Naumkeag gardens Stockbridge, MA

Oct. 12, 2013 Article by Dave Read

Views of the gardens at Naumkeag in Stockbridge, MA and surrounding landscape on an overcast October afternoon during the fall foliage season in the Berkshires. It was the country estate of New York lawyer and politician Joseph Hodges Choate. Stanford White, the famous architect designed it in 1885 and the grounds were upgraded between 1926 and 1956 by Fletcher Steele under the direction of Choate’s daughter Mabel. Upon Choate’s death in 1917, Mabel inherited the estate, where she lived until she died in the 1950’s, bequeathing it, with all furnishings to the Trustees of Reservations, which is the oldest regional land trust in the world.

Photos of Naumkeag gardens Stockbridge, MA

These photos show that even on an overcast day, late in the fall when the leaves have lost most of their autumnal splendor, the Berkshires retain their allure. In a setting such as this one, where the architect manifested a heightened aesthetic be situating the mansion so that is sits opposite the profile view of Monument Mountain, fleeting weather conditions never can mar the view.

With its location on Prospect Hill Rd. your visit will include some of the most beautiful views in the Berkshires, from Stockbridge Bowl near Tanglewood to Monument Mountain near Gt. Barrington.