Berkshire Directory

Article by By Ann T. Claffie

The Berkshires, America’s premier cultural resort, covers Massachusetts’ western region. The region’s fertile lands, sparkling waters and panoramas of thick forests and scenic mountains attract travelers seeking inspiration and rejuvenation. One such visitor was Norman Rockwell who lived here for his last 25 years. Many of the faces in his illustrations were drawn from the community. The largest collection of his work and his studio are housed at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge. “Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas” is a celebration of the famous painting that took him 11 years to complete. The Dec. 2-4 event includes a house tour and a recreation of the painting.Chesterwood, the home and studio of Daniel Chester French, is just two miles from the Rockwell Museum. Sculptor Daniel Chester French considered Chesterwood to be the best place to live. He designed and maintained his own gardens and was often seen trimming his bushes and tending to his gardens. His most famous sculpture is the seated Abraham Lincoln, in Washington, DC.

The Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge, began operating in 1934. Collections are displayed in an informal, country setting. Groups can participate in “hands-on” workshops. In contrast, the Mission House on Main Street, Stockbridge, built in 1739 by Reverend John Sargent, is surrounded by examples of Colonial gardening. One garden features a colonial-style dooryard garden of circular brick paths. A kitchen garden contains 100 plants that had culinary or medicinal value to early colonists.

Another Stockbridge site offers beautiful vistas of the Berkshires. The Shrine of Divine Mercy sits atop “Eden Hill,” once a Gilded Age estate. The Shrine welcomes groups for tours of the chapel and grounds. In Lenox, visitors will see more examples from the Gilded Age. One of the finest examples is The Mount, Edith Wharton’s estate and gardens. Wharton delighted in her gardens. Although she is the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize, she declared, “Decidedly, I’m a better landscape gardener than a novelist.”

Valerie Locher, Horticulturalists, Inc. offers step-on guide service that includes private garden tours and talks, tailored for any would-be gardener. Valerie boasts of over 30 years of experience. The Red Lion Inn on Main Street, Stockbridge, decorates its exterior with abundant baskets of flowers, including their “Courtyard,” where groups can dine “alfresco.” The Crowne Plaza Hotel, Pittsfield, opens its doors to a picturesque fountain surrounded by a garden of flowers. The Comfort Inn & Suites, Great Barrington, the newest hotel in the Berkshires, provides an indoor pool/ spa for weary travelers. It is ideally located for access to local festivals.

Get more information on travel destinations and City Guides at Leisuregrouptravel.com and Grouptraveldirectory.com

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Finally, after three days of drizzle, Wednesday September 29, 2010 was forecast to be a sunny and warm day. While sending my husband to do some outlet shopping in Lee, I continued about 10 minutes further west to the historic town of Stockbridge. Another very picturesque town, Stockbridge is known as the home of the Norman Rockwell Museum, and of Chesterwood, a historic mansion that used to be the summer estate and studio of Daniel Chester French, a famous American sculptor. I had planned a visit to the Red Lion Inn, one of the few American inns that has been in continuous use since the 18th century. Carol Bosco Baumann took me on a tour of this historic property which is also owned by the Kilpatrick family who bought this property in 1968 and saved it from demolition. The inn is a huge historic building that dates back to 1897 and features more than 100 guest rooms, each one uniquely appointed with antiques, artwork and china. There are several adjacent guest houses that can be rented as well. Some of the long hallways in the main inn are a little slanted, and together with the historically inspired décor, this adds to the authentic feel of the Red Lion Inn as a Victorian-era property. Carol even told me a few ghost stories about the good-natured spirits that are still said to inhabit some of the rooms at the Red Lion Inn. After snapping some photos on Stockbridge’s picturesque main street I picked up my husband and we drove to another historic hospitality establishment …
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