It’s that most wonderful time of year when local non-profits offer holiday house tours as fund-raisers. But with the “never-ending” COVID virus threat still canceling some of these gala events, the Southern Berkshire Hysterical Society bravely brings you an all-new, online, free frolic of some unusual homes and habitations in our area. Although the stories are a complete stretch of imagination, each location is truly located in the Southern Berkshires.
Secret Silo: Located in Great Barrington and pictured above, this dilapidated barn with roofless silo has a remarkable history. It was here that inventor Robert Goddard secretly built the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. Goddard successfully launched his rocket on March 16, 1926, ushering in the so-called “Space Age.” But the story doesn’t end there. The structure later served as a cold war deterrent. From 1956 to 1961 the silo housed a fake cardboard missile created by the U.S. Defense Department as a diversionary tactic to fool spies from the Soviet Union. The thick cardboard was later salvaged and used as insulation during construction of the McDonald’s on Stockbridge Road.
Stockbridge Shanty: This Stockbridge structure was torn down just a few months ago. Only one of the following five descriptions is true. Are you privy to the correct answer? Hint: The previous sentence is a clue.
- Sculptor Daniel Chester French’s original clay storage shed.
- The first cottage ever built on Stockbridge Bowl.
- The boys’ and girls’ outhouse for the old Glendale School.
- Stockbridge resident and theologian Reinhold Niebuhr drafted his famous “Serenity Prayer” in this building.
- Original storage shed for the Naumkeag estate holiday lights.

Marsh-Mellow B&B: A stay in this small Great Barrington cabin inspired best-selling author Delia Owens to write her award-winning book “Where the Crawdads Sing.” The motel and cabins have been a big hit with reclusive nature lovers for decades. Guests speak fondly of the chef’s gourmet cattail-corn-on-the-cob. Owner Ralph Rhizome stopped advertising his B&B several years ago stating “we were swamped with business.”

Sagamore Studio: The unsung history of this once-popular Ashley Falls hideaway was almost forgotten—until now. It was here, in 1962, that songwriting legends Carole King and Gerry Coffin wrote the hit song “Up on the Roof.” Goffin and King brought in the singing group The Drifters, along with a full orchestra, and assembled everyone atop the rafters. After 13 takes, the song was successfully recorded, but the roof collapsed shortly thereafter. “Up on the Roof” became a major hit in early 1963, but the Ashley Falls studio was never repaired.

Tissue Town: The village of South Lee has long been known as a major manufacturer of paper. But very few are aware that, in 1857, the first practical use of commercial toilet paper was developed here. Inventor Joe Charmin Gayetty first achieved success utilizing hemp plants he cultivated on the upper porch of the house shown here. Using an old paper press borrowed from a nearby mill, Gayetty found himself the butt of jokes but was later flushed with success. The fibrous wipe became a big seller and remained in common use until a competitor developed splinter-free toilet paper in 1935. Then Gayetty’s company was quickly wiped out of business.

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