Berkshire Landscapes Spring 2022 by New England Newspapers, Inc.

Berkshire Landscapes

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Olive oil from Sicily to Great Barrington The elm tree at the ‘Heart of Pittsfield’ Celebrate the Lincoln Memorial Centennial

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TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURES 18

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION Chesterwood marks the 100th anniversary

of the Lincoln Memorial with the premiere of a documentary film about Daniel Chester French and a collaborative art exhibit with the Norman Rockwell Museum.

22 THE SOUL OF A WHALE What would Great Barrington be like without The Prairie Whale? Acclaimed restaurateur Matt Straus thinks we’re lucky we don’t know.

30 A GRAND RETURN Sarah and George Morgan’s Steinway Model A grand piano returns to Ventfort Hall.

36 OLIO NOVELLO IN SICILY Jean-François Bizalion travels from the Berkshires to Italy to celebrate the start of the olive harvest.

48 THE MILL WHISPERER North Adams real estate developer David Moresi sees the potential in old mills. His

Broadway veteran Robert Hartwell will film a documentary-style series that combines history,

historic NORAD Mill.

home restoration and genealogy.

DEPARTMENTS 8 EDITOR’S NOTE SO MUCH TO DO

12 BERKSHIRE BITES 13 NEWS OF NOTE 16

26 TAKE BACK THE HOUSE

latest renovation has sparked new life in the

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ROBERT HARTWELL

FROM THE STACKS

6 Berkshire Landscapes I SPRING 2022

20 40

WHAT A SITE A sundial in Park Square marks the spot of Pittsfield’s Old Elm

DAYS GONE BY Archival photos of the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s extended family of actors

50 LAST WORDS

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Berkshire Landscapes B E R K L A N D S .CO M

VO L . 1, I S S U E 1

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PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER Fredric D. Rutberg frutberg@berkshireeagle.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR Kevin Moran kmoran@berkshireeagle.com CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER Gary Lavariere glavariere@berkshireeagle.com EDITOR Jennifer Huberdeau jhuberdeau@berkshireeagle.com DESIGNER Becky Drees bdrees@berkshireeagle.com DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SERVICES Kate Teutsch kteutsch@berkshireeagle.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

ave you ever tried to describe the Berkshires to someone who has never been here?

Or tried to convey the essence of this region in a few mere sentences? It’s a hard thing to do. Here, at The Eagle, we decided we needed a magazine that allows us to go beyond our weekly arts and culture section of the same name, with newsy interviews and interesting features showcasing what makes the Berkshires the complete package — its vibrant arts and culture scene, its natural beauty, its creative lifestyle and its history. Whether you live in the Berkshires full-time, part-time or are only here for a visit, once you’re here, you know there’s something special about this place, the Berkshires never loses its luster. I’m honored and excited to be the editor of Berkshire Landscapes magazine and to be able to continue telling the stories of the people and places that make the Berkshires such a magical place to live.

Jennifer Huberdeau, editor jhuberdeau@berkshireeagle.com

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SALES Cheryl Gajewski cmcclusky@berkshireeagle.com COPY EDITORS Meggie Baker, Lindsey Hollenbaugh, Jimmy Nesbitt, Tim Jamiolkowski, Tom Tripicco CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Ben Garver, Gillian Jones, Stephanie Zollshan CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jean-François Bizalion, Felix Carroll, Larry Parnass, Matt Straus, Emily Thurlow Berkshire Landscapes is a publication of New England Newspapers Inc.

ON THE COVER: A view of the Berkshires as seen from atop Pittsfield State Forest. STEPHANIE ZOLLSHAN

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SO MUCH TO DO

Must see, Must do in the Berkshires

EAGLE FILE PHOTOS

Taste real maple syrup

Warm days and cool nights get the maple sap flowing and keep maple producers busy. March is the month to visit one of the Berkshires’ many sugarhouses, where you can learn about (and watch) how sap is boiled into syrup and, in many cases, enjoy a pancake breakfast. Don’t forget to buy some to take home with you! Visit massmaple.org for more details about Mass Maple Weekend.

Visit the baby animals

No matter what age you are, there is something comforting about being able to get up close with baby farm animals. At Hancock Shaker Village, you are able to do just that. Help welcome this living history museum’s new flock, beginning April 16. Private tours available. More information: hancockshakervillage.org.

