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Berkshires Estate is Home to One of New England's Most Impressive Gardens
© 2008 Kim Knox Beckius If you're a garden lover, history buff, architecture fan or avid photographer, a visit to Naumkeag should definitely be on your Berkshires itinerary. This glorious estate in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, not only features the Gilded Age "cottage" renowned architect Stanford White designed for attorney and diplomat Joseph Hodges Choate and his family, it features one of New England's most impressive and imaginative gardens.
Naumkeag's second-generation owner, Mabel Choate, met Fletcher Steele, the father of modern landscape design, in 1926, and the two collaborated to transform the property's gardens and grounds over a thirty-year period. Mabel deeded her estate to the Trustees of Reservations, a non-profit that has carefully preserved Fletcher's vision.
These photos offer a preview of the Blue Steps and other distinctive landscape features at Naumkeag. Tours of the house and its photogenic gardens are offered daily Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day. The property is also open weekends only in the earlier spring and later fall. Details: 413-298-3239.
- Compare Rates and Reviews for Stockbridge Hotels with TripAdvisor.
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Functional and Beautiful
© 2008 Kim Knox Beckius When Naumkeag's owner, Mabel Choate, asked landscape architect Fletcher Steele to create steps leading down to her cutting garden, she got more than she bargained for! The Blue Steps provide both an easy descent and a vivid accent.
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A Statue with a View
© 2008 Kim Knox Beckius Stanford White, who designed the mansion at Naumkeag, commissioned Frederick MacMonnies to create this statue, "Young Faun with Heron," for the front of the house. Fletcher Steele relocated it to his Afternoon Garden, where it enjoys a better view.
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