Wheatleigh Going Up for Sale

01:25PM / Monday, February 05, 2024Print Story | Email Story

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — One of the county's most exclusive hotels is not completely closing this Valentine's Day.

But the owners of Wheatleigh, L. Linfield and Susan Simon, did confirm to The Berkshire Eagle that they will on putting the 1893 Italian-style villa up for sale later this year.

It will close as a hotel but will be open for private rentals and for weddings and events that were booked through the summer.

iBerkshires and other media posted an announcement made Monday on the hotel's Facebook page:

"It is with great sadness, we bid you all a fond farewell. The Wheatleigh ownership has made the difficult decision to close the property, and put it up for sale as a private residence. Our last day of operation will be February 14th. We thank you all for sharing your lives with us, and we wish you all the very best as we usher in a new chapter for the house we all love."

The Eagle reported Wednesday that the post was a hoax by "an unhappy former employee." The newspaper reported that the Simons are seeking to options for the hotel's future and that the company that was managing it the last few years is no longer involved.

Banking and railroad magnate Henry H. Cook built the Berkshire cottage as a summer home. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and, at one point, was designated five stars by Forbes. It is listed on the Leading Hotels of the World website. It passed out of the Cook family and for a short time was a jazz and folk music school and resort, connected to the Music Inn, and then as a summer hotel.

The Linfords purchased the property in 1983 as Su Lin Inc. It was refurbished in the early 1990s and renovated it in 2002. It's assessed at about $4 million.

It has 19 rooms and suites on 22 acres designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Within walking distance of Tanglewood, the hotel has been a frequent stop for notable celebrities over the years. It is known for its fine dining, wine cellar and luxuriously appointed accommodations.

Updated on Feb. 7, 2024; 2 p.m.

Tags: motels, hotels,

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Free Pet Food Drive-Thru in Becket

10:43AM / Friday, February 06, 2026

BECKET, Mass. — Berkshire Humane Society will give out bags of cat and dog food to pet owners in need during a drive-thru event this Saturday, Feb. 7 from 9:00 – 11:00 am, at the Becket Washington School Parking Lot, 12 Maple Street in Becket.

The drive-thru is in conjunction with the Becket Food Pantry.

Cat and dog owners can drive up to the distribution point and remain in their vehicle while someone takes their order and loads it into their vehicle. Cat owners will get a 6-pound bag of food and dog owners will get a 20-pound bag, no questions asked. The event is open to all, regardless of enrollment in Berkshire Humane Society's Pet Food Bank or participation in the Becket Food Pantry and is made possible by donations from Wendy and James Martin of the Martin Family Donor Advised Fund, the Eichenbaum/Archer Family Foundation and an anonymous private foundation.

"We gave out nearly 7,200 pounds of pet food in our holiday drive-thrus in Great Barrington, North Adams and Pittsfield," said John Perreault, Berkshire Humane Society's Executive Director. "People not only drove, but walked up to those events. I can't tell you how many of them told us how thankful they were for help feeding their cats or dogs," he said. "With the cold weather lately, we don't want people choosing between staying warm and feeding themselves or their cats their pets. With this event, we're hoping to reach more folks in the hilltowns. Thanks to our generous donors, we have more than 7,500 pounds of pet food to do just that! Thank you to the Becket Food Pantry for making the event possible."

Berkshire Humane Society's Food Pantry events are part of the nonprofit's efforts to keep families together and prevent people from feeling they must surrender their pet to the shelter. Other programs include the shelter's monthly Pet Food Bank, to which drive-thru recipients may enroll; low-cost spay and neuter and other veterinary services at the Society's Wellness Clinic; and dog obedience classes at Family Dog School.

Berkshire Humane Society also accepts donations to provide pet food for more families in need. Monetary donations are preferred because the shelter has agreements with pet food companies to buy nutritious food at a bulk rate, feeding more animals per donor dollar. For more information about the drive-thru event or making a donation, call 413-447-7878, extension 127.

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