Discover new works of art

Spring art shows are in bloom across the Berkshires. Take in new works by artists Amy Hauft, Lily Cox-Richard and Marc Swanson at Mass MoCA. Explore “BASCOVE: The Time We Spend With Words” at the Norman Rockwell Museum. Take a deeper look how artists depict war at The Clark Art Institute’s “As They Saw It.”

Frolic among the flowers

Where can you stroll through 8 acres, decorated with over 130,000 daffodils and tulips? The world-renowned gardens at Naumkeag, in the heart of Stockbridge, will host its annual Daffodil and Tulip Festival, April 22 to May 15. Tickets sales begin March 19. More information: thetrustees.org.

Celebrate the ‘unofficial’ start of summer with Wilco

Spend one, two or three days at Solid Sound, Wilco’s curated arts and music festival at the Mass MoCA. Wilco, Sylvan Esso and Japanese Breakfast headline, May 27-29. More info: solidsoundfestival.com. ■

SPRING 2022 I Berkshire Landscapes 11

April 8–10

at The Colonial Theatre 111 South Street, Pittsfield

BERKSHIRE BITES

June 23–July 9

at The Unicorn Theatre The Larry Vaber Stage 6 East Street, Stockbridge

Featuring youth actors from the Berkshire community directed by Kathy Jo Grover

B.R.O.K.E.N CODE B.I.R.D SWITCHING directed by Kimille

Howard

music direction by

Erin M. White choreography by

Kathy Jo Grover and Avital Asuleen

July 1–16

at The Colonial Theatre 111 South Street, Pittsfield

July 21–August 20

at The Unicorn Theatre The Larry Vaber Stage 6 East Street, Stockbridge

WINNER!

82012

AWARDS Including

BEST MUSICAL & BEST BOOK FOR A MUSICAL

Once directed by Gregg Edelman musical direction by Andy Taylor movement direction by Isadora Wolfe

directed & choreographed by

Gerry McIntyre Harrell

musical direction by Danté

August 11–27

September 29–October 23

111 South Street, Pittsfield

The Larry Vaber Stage 6 East Street, Stockbridge

at The Colonial Theatre

at The Unicorn Theatre

directed by Eric

directed by David

Hill

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Hungry? There are plenty of new restaurants, pubs and bistros offering a variety of dining experiences. NEW VENUE; NEW MENUS You don’t have to ski to enjoy Lift Bistropub, a new full-service bar and restaurant at Bousquet Mountain. Open year-round, Lift has indoor and outdoor seating, complete with expansive views of the mountain. Its menu ranges from everything from snacks to dinners and desserts. BITCOIN INVESTOR Bitcoin tycoon Ryan Salame, the newly minted CEO of FTX Digital Markets in the Bahamas, has invested about $5 million into Lenox’s downtown restaurant scene. The Sandisfield native owns a half-dozen commercial restaurant properties in Lenox including Firefly Gastropub, Olde Heritage Tavern, Café Lucia and the Scoop. BACK FROM HIATUS Longtime Lenox restaurateur Bjorn Somlo’s prominent Church Street restaurant has evolved to become Nudel Bar: Comfort & Craft. The restaurant shut down in March 2020, periodically resurfacing as pop-up, to-go ventures. In November, Nudel reopened with a new name and a new, seasonally inspire “New American” menu. Gramercy Bistro also is back from a coronavirus pandemic-forced hiatus, reopening in October in a new location in Williamstown, at Water and Main streets. The bistro, previously located in North Adams, opened with largely the same menu — dinner, Sunday brunch and lunch, that will be brought online in May. NEW PITTSFIELD VENUES Flat Burger Society, a burger joint on McKay Street, and RJ’s Restaurant, on First Street, opened in August and September, respectively. Berkshire Palate, the new restaurant in Hotel on North, opened in October. Flat Burger Society’s owners, Austin Oliver and Joe Bowman, operate Thistle & Mirth in Pittsfield. Jose Reyes operates RJ’s with his cousin and business partner, David Reyes. Berkshire Palate is run by Paul Brassard, who owns 413 Bistro and Taproom, located within Hotel Downstreet, on Main Street in North Adams. NEW OWNERS AT CAFÉ TRISKELE Franck Tessier and Rachel Portnoy, longtime owners of Chez Nous in Lee, used a pandemic pause to rebrand and reopened the Main Street restaurant as Café Triskele in April 2021. In December, they sold the restaurant to another husband-and-wife team, Gilbert and Rebecca Clerget, two veteran chefs from the Washington area, one of whom once worked at the White House. ■

