The Connections Hybrid: A periodic look at the Berkshire cottages and the connection between what they were and what they are now.
1900
Home Farm was built on Undermountain Road in Lenox at the turn of the century. The stucco-clad Tudor is more than 10,000 square feet. There are 16 acres immediately surrounding this Berkshire cottage, and the total estate is 172 acres.
Home Farm was built by the Pittsfield architectural firm of Harding & Seaver.
Both George Harding and Henry Seaver attended MIT School of Architecture – the first school of architecture in the country – and graduated in 1897. They formed a partnership and, in addition to Home Farm, they designed Pittsfield Town Hall, Lenox Town Hall, the Berkshire Museum, and several buildings on the Williams College and Colgate College campuses.
Berkshire cottages were designed by many different architects, but they have this in common: most were actually built by Clifford Brothers. Shadowbrook, Stonover, Blantyre, Sunnyside, Overleigh, Belvoir Terrace, Underledge, Fernbrook, Windyside, Beautre, Pine Needles, Valley Head, and Home Farm were all built by this local construction company.
Clifford Brothers also built public buildings including the Children’s Chime Tower, the Curtis Hotel (the brick renovation), Lenox Town Hall, Mason Memorial Library, and the Trinity Church rectory.
The Clifford family built a home on Cliffwood Street. The story goes that they built it out of materials left over from all the cottages they built. Standing and looking at the house today, it seems plausible; materials from cottages, like Perth Amboy brick from Wyndhurst, are recognizable.
Home Farm was built for Dr. H.P. and Caroline Ware Jacques. They were married in 1889 when Jacques was 34 and his wife was 29 years old.
Jacques was a popular cottager, an officer of the Lenox Club, and a favorite dinner guest. He was also an active member of the community, serving as trustee of the Lenox Academy.
When Caroline fell ill, there was concern the Jacques would not be in Lenox during the 1901 summer season. A column in Lenox Life said this of Henry and Caroline Jacques: “Their presence has always meant a great deal in Lenox.”
Jacques was a serious farmer. Many, actually most, cottages had farms attached to them. Few cottagers, however, were farmers. Jacques was so personally involved in farming that he was an officer of the Berkshire Agricultural Society and eventually wrote a book.
The book, “Modern Pig Keeping,” is an exhaustive study of pig-keeping with detailed instructions. It is constantly revised and remains in print. Early editions with the original plates are increasingly rare. One sold recently for $2,000.
Jacques died in 1932 and his wife, Caroline, sold Home Farm. Subsequent owners remodeled the servants’ wing, added an indoor swimming pool, and retained landscape architect Fletcher Steele to redesign the gardens; Steele also did the gardens at Naumkeag.
Caroline Ware Jacques died in 1943.
The second half of the 20th century
“The Berkshire Cottages: A Vanishing Era” defined a Berkshire cottage as a second home, never the primary residence, with “no fewer than 20 rooms on no less than 30 acres.”
The size and cost of a cottage was impressive. Seaver built a gracious home for himself in Pittsfield with all — or at least many — bells and whistles. It cost $5,994. A cottage was substantially bigger and cost much more. For example, the changes and additions only to Elm Court cost $180,967. That is more than 36 times the cost of the architect’s family home, and $180,967 did not include the cost of the land or the cost of the original house.
In the second half of the 20th century, Berkshire cottages became impractical. Heating and staffing were exorbitant; the mere size unappealing to buyers. Some estates sat empty, victims of the elements. Others burned to the ground.
Many Berkshire cottages, including Home Farm, were on many more than 30 acres. As the population grew, land became more valuable. Estates were broken up, and the land sold in parcels. The houses built along Walker Street in Lenox are on land that was once a part of Ventfort Hall. Even an estate sold intact was sometimes purchased by a developer who then built smaller houses around the cottage. That is true at Cranwell Resort and, perhaps one day soon, will be true at Elm Court.
The size of these Gilded Age estates helped create South County’s unique beauty and semi-rural character. As the 20th century moved on, what happened to these “wings and turrets of outrageous fortune” – as they were no longer practical as single family homes – was of increasing concern.
2013
In 2013 Home Farm was put on the market with an asking price over $2 million. Many thought a parcel that large at that price would be purchased by a developer, divided into building lots, and one of the most beautiful views in the Berkshires would be lost.
Enter Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC).
Their plan was a patchwork quilt of natural beauty and good sense. The 16 acres on the north side of Undermountain Road was packaged with the house. Of a 156-acre tract on the south side of Undermountain Road, BNRC purchased a conservation restriction on 83 acres. That parcel has a view down the valley which is among the best in the Berkshires. The restriction prevents development and includes a trail easement to allow some public access.
BNRC also purchased an option to buy a contiguous 63 acres. Although it is mostly marsh land, it has a swath of solid turf for public access.
Of the 156 acres, 10 acres remain. It contains the Undermountain farm buildings. BNRC left that piece out of negotiations because, according to Director of Land Conservation Narain Schroeder, “We believe farm land should be owned by farmers.”
BNRC spent $450,000 on the conservation restriction and agreed on a purchase price of $180,000 for the less valuable marsh land. It is a $630,000 investment in their mission: To protect and preserve the natural beauty and ecological integrity of the Berkshires for public benefit and enjoyment.
The Berkshire cottagers are gone but with planning and efforts like these perhaps the character of South County will be retained.
Images available:
- Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com have photos of Home Farm listed at 399 Undermountain Road Lenox.
- Home Farm was on the Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce 2015 house tour. To watch the video and see interiors of Home Farm, view the video below. A guide to the images follows.
Holiday House Tour from Stockbridge Chamber on Vimeo.
There are 45 images not all of Home Farm. Here is the guide to the video images:
- Home Farm
- Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce logo
- Door
- Cherry Cottage
- Cherry Cottage
- Cherry Cottage
- Cherry Cottage
- Elm Court
- Home Farm
- Home Farm
- Home Farm
- Elm Court
- Elm Court
- Elm Court
- A Stockbridge House
- A Stockbridge House
- A Stockbridge House
- A Stockbridge House
- A Stockbridge House
- A Stockbridge House
- Home Farm
- Home Farm
- Home Farm
- Home Farm
- Home Farm
- Home Farm
- Home Farm
- Home Farm
- Home Farm
- Home Farm
- Home Farm
- Home Farm
- Ventfort Hall
- Ventfort Hall
- Ventfort Hall
- Ventfort Hall
- Ventfort Hall
- Ventfort Hall
- Ventfort Hall
- A Lenox House
- A Lenox House
- A Lenox House
- A Lenox House
- A Lenox House
