Lenox Notes 1-23-02

12:00AM / Wednesday, January 23, 2002Print Story | Email Story

On a bright note, Tanglewool, with the help of its customers, contributed $11,475 to the Berkshire United Way Sept. 11 Relief Fund for New York on Dec. 31. The $11,475 represented 11 percent of the storeâ€™s net sales for the months of November and December. The funds were delivered to United Way in New York City with the assistance of Berkshire United Way. Kerry Murphey Healy, chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party, spoke to the Berkshire County Republican Association Thursday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m., at the Quality Inn in Lenox. Several Lenox organizations have benefited from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundationâ€™s General Fund. Berkshire Scenic Railway in Lenox received $1,000 for materials to help install a museum inside a vintage rail car. Kidsave International Berkshire County Chapter received $3,000 to strengthen the organizational structure for their Summer Miracles 2002 program. The General Fund is Berkshire Taconicâ€™s only competitive discretionary fund that benefits local nonprofits. It supports projects in the areas of health, human services, the arts, the environment and education. As an endowed fund, up to 5 percent of the fundâ€™s principal is spent annually for grants, allowing Berkshire Taconic to increase the amount of money available for grantmaking, through money management and additional donations. Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that serves as a catalyst for philanthropy with a goal of improving the quality of life in Berkshire, Columbia, northeast Dutchess and northwest Litchfield counties. For more information, please contact Berkshire Taconic at 271 Main St., Great Barrington; 1-800-969-2823, or www.berkshiretaconic.org. The Lenox Historical Society hosted a lecture, â€œEarly Lenox Cottages: Refined and Intellectual Householdsâ€ with Cornelia Brooke Gilder, Jan. 20 at the Lenox Academy. Seating filled up early. Gilder based her talk on research she has done with Julia Conklin Peters. Gilder has been involved with the â€œBerkshire Lostâ€ exhibit at Chesterwood and others, and publications including Views of the Valley: Tyringham: 1739-1989. She is a member of the Lenox Historical Society and of the Program Committee at Ventfort Hall. She will repeat her lecture Jan. 27 at Ventfort Hall, at 2:30 p.m. Edith Wharton at the White House â€” Stockbridge sculptor Robert Bartle and Edith Wharton Restoration President Stephanie Copeland were recent guests at a White House reception hosted by First Lady Laura Bush. The reception featured holiday decorations organized around Mrs. Bushâ€™s theme, â€œHome for the Holidays,â€ including an image of The Mount designed and fabricated by Bartle. In June 2001, the first ladyâ€™s office sent a letter to all the governorsâ€™ offices asking for help identifying historic homes to be replicated in miniature as ornaments for the White House Christmas tree. The Mount â€” Edith Whartonâ€™s home in Lenox â€” is one of five homes selected by the office of Acting Gov. Jane Swift. The other four historic homes identified by Swiftâ€™s office are the Peter Tufts House in Medford, said to be the oldest brick house in the U.S. and represented by an ornament designed by artist Lori Magno; Town Hall in historic Deerfield, represented by Nancy Kilrain; the Cooper-Frost-Austin House, the oldest house in Cambridge, represented by Brian Powell; and John Adamsâ€™s house in Braintree, represented by Raffe Khazadian. The artistsâ€™ guidelines issued by the White House required that each ornament be predominantly white, that none of its dimensions be greater than six inches, and that it weigh no more than eight ounces. Bartle, a sculptor who works primarily in steel, and who prefers to leave his steel surfaces as raw as possible, says he was more than a little surprised when Copeland asked him to consider the project. He opted to accept the challenge and, in the end, found a design solution more delicate than even the White House may have envisioned. Bartle worked with Meredith Morford at Planet Color in Great Barrington to print a circa-1900 black-and-white architectural drawing of The Mountâ€™s east elevation on white silk, then suspended the silk fragment like a scroll between two brass rods. He met the White Houseâ€™s â€œgold cordâ€ requirement by affixing a braided strand of micro-thin brass filament to the upper rod with tiny brass fittings. Morford tinkered with the image in her computer, clarifying lines that had faded in the original drawing and giving each of the individual windowpanes a pale yellow tint. When the ornament was in place, Bartle explained, the silk would be illuminated from behind by the tree lights, so it would appear that the house lights were glowing. New Programs & New Incarnations Home School Fridays began at the Lenox Library Friday, Jan. 18. The library has extended its homework center hours to help home-schooled students age 6 and older. â€œItâ€™s a free-form program,â€ said Youth Librarian Tracy Clausen. Students can get assistance with school projects and research any time during the day. Each Friday, the library staff and parents of home-schoolers will have a scheduled activity from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Students will discuss and research owls in January and dissect owl pellets the first Friday in February. They will have creative writing workshops, and in April, the Berkshire Theatre Group will perform The Odyssey for them. Home School Fridays are funded by a grant through the Library Services and Technology Act, from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. For more information, call Tracy Clausen, 637-0197. Edgecomb Nursing Home plans to reopen April 1, according to Berkshire Health Care Systemsâ€™ Senior Vice President Bill Jones, as the bulk of Kimball Farmsâ€™ nursing care center. Berkshire Health Systems owns and operates 17 facilities, primarily in Massachusetts. It has run Kimball Farms since it opened and Edgecomb for nearly 20 years. In 1999, Berkshire Health Care Systems closed Edgecomb for renovations, and consolidated the staff and residents at Willowood, Jones said. The plan Berkshire Health Care Systems originally brought forward was more than the neighbors could support, he said, and would have been very difficult to carry out with residents and staff in the building. Edgecomb will reopen with 74 beds available, a substantial reduction from the approximately 120 beds it held in 1999. Jones said the neighbors favored a smaller institution, and with fewer residents the place will be more homelike, and the staff better able to give the patients individual care. When Edgecomb merges with Kimball Farms, Kimball farms will reduce their 41 beds for nursing care patients to eight, he said. Kimball farms has 150 individual living units as well, and 48 assisted-living units in its community. The Lenox Parks & Recreationâ€™s new brochure is available. Game room hours are Monday to Friday from 2:30 to 6 p.m. It will be open for half day of school Jan. 31, and open to adults Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will also be open at 9 a.m. when school is closed for snow days. Saturday Night Movies are back. The second Saturday of each month, the game room will be open for activities from 5 to 7 p.m. and the Community Center will show a G- or PG-rated movie at 7 p.m. The Leaders Club has resumed meeting with Jodi LaPlante-Santos as the new program director. She coordinated the Youth Leadership Program at the Red Cross before she came to Lenox. The Community Center will offer several classes this winter: swimming lessons at Eastover Resort, art classes with Sylvie Potashner, and dance classes with Stefanie Weber. The swim class needs parent volunteers. Call Parks & Recreation Director Mike Canales at 637-5530 to help out. Making Music Together â€” Sarah Hartigan will offer a class for young children at the Lenox Community Center, Tues. 10 and 11 a.m. Music Together is a parent/child class for children newborn to four years old. Everyone participates, Hartigan said: they sing, chant, play instruments, dance, and play with rhythm. It is a national program, active in most states, and designed to develop basic music competence â€” to teach children to sing in tune and carry a beat. It also encourages families to enjoy music together. Hartigan will also lead a class in Great Barrington, Thursdays at 10 a.m. Free demonstration classes will be held. Call 637-8815 for more information. Macbeth rehearsals begin this week at Shakespeare & Company for their spring tour. The 90-minute, six-actor, Bare-Bard production will tour 125 schools in New England and New York. The actors will hold a discussion and two workshops, â€œShakespeare & the Language that Shaped the Worldâ€ and â€œWorkshops in Performance,â€ after each performance. Upcoming Events The first in a four-part series of wine courses will be held at Ventfort Hall Thursday, Feb. 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. This first course highlights wines from Italy and is hosted by wine consultant Mark Olshansky. Early reservations are required; please call Ventfort Hall at 637-3206. On Feb. 22, Ventfort Hall will host â€œThe Presidents and the Berkshires,â€ a childrenâ€™s program about the Berkshiresâ€™ many connections to the presidents of our country. A creative hands-on activity will follow. The program begins at 10 a.m. Ventfort Hall museum of the Gilded Age is located at 104 Walker St. It is open for tours weekdays at 2 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 and 11 a.m. Closed Sundays.

