Stockbridge, MA Part II: Naumkeag Cottage

Austerlitz, NY - Events of Sunday, July 21, 2013

After leaving the Berkshire (Berk-shar) Botanical Gardens, we headed into the quaint town of Stockbridge. The first settlers in Stockbridge were English missionaries who established a mission to the Mohican Indians in 1734.

With the arrival of the railroads in the 1850s, Stockbridge became a summer resort for the wealthy of Boston and New York. The Berkshire Mountains where Stockbridge is located provided a cool retreat from the summer heat of the cities in the days before air conditioning.

We parked in town and walked the main street lined with quaint shops. The Red Lion Inn has been a Stockbridge landmark for well over 200 years. Opened in 1773 as an inn and stage stop, the Red Lion is one of the few remaining inns that has been operating continuously since the 1700s. The original inn has been greatly expanded, and today it boasts fine accommodations, fine dining and upscale shopping.

Red Lion Inn

We walked down the street a short distance and browsed a couple of the shops.

Williams Country Store

Stockbridge General Store

We also stopped into Schantz Glass Galleries located a short distance down a side street. Schantz Glass features contemporary glass by several dozen artists. We're not necessarily that big on contemporary art, but these pieces were amazing. The layers of color and the way light plays on the glass is fascinating. The works are very intricate, which explains why they are so expensive. The least expensive item we saw was $5,000. Most items were in the $20-30,000 range, and a couple were over $40,000. The next photos show just a few of the items of contemporary glass art at Schantz Galleries. The pieces pictured range in size from about 15 inches to over 4 feet high.

The other thing we had planned for Sunday was to visit Naumkeag Cottage, which was the summer home of Joseph and Caroline Choate. Joseph Choate was a successful attorney in New York City, and he was the U.S. Ambassador to England from 1899 to 1905 under President McKinnley.

"Cottage" is used to describe Naumkeag and other summer homes in the Berkshires. The term is used very loosely because the cottages are actually estates. Naumkeag, for example, has 44 rooms. Naumkeag was named for the Naumkeag Indians who once populated the area around Salem, MA where Joseph Choate was born and raised.

Naumkeag

The street side of Naumkeag is mostly brick and stone and has a more formal look while the back is covered with less-formal cedar shakes and fits well with the more rustic atmosphere of the surrounding mountains.

Rear facade of Naumkeag

Joseph Choate was introduced to the Berkshires by his New York law partner, and the young Choate family vacationed in the Berkshires in the 1870s. On one of those trips, they picnicked under what is now a 300-year old oak tree overlooking the valley.

300-year old oak tree on the property where the Choate family once picnicked

The Choates fell in love with the Berkshires and ended up buying the property where the oak tree was located. It is here they built Naumkeag as their summer retreat in 1885.

We arrived a few minutes before the start of a guided tour of the house. As is frequently the case, photography is not permitted so we can't show you any of the inside of the house. On the tour, we learned about the history of the house and about the Choate family. The Choates spent all summer at Naumkeag and operated it as a farm unlike most others from the big city who only spent 6 weeks at their cottages.

Joseph Choate died in 1917. The Choates' daughter, Mabel, inherited Naumkeag in 1929 upon the death of her mother. Mabel spent almost the next 30 years transforming the gardens of Naumkeag with the help of famed landscape architect Fletcher Steele. Mabel Choate never married, and when she died in 1958, she bequeathed Naumkeag to the Trustees of Reservation, which is a non-profit, land conservation and historic preservation organization in Massachusetts.

After touring the house, we headed out to the garden.

Detail of container planting

Chinese garden

There are numerous terraces and sweeping lawns overlooking the valley.

Terrace with fountain overlooking the valley

In addition to the beautiful views, the most well-known feature of Naumkeag are the Blue Steps. The symmetrical steps have water that trickles into grottoes under each landing. The grottoes are painted blue. The steps are surrounded by 30 or 40 white birch trees.

The Blue Steps

Paul at the Blue Steps

We were a little disappointed in Naumkeag. The views were nice; but the gardens, while well designed and well kept, didn't have much of a flower display. The house tour was interesting, but it is always disappointing for us when photography isn't allowed.

We still have one more report from Stockbridge, so stay tuned.

Comments

[Marsha Weaver]

You two are hitting some spots I have never heard of. New territory for me.

I just found out why I have never heard of this place...summer resort for the wealthy...can't relate...lol

Can't believe they even allowed you two in the glass store without first showing your last year tax return.

What a beautiful "cottage" inside and out. I don't think I have been in any "house" as big as that "cottage." What a hoot.