Sculptor Daniel Chester French called his Berkshire home Chesterwood (4 Williamsville Rd., 413/298-3579, www.chesterwood.org [1], 10 a.m.–5 p.m. May–Oct., $15 adults, free children) his “heaven.” The creator of the seated Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., was one of the leading sculptors of an art period called the American Renaissance, during which a growing concentration of wealth found its outlet in patronage of parks, museums, and monuments. Tours take visitors through his elegantly appointed house, intimate studio, and 122 acres of grounds designed by the artist.
The first resident of Stockbridge [2], Rev. John Sergeant, came as a missionary to convert the native Mahican Indians in 1739. His home is preserved as The Mission House (19 Main St., 413/298-3239, www.thetrustees.org [3], 10 a.m.–5 p.m. late May–early Oct., $6 adults, $3 children 6–12, free children under 6), now a museum furnished with period items and containing exhibits on early colonial and Native American life.
Links:
[1] http://www.chesterwood.org
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/new-england/massachusetts/western-massachusetts/southern-berkshires/stockbridge
[3] http://www.thetrustees.org