N E WS OF NOTE

HANGING MOUNTAIN NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Long coveted by climbers, Hanging Mountain, in Sandisfield, was owned privately until the Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition purchased it in late 2019. The mountain officially opened to the public in October for climbing, hiking and birding. Located just off Route 8 along the Farmington River, 3 miles from the Connecticut border, the 14-acre site has as its centerpiece a striking, 1,000-foot-long series of southeast-facing cliffs — 10 distinct crags in total — ranging in height from about 60 feet to 240 feet. A CHANGING OF THE GUARD Over the past six months, change has come to many Berkshire institutions. In October, Kristy Edmunds stepped into the role of director at the Mass MoCA. Edmunds, who most recently served as the executive and artistic director of UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance, succeeded Joseph Thompson, Mass MoCA’s founding director, who retired after a 32-year run in the top spot. Julianne Boyd, artistic and co-founding director of Barrington Stage Company, is retiring this year. Boyd, who is ending a 26year run, announced her plans in November. A search for her successor is underway.

NYC-TO-PITTSFIELD PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE COULD START THIS SUMMER A proposed pilot of the Berkshire Flyer, a four-hour passenger rail service between New York City and Pittsfield, could happen this summer, although the parties involved — CSX Corp., Amtrak and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation — still need to reach a formal agreement. The Berkshire Flyer, which would be operated by Amtrak, needs to use the Albany, N.Y.-to-Pittsfield stretch of CSX’s Albany-to-Worcester line.

The Williamstown Theatre Festival also has seen a change at the top. Jenny Gersten, who helmed the festival from 2011 to 2014, once again is stepping into the role of artistic director on an interim basis. Gersten replaces Mandy Greenfield, who served as artistic director from 2014 to 2021.

SPRING 2022 I Berkshire Landscapes 13

N E WS OF NOTE

BLANTYRE’S NEW OWNERS FOCUSING ON PRESERVATION, REVITALIZATION

BIKE PATH EXTENSIONS NEAR COMPLETION

The new owners of Blantyre, the 120-year-old a Gilded Age Tudor-style mansion turned luxury hotel in Lenox, plan to emphasize historic preservation and revitalization of the luxury hotel before it reopens in September.

A new section of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, a 1.56-mile extension south from Lanesborough to Crane Avenue in Pittsfield, is expected to open in May.

Ken Fulk and Clark Lyda, historic property redevelopers who purchased the property and accompanying expansion plans for $15 million in November, have prioritized restoring Blantyre — it was built in 1902 as a summer retreat for industrialist Robert Patterson — to its opulence as a world-class destination.

The rail trail, which extends from Adams to Lanesborough, also is inching northward. Although the North Adams path of the rail trail is being finalized, the portion known as the Williamstown bike path, a $5.5 million, 2.4-mile project in the works for more than 10 years, is on track to be completed as early as this fall. The project, stretching from Syndicate Road along the Hoosic River through Linear Park and The Spruces to Route 2, is scheduled to be completed by spring 2023. ■

Always something new to see! BASCOVE: The Time We Spend with Words, March 12 - June 5 The Lincoln Memorial Illustrated, May 7 - September 5 Imprinted: Illustrating Race, June 11 - October 30 NRM.org

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Berkshire authors, Berkshire books From Herman Melville and Edith Wharton to contemporary authors Aimee Molloy and Simon Winchester, the Berkshires always has been an inspirational place authors have called home. Here are the recently published books by Berkshire authors or about the Berkshires. “The Gem of Richmond: A History of Richmond Pond” By The Richmond Pond Association & Richmond Historical Commission A rich history of the life and times of Richmond Pond. This 30-chapter book, recounts the many efforts to balance the tension between the natural habitat, development and recreation. Includes over 200 photos, from the late 1800s to the present day. (The Troy Book Makers, Feb. 2022)

