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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
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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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King and Confidantes Debate Hope and Change in 'American Five'

By Alan PetrucelliSpecial to iBerkshires
STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Fiction and fact meld in the regional premiere of "The American Five," now playing at the Larry Vaber Stage of the Unicorn Theatre. 
 
The play takes a fictionalized look at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his four closest confidants in the months leading up to the famed March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. The quintet, through differing opinions, animated arguments, constant threats of violence and a late-night meal featuring challah bread and wine, become a family as they prepare for the history-making march that galvanized the Civil Rights movement.
 
Most of us know the King saga. It's the second act in which playwright Chess Jakobs' genius shines. Prejudice runs rampant here: Is Stanley Levison, a Jewish lawyer from New York who shows up in Montgomery to join the fight for racial equality and "to repair the world," viewed as white? Jewish? Both? And march strategist and organizer Bayard Rustin experiences his own fight for civil rights because of his homosexuality. Here, Jakob explores prejudice on different levels.
 
The cast is top-notch with many emotional highs. As King, Rashun Carter (who would look more like his character if he had a full moustache) and Sydney Elisabeth (as Coretta Scott King) are at their best during a scene that bounces between humor and poignancy. 
 
She questions her husband about his meeting with President John F. Kennedy; he is angry and refuses to discuss it. "There is no 'you' out there, without a 'me,' in here," she says, leading King to agree that because of her self-worth and unwavering devotion to him, she is "Coretta Scott Queen."
 
As Clarence Jones, King's personal counsel, Brett Diggs has assurance and dignity; Harry Smith's portrayal of lawyer Stanley Levison, is nothing short of extraordinary. Destan Owens' performance as gay Bayard Rustin is the play's most outstanding performance as he defends his relations with men: "You don't get to judge me!" he tells King. "I'm just trying to find love."
 
"The American Five" is tightly directed by Gerry McIntyre; the historic period projections and footage/designed by Alex Hill remind people that there are dreams, such as hope and change, that are still being fought.
 
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