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HomeLife In the BerkshiresGARY LEVEILLE: Eighth...

GARY LEVEILLE: Eighth Annual Satirical Holiday House Tour

While roasting their chestnuts on an open fire, and with COVID still nipping at your nose, the Southern Berkshire Hysterical Society’s “Bored of Directors” bravely brings you an all-new online free frolic of some unusual homes and habitations in our area.

It is that most wonderful time of year when local non-profits used to offer in-person holiday house tours as fundraisers. Sadly, that appears to be a thing of the past. But, wait! While roasting their chestnuts on an open fire, and with COVID still nipping at your nose, the Southern Berkshire Hysterical Society’s “Bored of Directors” bravely brings you an all-new online free frolic of some unusual homes and habitations in our area. Although each tale is a fabrication of imagination, each location is truly located in the Southern Berkshires.

The Spectacle Shack in Sandisfield.

Spectacle Shack: This tumbled-down shanty situated on the shores of Lower Spectacle Pond in Sandisfield has a spectacular history. It was in this very building that eyeglasses were first made for prominent patriot Benjamin Franklin. After poor eyesight resulted in the loss of several experimental kites, Franklin learned that Ronald “Rowdy” Rowley of Sandisfield had invented eyeglasses, which he named after the lake he lived by: Spectacle Pond. When Franklin began wearing the glasses, the term “spectacles” quickly caught on. Sadly, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts hasn’t “seen fit” to restore the structure, and it has fallen into disrepair. But to correct the record, there is no truth to the rumor that reggae singer Johnny Nash recorded his 1972 hit song “I Can See Clearly Now” at this location.

The Interlaken Grotto in Stockbridge.

Interlaken Grotto: Hidden from the highway, this peculiar structure covers the entrance to a little-known chain of caverns once known as DeSisto’s Grotto. Never open to the public, the lengthy limestone caverns link underground streams from Lake Mahkeenac to nearby Lake Averic, and Mohawk Lake. Hence the name “Interlaken” for this section of Stockbridge. Several giant stalactites from this cave are allegedly hidden under the floorboards of the Science Lab at the former DeSisto School.

The Apple Abode in Egremont.

Egremont Apple Abode: This rustic log cabin remains hidden deep in the Jug End forest of South Egremont. Still surrounded by ancient apple trees, the dilapidated structure is said to have been the former home of pioneer apple farmer John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed. The apples that Johnny grew here, however, were quite different from the apples found in modern supermarkets. His apples weren’t used for eating, but to make the local beverage-of-choice at the time: hard cider. Johnny’s great-great-grandson, Major High Smiley, continued the fermenting operation into the 20th century. Before electrical refrigeration, he used a nearby pond to cool the beverage. Today, that waterway is still known as Smiley’s Pond. Federal revenuers finally shut down Smiley for good during Prohibition.

The Horticultural Hideaway in West Stockbridge.

Horticultural Hideaway: Modern-day, high-tech surveying equipment sometimes reveals property-line errors made in the past. Such was the case with this house once thought to be fully in West Stockbridge. Ten years ago, it was discovered that half of the house is in Alford. Both towns then billed the distraught homeowner, botanist Leif Garret, for property taxes. He appealed, requested a horticultural/agricultural tax abatement, and began obsessively planting his property with exotic flora. He won his case in both towns, and his fertilized front yard continues to flourish.

The Chicken Ranch in Great Barrington.

Chicken Ranch: Bucky “Perdue” Kenyon was an enterprising man who lived in the Van Deusenville section of Great Barrington. In addition to operating a portable saw mill, he also ran a sizable chicken ranch. Bucky struggled at first, cutting more logs than chicken necks, but then a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise opened up in Lee. With the big summertime Tanglewood crowd stopping in, the roadside chicken restaurant couldn’t keep up with demand. Bucky saw an opportunity. His chicken coop was not far from the railroad tracks in Van Deusenville. And the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant was located next to the tracks in Lee. Every few days, Bucky shipped scores of chickens to Colonel Sanders. When the franchise finally closed a few decades later, so did Bucky. But his chicken coop still stands, and Arlo Guthrie still finds an occasional chicken feather on his property next to the train tracks.

To explore previous house tours, click FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH, SIXTH, and SEVENTH.

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