Editor

Real Estate

Benjamin Tallmadge House

This Litchfield Georgian was built  by Thomas Sheldon in 1775 and was the home of Benjamin Tallmadge, who served as George Washington’s head of espionage. Inspired by his visit to Washington's Mount Vernon estate, Tallmadge altered his home with the addition of two columned porches. Despite its

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Real Estate

Van Rensselaer Mill House

This 1810 home looks good for its age. Originally part of the Jacob Rutsen Van Rensselaer House and Mill Complex and currently known as The Red Mills, the house has been refitted in the Italianate style. Located in Claverack (overlooking the Claverack Creek), its original details include the brick fireplace

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Real Estate

Center-Hall Colonial

This impeccable center-hall Colonial has been around since 1825. Located in Stockbridge, a town known for its history, the home has large rooms with high ceilings and preserved original details like wide-board floors and classic moldings. It sits on three-and-a-half acres and includes four bedrooms,

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Community

Norman Rockwell Reconsidered: The Closet Case as Gay Icon?

By Dan Shaw Norman Rockwell’s paintings have become the all-American Rorschach Test. As scholars, collectors and museum-goers reconsider his cultural significance and uncover new layers of symbolism in his work, the artist who lived in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, for 25 years has become an Everyman, a hero to

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Style

Garden: Planting The Seeds Of Garden Planning

The following is a regular column that addresses basic issues facing the ever-inquisitive back- and front-yard toiler, proffered by someone who knows best; one of the fertile master gardeners from the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge. This week, though he may be shivering in his boots, Brian Cruey

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Arts

A Winter Warm-up: Berkshire Festival of Women Writers Prepares For March With A Week Of Workshops

By Amy Krzanik “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any." --Alice Walker. As this quote flashes on the screen, so begins Miss Representation, the 2011 documentary that shines a harsh light on how the American media portray woman—

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Arts

Bettye LaVette: Powerhouse Song Interpreter Goes Soul Deep

By Robert Burke Warren Legendary R & B vocalist Bettye LaVette, a 52-year veteran of the concert stage, wants to set the record straight about her reputation as a superlative song interpreter; when she appears at Helsinki Hudson on Saturday, January 11, she will not “inhabit" her material.

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Food

Homemade Peppermint-Stick Ice Cream

This week's recipe is from Berkshire-based duo The Butcher & The Baker. The Butcher is Jake, a nose-to-tail butcher/artist, who loves to cook and grew up in the woody hills of Western Massachusetts where his passion for local, fresh food was first instilled in

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Real Estate

Be Our Guest

Keep your guests close (but not too close) by setting them up in a private cottage. Built in 1930, it charms with a stone fireplace, cozy kitchen and rare south-facing views of Mount Everett. Located in Sheffield, and close to the shops and restaurants in Great Barrington, the fabulous

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Real Estate

Cozy In The Cottage

This Germantown home is notable for its harmony with its natural surroundings, and the guest house, with large windows and far-reaching views, is no exception. The main home has been restored recently by an architect who re-imagined the interior so it flows effortlessly while putting the 19th-century

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Real Estate

Step Into A Storybook

The sweet guest cottage on this Richmond property has a wide front porch, wooden barrel ceiling, stone fireplace, a loft, one bedroom and a full bath. It's a legal separate residence, so it has additional income potential. Located on the border of West Stockbridge and Lenox, the main

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Real Estate

Columbia County Getaway

Do away with the days of the pull-out couch; this Copake home features a two-story, three-bedroom guest house so comfortable, you may have guests staying longer than you planned. Located close to Copake Lake and convenient to the Berkshires, the renovated main house has a gracious floor

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