and love of the arts are evidenced by their collections of paintings, sculpture, fine porcelain and furniture. The appreciation of design and respect for sense of place are experienced in the rambling walks and garden rooms that unify the house and grounds.
  • Norman Rockwell Museum No other artist has so poignantly and affectively portrayed 20th century life in small town America.

  

• Tyringham Santarella/Tyringham Art Museum Formerly the studio of Sir Henry Hudson Kitson, sculptor of the Lexington "Minute Man", this unusual work of early 20th century architecture was created to evoke the Berkshire Hills in autumn. The building's rolling "thatched" roof and looming stone and chestnut beam construction could be described as something out of a fairy tale. Woodland paths, tangled wildflowers and sculpture tucked here and there complete the sense of mystery abounding here.
• Williamstown Field Farm - "The Folly" Views of Mt. Greylock, the Taconic Range and the Green River Valley can be had from the unusual house, now a Bed and Breakfast, designed by contemporary architect, Ulrich Franzen.