Hunter estate for sale at record $4.25 million

By Linda CarmanPrint Story | Email Story
The Hunter Estate in Williamstown. (Photo By Nicholas Whitman)
WILLIAMSTOWN — The James and Joan Hunter estate at 260 Northwest Hill Road has gone on the market for $4.25 million, the highest-priced residential property in Berkshire County history, according to broker Donald Westall, whose Alton & Westall real estate agency is handling the sale. The previous record listing for a residential property is $3.9 million in South County for the Player Crosby property in Tyringham, which is also for sale. Coincidentally, the Hunter property is one of two grand estates and multi-million-dollar properties now on the market with ties to the Hunter family, manufacturers and civic and arts benefactors. The other is the nearby Cole Porter Berkshire retreat at 1425 Main St., which was owned from 1966 to 1988 by Irene Mennen Hunter and the late James “Bing” Hunter, parents of the younger James Hunter. That 40-acre estate, which composer and lyricist Cole Porter and his wife Linda owned from 1940 to 1964, is for sale for $2.5 million, also with Alton & Westall. The previous record price for a Williamstown house was $2.1 million for the South Street house owned by the family of the former shah of Iran and purchased in 2001 by a Williams alumnus, Westall said. James and Joan Hunter, who have been active in numerous North Berkshire organizations, bought the 27.5-acre Northwest Hill property from John Walsh in 1994 for $1.375 million but have made extensive renovations and expansions. They plan to move to Georgia to be closer to family but intend to remain a presence in the area. The Hunters could not be reached for comment for this story. Both properties are featured, with photographs by noted local photographer Nicholas Whitman, in the recent issue of Christie’s Great Estates, a publication with national and international distribution. Alton & Westall has been an affiliate of Christie’s Great Estates since 2001. The properties are also on the Christie’s Web site. And, Westall said, the affiliation gives the opportunity for full-page advertisements in publications such as The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and The Robb Report. “Of course, we’ll advertise in The Advocate, too,” Westall said yesterday. “The buyer could be a local person.” He said real estate values throughout the county have risen considerably since 1998, citing substantial increases in 1999 and 2000 and steady increases since. “The lower end of the market has also risen. The whole sea level has been rising. South County has a stronger high-end history, but as Mass MoCA develops, the Clark expands, and the Williams theater begins operation, there is more here to attract the very high-end buyer,” Westall said. For Williamstown, he said, “There is the added fact that it’s a college town, and we all know about the loyalty of Williams alumni.” Some of those alumni have built large and expensive houses here, a few on the Mount Hope Farm property, another on Stone Hill Road. The Hunter properties may be the first wave of substantial houses to go on the market in the higher-priced climate. “Some of the newly constructed houses are on a par,” said Westall, citing those on Oblong and Stone Hill roads. “The Hunter property is in a sense the best buy because of its unbelievable attention to detail and craftsmanship,” he said. It has just under 7,000 square feet, with an exercise, spa and steam room adding another 1,800 square feet. Alan Marden, director of development at Alton & Westall, noted that all the craftsmen working on the Hunter property were local, including Bart van Luling, a third-generation mason who did the extensive stonework. The shingles were painted on the sides and the edges in a warehouse. Ironwork was custom-made to echo the sinuous shapes of hay growing. And a separate, heated building, equipped with a hoist, was built to house some of Hunter’s motorcycle collection. “I can’t stress the quality of that house enough,” said Westall. “As demographics change, many properties that people don’t need any more — perhaps they want something smaller, perhaps their children have moved on — will come on the market. We happen to have two this season.” For example, he said, the James and Jane Heekin house on Torrey Woods Road, once owned by novelist James Gould Cozzens and lived in by the Heekins for many years, has gone on the market for $1.425 million, while the Heekins have bought a smaller place across the road. In the same South Williamstown neighborhood, Harsch Associates has listed the Kuhrt Wieneke house at 206 Oblong Road for $1.25 million. And a property on Ide Road is for sale for $1.875 million. “It’ll be a very interesting year,” Westall said. He also noted that the large single-family houses being built contribute more to the community in taxes than they require in services because they are frequently second homes, and the owners rarely have children in the local schools. “It’s absolutely key to keep open spaces and views. Views are one of the most influential factors in pricing a property,” he said, adding, “I don’t think we want Williamstown to feel different. The houses built at Mount Hope and off Northwest Hill Road don’t change the feel of Williamstown.”
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Friends of Great Barrington Libraries Holiday Book Sale

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Friends of Great Barrington Libraries invite the community to shop their annual Holiday Good-as-New Book Sale, happening now through the end of the year at the Mason Library, 231 Main Street. 
 
With hundreds of curated gently used books to choose from—fiction, nonfiction, children's favorites, gift-quality selections, cookbooks, and more—it's the perfect local stop for holiday gifting.
 
This year's sale is an addition to the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce's Holiday Stroll on this Saturday, Dec. 13, 3–8 PM. Visitors can swing by the Mason Library for early parking, browse the sale until 3:00 PM, then meet Pete the Cat on the front lawn before heading downtown for the Stroll's shopping, music, and festive eats.
 
Can't make the Holiday Stroll? The book sale is open during regular Mason Library hours throughout December.
 
Proceeds support free library programming and events for all ages.
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