Ventfort Hall Presents A Restorative History Of The Morgan Lenox Berkshire Cottage

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LENOX, Mass. — Join Executive Director Wendy Healey for an exploration of Ventfort Hall, the 28,000-square-foot brick and brownstone "cottage" built in 1893 for Sarah and George Morgan.

The talk will be held on Aug. 25 at 4pm.

As the sister of industrialist J.P. Morgan, Sarah Morgan's estate represented the height of Gilded Age society in Lenox. This presentation traces the mansion's journey from its origins as a pinnacle of opulence to its heroic rescue from the brink of destruction, stated a press release.

A tea will be served after her presentation.

Illustrated by a collection of archival images, the talk offers a deep dive into the architectural and social history of the estate. 

Morgan family photographs, follow its bohemian mid-century chapters during the Festival House and Fokine Ballet eras, and a period of subsequent change and physical deterioration.

The heart of this talk highlights the pivotal turning point in 1994, when a dedicated effort began to save the structure. Healey will share insights into the strategic initiatives and ongoing restoration journey. 

Wendy Healey is the Executive Director of Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Mansion & Museum, where she oversees strategic initiatives, fundraising, and community partnerships. She holds a BA in English Literature and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. During her tenure over the past three years, Healey has focused on the critical restoration and sustainability of the estate, leveraging her background in finance and the arts to ensure this architectural landmark continues to serve as a vibrant cultural center.

Tickets are $45. Members receive a discount code for $5 off all ticket prices. Students 22 and under are $22. Ticket pricing includes access to the mansion throughout the day of this event from 10 am to 4 pm. Reservations are strongly encouraged as seats are limited. Walk-ins accommodated as space allows. For reservations visit https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/ventforthall/items/722956/?full-items=yes&flow=1597425 or call  (413) 637-3206. Note that all tickets are nonrefundable and non-exchangeable. The historical mansion is located at 104 Walker St. in Lenox.

 

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The Classical Beat: Tanglewood Music Festival Concludes Its Classical Season

By Stephen DanknerSpecial to iBerkshires

This week, the Tanglewood Music Festival concludes its magnificently curated, presented and performed 2026 classical season, culminating with the traditional performance of Beethoven's enthralling Symphony No. 9 ('Choral'.) Read below for the details.

THREE TANGLEWOOD CLASSICAL HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK

• Thursday, Aug. 20, 8:00 p.m. in Ozawa Hall: The world-renowned Silk Road Ensemble presents "Sanctuary: The Power of Resonance and Ritual." Led by North Carolinian musician, actor and author Rhiannon Giddens, this program explores how we can experience music to better understand our world, find comfort, process loss and a changing environment, and rebuild community, based upon our mutual humanity.

• Saturday, Aug. 22, 8:00 p.m. in the Shed: Conductor Thomas Wilkins leads the Boston Symphony, with violinist Randall Goosby, a 2022 Avery Fisher Career Grantee, boy soprano Edward Njuguna and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus in an uplifting program of Leonard Bernstein's mellifluous "Chichester Psalms," Florence Price's Violin Concerto No. 2 and Dvorak's sumptuous Symphony No. 8.

• Sunday, Aug. 23, 2:30 p.m. in the Shed: Maestro Gustavo Gimeno, Music Director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra conducts Beethoven's magisterial Ninth Symphony, with vocal soloists soprano Mané Galoyan, mezzo-soprano Zoie Reams, tenor Ben Bliss and bass Solomon Howard.

For tickets for all Tanglewood/BSO concerts (lawn and Shed seating) and for special events call (617) 266-1200 or (413) 637-5180; online: tanglewood.org or customerservice@bso.org. In Lenox, visit the Tanglewood box office at the Main Gate located at 297 West Street.

 

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