Naumkeag Gardens Getting $2.6M Restoration

	The Blue Steps at Naumkeag are being restored, left, as part of a $2.6 million make over of its historic gardens.

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — The first phase of a $2.6-million five-phase restoration effort began last month on the gardens of the hillside estate of Naumkeag.

Visited by thousands of garden, landscape and history enthusiasts each year, the gardens are considered a masterpiece of 30 years of collaborative, creative work between former owner Mabel Choate and America's first modern landscape architect, Fletcher Steele.

The restoration effort is being supported in part by an anonymous donor who has pledged to match up to $1 million in donations.

The initial work includes removal of damaged and overgrown trees, including along the Linden Allee, a pathway modeled after the wooded walks of Germany. Following the removal of the older trees, more than 250 trees of various shapes and sizes will be planted amongst the gardens, following Steele's original tactic of overplanting to create a fuller, richer g gardenscape.

All of the trees and plants are being removed by Mayer Tree Service, processed on site and delivered to recycling facilities and timber mills in the area.

The 125-year-old Naumkeag — a National Historic Landmark owned by The Trustees of Reservations — is a 44-room estate designed by McKim, Mead & White as the summer home of New York attorney Joseph Hodges Choate, an ambassador to the Court of St. James, and his wife, Caroline Sterling Choate, an artist and co-founder of Barnard College. Their daughter Mabel inherited the 46-acre estate in 1929.

A recent video created by the Library of American Landscape History (below) described Naumkeag's gardens as "a playground for the imagination which boasts some of the most vibrant, original and luminous gardens on the North American continent."

Perhaps the most dramatic restoration to occur this spring will be that of Steele's renowned Blue Steps, one of the most famous and photographed garden features in 20th-century American landscape design and a true expression of Steele's belief that garden design should be considered one of the fine arts. The steps be repointed, repainted and re-grouted, and the iconic white birch trees that frame them will be replaced and supplemented with the planting of 40 additional trees.

Phase one is expected to be completed in time for a summer party to officially kick off the restoration project and celebrate the Blue Steps' 75th anniversary.

Other structural, cultural and natural garden and landscape features located throughout Naumkeag will also be restored, replicated and reinvigorated through a total of 16 projects, most of which will include rebuilding, and in some cases reproducing, foundational elements such as fountains and waters systems, masonry, decorative arts and original plantings. The restorations are being based on the original plans, historic photos and other documents.

"Like our recent landscape restoration of the Grand Allée at Castle Hill, we take our responsibility as caretakers of these magnificent National Historic Landmarks very seriously," said Trustees President Barbara Erickson. "The iconic gardens at Naumkeag are one of only a few Fletcher Steele-designed gardens viewable to the public and we want people to be able to experience them in their full and original brilliance."

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.