The Oblong Road estate that once belonged to novelist Sinclair Lewis and is renowned for its spectacular views has been sold by the Carmelite Fathers, a Roman Catholic order, to its next door neighbor for $2.1 million.
According to transactions recorded April 17 in the Northern Berkshire Registry of Deeds in Adams, the Carmelite Fathers sold the property at 239 Oblong Road to Linda H. White of 237 Oblong Road for $2.1 million.
Subsequently, that transaction was followed by three others.
The middle, 50-acre lot containing the 10-bedroom house and buildings, was sold to the KRSE Nominee Trust for $900,000.
Another parcel, of forest and uplands, was sold to the Macomber Mountain Nominee Trust for $10.
And White transferred, for no consideration, 101 acres to herself and her husband, Dr. Eric White.
Linda White, contacted by telephone, said “Our aim has always been to maintain the integrity of the property, and we think we’ve accomplished that.â€
Neither attorney Adam Filson, trustee of the KRSE Nominee Trust, nor attorney F. Sidney Smithers, trustee of the Macomber trust, would disclose the identities of the principals of the trust.
Filson said the house will be a private residence, not multi-family. There are no plans to demolish the buildings, which include a 22,000-square-foot concrete block addition that houses a chapel, dining hall and 30 dormitory rooms.
The Carmelite Fathers most recently operated the property as a retreat center.
But when it went on the market last year, a Carmelite spokesman in Middletown, N.Y., said the order planned to concentrate on its missions in Southeast Asia and the Caribbean.
The 1916 house, then called Thorvale, was home to Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Sinclair Lewis for five years, until 1951. The Carmelite Fathers bought it the following year for $60,000.
White is director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s Greylock Theater Project in North Adams. Eric White is an orthopedic surgeon at North Adams Regional Hospital.
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Weekend Outlook: Snow Days
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
Check out the events happening in Berkshire County this weekend including fundraisers, snow events, and more.
Editor's Pick
Community Free Day
Mass MoCA, North Adams
Time: Saturday, 10 to 5
Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art opens its galleries for a community celebration. Includes thematic museum tours and art-making in Kidspace and a performance by devynn emory at 4 p.m. in Building 5 to activate Jeffrey Gibson's exhibition "Power Full Because We're Different.
The Nothing Birds are a four-piece indie rock band from North Adams and Elenor Levine has been writing music for almost two decades, performing on stages including Mass MoCA.
Murder Mystery Dinner and Show
Greenock Country Club, Lee
Time: 6 p.m.
The Lee Middle and High School travel group is hosting an '80s murder-mystery fundraiser at the club. Buffet-style dinner and active participation in the show.
Bousquet Mountain Grommie Jam
Bousquet Mountain, Pittsfield
Time: 11 a.m.
Grommie Jam is a community get-together where skiers and riders ages 16 and younger come together. Open to all with a valid lift ticket or season pass; prizes from Berkshire Bike & Board.
Family Friendly Outdoor Adventures
Mount Greylock Visitor Center, Lanesborough
Time: 1 to 3 p.m.
Enjoy winter at Mount Greylock with hot cocoa and campfires. Also enjoy outdoor activities like snow tubing, a snowshoe walk, and a mindfulness hike along the Bradley Farm trail.
Registration is required for the walk; call the visitor center at 413-499-4262.
Ghost Tour with Robert Oakes
Ventfort Hall and Mansion, Lenox
Time: 7 to 9 p.m.
The Gilded Age mansion hosts a tour with "Ghosts of the Berkshires" author Robert Oakes, who will lead guests through the rooms and halls of the estate, sharing tales of its hauntings.
Admission is $30 and the minimum age to attend is age 12. Reservations are required. Purchase tickets here.
The nonprofit organization on Tuesday celebrated its more than 60 volunteers who spent more than 8,500 hours last year feeding the community.
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The college's search firm WittKieffer has already received 14 completed applications with another 15 expressing interest, said Trustees President Buffy Lord, and had more than 80 responses in the five days since the posting went up.
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Wendy Penner can be found pretty much everywhere: leading local initiatives to address climate change and sustainability, championing public health approaches for substance abuse, and motivating citizens to defend their rights and the rights of others. click for more
Pupils at Brayton Elementary got to taste test a new side dish as chef Kyle Zegel passed out cups cider-glazed carrots on Friday for the children to try. click for more