Design Diary: Historic Holmesdale
On the cusp of the fall equinox, thanks to luck and stellar weather, September is graciously providing equal parts blue sky, crisp nights and a tease of fall foliage. Autumn, replete with glorious Indian summer days and this year’s bounty of 10-foot sunflowers, has not disappointed. We’re thankful warm days still surround us, and we feel the pull of a road trip. Design Diary heads east to Pittsfield, Mass., in the heart of Berkshire County.
Pittsfield is at the center of many of The Berkshires’ oldest homes and historic estates, some built as early as the mid-18th century. One prominent local landmark is Arrowhead, where the archetypal "Moby Dick" was penned. But our current destination, Holmesdale, sits well under the public radar, the intentionally private manor of two historically inclined gentlemen. This visit is a rare glimpse inside an important and much beloved architectural project, the original summer home of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
The white clapboard, 11,000-square-foot “summer cottage” was built by Holmes and his wife, Amelia, in 1849 on 16 wooded acres, for the mere sum of $2,000. The original 22,000-acre plantation belonged to Holmes Sr.’s grandfather, but a substantial portion was donated to the Mass Audubon Society, and remains a valued animal sanctuary to this day. The property was christened Canoe Meadows and enjoyed by Holmes and his family during the warm months. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., known for his years of public service as a revered United States Supreme Court Justice, was his well-known son.
Holmesdale is a fascinating labyrinth of rooms, elegantly decorated by the self-effacing current residents Mike and Michael, with echoes of The Gilded Age and La Belle Epoque. The main house consists of 14 bedrooms, 6 fireplaces, 9 bathrooms, a fitness center and music room, a solarium and massage therapy room, a wine cellar and, of course, gardens, fountains, a clay tennis court and a pool. Behind the house is a cottage that was built by masons and laborers to live in while they constructed the main mansion. This small bungalow eventually became “the billiards room,” where Holmes and his male colleagues would gather to play pool and converse about poetry, law and politics. Michael shared that “today this guest cottage hosts musicians from the Boston Symphony during their Tanglewood season, and serves as an Airbnb retreat.”
The interior design of this legendary property includes an imposing Swarovski crystal chandelier in the reception hall, a Haines Brothers 1933 piano, a custom down-filled Jeffrey Zimmerman sofa, Versace upholstered chairs and vintage Persian rugs. The original inlaid mahogany floors are visible throughout the house, in perfect condition, with a handsome patina that can only be acquired through centuries of careful use. The original floral wallpaper in the main dining room has been painstakingly restored and now glows once again. There is a definite air of opulence, but the decor is welcoming, as are my genteel hosts.
As we continue our extensive tour through dozens of rooms, we reach the newly renovated kitchen, featuring the original alderwood cabinetry (now painted white, along with the brick) and a 48-inch Viking gas range stove nested within the niche of the historic cooking fireplace. Mike draws my attention to the ornate glassfront cabinetry in the adjacent butler’s pantry and to an archaic device with a bell for residents to ring for assistance (or more tea), typical of an estate of this scale.
Marveling at the sheer volume of this grand old residence, the furnishings, lighting, and the exquisite historic detailing throughout, I spy another example of decadence. My guides point out the master formal boudoir, which consists of three separate rooms, including an original 12-foot cedar closet. This enormous closet, as well as the exceptionally high number of closets for a home of this period, is unusual. Most middle-class houses from the early 19th century had few, if any, closets; this was due to a “closet tax” which imposed fees for each closet.
Neighbors included literary giants Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Heads of state would drop by and play tennis in later years. A description of the historic estate from the diary of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, excerpted from "Yankee from Olympus", describes it as “a snug little place, with a view of the river and the mountains.” Indeed.
But Mr. Holmes of Holmesdale shares his sentiments on the real value of any home, grand or humble… “Where we love is home. Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.” The contemporary tenants seem cut from the same cloth, with an equal passion for design, history and place. I’m certain Oliver would approve.
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