image description — Katydid Cottage hearkens back to another age but has been completely renovated for modern living.

Friday Front Porch Feature: Katydid Cottage in Lee

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:20PM / Friday, September 05, 2025Print Story | Email Story

LEE, Mass. — Are you looking for a home with enough space for a big family? Then this is the house for you.

Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing a house at 850 Summer St.

The house was built in 1920 and exists as a free-standing condominium on the Fox Hollow campus with access to Laurel Lake.

It features five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms within its 2,800 square feet, along with a detached two-car garage. The structure has been completely renovated, with wood floors throughout, three bedrooms with en suites, and a bright and sunny kitchen with updated appliances.

The home has stacked bay windows and a turret room.

The 2013 renovation included new siding, insulation, replacement windows, central air conditioning. The house also received a new house generator in 2022 and a high-efficiency Viessmann natural gas boiler in 2023.

The asking price is $979,000.

We spoke to Katie Williams from Stone House Properties, which has the listing.

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

From the central air-conditioning to a renovated kitchen, this property is truly move-in ready!

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

Bright! There is a ton of natural light coming through the 42 replacement windows throughout the house.

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

The Fox Hollow campus has a rich history dating back to the Gilded Age, when the property was once home to George Westinghouse of the Westinghouse Electric Co., and later the Vanderbilt family.

What kind of buyer do you see this home being perfect for?

This home is perfect for someone who wants modern convenience alongside historic charm.

Are there any standout design features or recent renovations?

The home was renovated top to bottom in 2012, including a new two-car garage and large sunny kitchen.

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

The space is cozy yet spacious. There is plenty of room for guests, while still being comfortable for everyday living.

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

*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.

Tags: front porch, Real Estate,

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If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Free Pet Food Drive-Thru in Becket

10:43AM / Friday, February 06, 2026

BECKET, Mass. — Berkshire Humane Society will give out bags of cat and dog food to pet owners in need during a drive-thru event this Saturday, Feb. 7 from 9:00 – 11:00 am, at the Becket Washington School Parking Lot, 12 Maple Street in Becket.

The drive-thru is in conjunction with the Becket Food Pantry.

Cat and dog owners can drive up to the distribution point and remain in their vehicle while someone takes their order and loads it into their vehicle. Cat owners will get a 6-pound bag of food and dog owners will get a 20-pound bag, no questions asked. The event is open to all, regardless of enrollment in Berkshire Humane Society's Pet Food Bank or participation in the Becket Food Pantry and is made possible by donations from Wendy and James Martin of the Martin Family Donor Advised Fund, the Eichenbaum/Archer Family Foundation and an anonymous private foundation.

"We gave out nearly 7,200 pounds of pet food in our holiday drive-thrus in Great Barrington, North Adams and Pittsfield," said John Perreault, Berkshire Humane Society's Executive Director. "People not only drove, but walked up to those events. I can't tell you how many of them told us how thankful they were for help feeding their cats or dogs," he said. "With the cold weather lately, we don't want people choosing between staying warm and feeding themselves or their cats their pets. With this event, we're hoping to reach more folks in the hilltowns. Thanks to our generous donors, we have more than 7,500 pounds of pet food to do just that! Thank you to the Becket Food Pantry for making the event possible."

Berkshire Humane Society's Food Pantry events are part of the nonprofit's efforts to keep families together and prevent people from feeling they must surrender their pet to the shelter. Other programs include the shelter's monthly Pet Food Bank, to which drive-thru recipients may enroll; low-cost spay and neuter and other veterinary services at the Society's Wellness Clinic; and dog obedience classes at Family Dog School.

Berkshire Humane Society also accepts donations to provide pet food for more families in need. Monetary donations are preferred because the shelter has agreements with pet food companies to buy nutritious food at a bulk rate, feeding more animals per donor dollar. For more information about the drive-thru event or making a donation, call 413-447-7878, extension 127.

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