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Friday Front Porch Feature: A Charming House Like New

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
06:57PM / Friday, December 19, 2025

The home prior to renovations.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Are you looking for a newly renovated home with great space? Then this might be the perfect fit for you!

Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 100 Autumn Drive.

This three-bedroom, two-bathroom split level was built in 1965 and is 1,396 square feet on 0.32 acres.

The house was completely renovated recently. It includes a one-car garage, and comes with appliances including a dishwasher and stove/oven, and other major appliances.

The house is listed for $359,500.

We spoke with owners Michael Zeppieri and Chris Andrews, who did the renovations. Zeppieri is an agent with Alton and Westall Real Estate Agency.

What was your first impression when you walked into the home?

Zeppieri: I purchased this home to do a full renovation flip and saw tremendous potential in this mid-century split level home that had not been updated since it was built in the 1960s, in a great North Adams neighborhood.

Andrews: The house was a much different house when we first purchased it in 2022 (photo attached is from about 2010.) The interior was painted all in dark colors and we brightened it up with neutral colors. The transformation makes you feel like you are in a totally different house.

What were the recent renovations, any standout design features?

Zeppieri: The house has had a complete reconfiguration including new kitchen with high-end appliances, ceramic tiled baths, hardwood floors, new windows and roof ... just to name a few. All a buyer has to do is move in and enjoy.

Andrews: Yes, we renovated the entire house. New windows, new roof, all new custom black gutter system, new blacktop driveway, hardwood floors were installed through out the house. New kitchen and bathrooms as well as painting the exterior and interior of the house. New paver patio in the back yard.

What kind of buyer would this home be ideal for?

Zeppieri: The buyer for this home could be a first-time homebuyer or a retiree ... the location is close to attractions in North Adams ... and the property is located in Autumn Heights, which is a very small residential development with several long-term owners.

Andrews: This home is truly ideal for a variety of buyers. Whether a first-time homebuyer, a small family or even someone looking to downsize from a larger home.

What do you think makes this property stand out in the current market?

Zeppieri: The location, price and move-in condition of this home make it a true market leader in the North Adams Market.

Andrews: This house is completely renovated and in a desirable location of North Adams. The natural light in the home really makes the interior pop. And with all the upgrades the home stays quite cool in the summer months.

Do you know any unique stories about the home or its history?

Zeppieri: This home was built for the Gould family in 1969 and they lived there till 2010. It was always a family home during that time in which the Goulds had two children ... and Virgina Gould managed Mohawk Forest Apartments and was a very active resident of North Adams.

Andrews: Built in about 1965.

What do the current owners love about this home?

Zeppieri: As the current owner it was a fun project to transform this home and get it ready for its next adventure with a new family to enjoy for many years.

Andrews: No one has lived in the house since we purchased the home. The new owners would be the first to live in the house since the renovations have been completed.

What would you say to a buyer trying to imagine their life in this space?

Andrews: I would suggest seeing the house either on a sunny day or at twilight to really get a vision of how special the home feels.

You can find out more about this house on its listing here.

*Front Porch Feature brings you an exclusive to some of the houses listed on our real estate page every week. Here we take a bit of a deeper dive into a certain house for sale and ask questions so you don't have to.

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