543 N Trail, Tolland, Massachusetts 01034 – WATERFRONT CONTEMPORARY WITH MID-CENTURY INFLUENCES, CLEAN LINES AND OPEN-PLAN FLEXIBLE LIVING SPACES – 2 ACRES ON 175-ACRE LAKE 3200 sq ft, 4+ BR lakefront home on a stunningly beautiful 175-acre non-combustion-motor lake. With a timeless and meticulous attention to detail, this finely crafted home was fully renovated & expanded in 2008, including the bathrooms and the kitchen. Beautiful water views from the 2,000 sq ft of mahogany decks.Directly at the lake is a large dock and a 12’x20′ one-room cabin.Ownership is via membership in a private active non-profit social club with many activities including dinners, barbecues, hiking, kids activities, boating, fishing, sailing hunting, outdoor instruction and, importantly, long lasting, intergenerational friendships built on a sense of community.
What’s the most compelling thing about this property?
A WATERFRONT modern, 3200-sq. ft. home, with Scandinavian and mid-century influences and a warm, organic feel throughout, perfectly sculpted into the landscape on 2 very private acres… and the most compelling thing about this incredible property (even more than its shockingly low price of $895,000) is that it is part of a practically unknown non-profit social and outdoors club founded in 1899 with 3,000+ acres surrounding a 166-acre non-motorboat lake.
For whom is this house perfect?
Those who love the outdoors, whether it is hiking, fishing, sailing, hunting, cross-country skiing, kayaking, swimming, tennis… those who want their kids or grandkids to be able to scramble through the woods, or along quiet, safe private dirt roads… those who want to be able to hike or mountain-bike on the club’s 3,000 acres (with an additional 2,500 leased acres)… those who want to wake up each morning to the birds calling in a quiet sanctuary and take a shower outside overlooking the 1 ½ mile-long lake, or who instead stroll down to the lake for a morning swim free from jet skies and motor boats… those who want flexible, open living spaces both inside and outside that are comfortable for 1-2 people as well as for 15 or more…
What’s the most fun thing to do within five miles of this house?
Every Sunday morning there are Sunfish races on the lake – this was the home of Al “Red” Bryan, the designer of the iconic Sunfish – the most popular sailboat in history! Equally fun (and more delicious) would be the dinners at the club’s lodge with a roaring stone fireplace. One of the best chefs in the Berkshires is the club’s private treasure and, as an example, the 3-course Saturday night dinner couldn’t be more affordable and is simply phenomenal… just a few minutes drive down the lake, or take your boat to dinner!
If this house could talk, what secret would it tell about its history?
There has been much laughter in this house and in this community, there have been exciting and often awe-inspiring adventures in the wilderness and on the lake, there has been shared work on all kinds of projects to benefit the community as a whole and there has been a shared ethic of loving this land and the quiet solitude here over its 120-year history. Some families are 3rd and 4th generation and some families are new but all often share meals and stories together. But one never feels required to join in… many members are very independent and like the serenity of an early morning solo paddle up the lake or a run on the trails where one is most likely to see the native animals and true citizens of this land. The Berkshires have many special and ‘secret’ spots most people don’t know about… this is one where you can actually live and call home.