“Rise Above It, Darling” By Judy White Staber In this biographical memoir, Staber recounts the life of her mother, Joan White — actor, director, teacher, producer and (sometimes) mother. White, who spent 65 years as a thespian on stage and screen, worked at The Berkshire Playhouse in Stockbridge from 1960 to 1964. (The Troy Book Makers, Jan. 2022) “Sarah Meets Silas” By Ruth Bass In a prequel to her popu-

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lar novel, “Sarah’s Daughter,” Richmond author Bass shares the story of her young heroine Rose’s mother, Sarah, who, as a young woman, falls in love with Silas Hibbard. (The Troy Book Makers, Dec. 2021) “Justice on the Brink” By Linda Greenhouse Retired journalist and part-time Stockbridge

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resident Greenhouse examines the impact of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death, the rise of Amy Coney Barrett and the 12 months that transformed the Supreme Court. Greenhouse, who won the Pulitzer Prize for her coverage of the Supreme Court, lends readers her unique

“Reading the Gravestones of Old New England” By John G.S. Hanson The epitaphs found in old New England cemeteries hold a great range of poetic messages. While old and etched in stone, their themes are timeless: mourning and faith, grief and hope, loss and memory. Tyringham resident Hanson takes readers on a yearslong walk among gravestones near and far, giving insight into the meaning behind these long-standing thoughts. (McFarland Books, Oct. 2021) ■

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CE N T E N N I A L CE L E B R AT I O N

Celebrate the Lincoln Memorial Centennial in the Berkshires Chesterwood marks anniversary with documentary film premiere, collaborative exhibit at Norman Rockwell Museum BY JENNIFER HUBERDEAU

n May 30, 1922, in a simple ceremony with only three speakers and an estimated crowd of 50,000 onlookers, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C. Seated in places of honor were architect Henry Bacon Jr. and sculptor Daniel Chester French. Bacon modeled the memorial after

the Greek Parthenon, with 36 exterior columns symbolizing the 36 states of the Union at the time of Abraham Lincoln’s death. The interior was designed to have three chambers— two dedicated to his celebrated speeches and a central chamber featuring a sculpture of the president. French personally was selected, by the memorial committee and by Bacon, to sculpt the Lincoln statue. French spent several years researching Lincoln, studying photographs and casts of his hands and face, before designing the 19-foot-tall marble statue of the nation’s 16th president in his studio at Chesterwood, his Gilded Age cottage in

18 Berkshire Landscapes I SPRING 2022

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHESTERWOOD

Daniel Chester French stands with his model of Abraham Lincoln in the Chesterwood studio.

CE N T E N N I A L CE L E B R AT I O N the Glendale section of Stockbridge. A

exhibition highlighting the work of illus-

6-foot-tall model of a seated Lincoln, a

trators and artists who have incorporat-

and the Heritage Film Project, spans

plaster cast sent off to be used to carve

ed the Lincoln Memorial into their art as

French’s formative years studying with

the monument, can be seen at the studio,

a symbolic element.

May Alcott, his neighbor in Concord;

now a historic site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Approximately 50 historical and con-

The documentary, by Montes-Bradley

apprenticing with American sculptor

temporary artworks by noted illustra-

Thomas Ball in Florence, Italy; estab-

tors and cartoonists will be featured, as

lishing a studio in Greenwich Village;

blocks of Georgia marble by French’s

will archival photographs, sculptural

and then finding his true creative home

longtime collaborators, the Piccirilli

elements, artifacts and ephemera. The

at Chesterwood, where he built a new

brothers, who ran New York’s premier

exhibit will runs May 4 to Sept. 5.

studio, home and gardens that he fondly

The iconic statue was carved from 28

marble-cutting workshop. The brothers cut the marble in their New York studio to match French’s designs before moving them to Washington, where French perfected the intricately carved pieces. You won’t have to travel to the nation’s

DOCUMENTARY FILM “Daniel Chester French: American Sculptor,” the first documentary to focus on French, will premiere at 7 p.m. May 26, at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts

referred to as “six months in heaven.” The film also looks at the aesthetic and political significance of French’s hundreds of public sculptures.

MEMORIAL DAY CELEBRATION

Center in Great Barrington. Opening

On May 30, from noon to 3 p.m., Ches-

remarks will be presented by Michael

terwood celebrates the centennial of the

Bobbitt, executive director of the Mass

Lincoln Memorial with family-friendly

memoration in the Berkshires.

Cultural Council. The screening will be

activities, including live music by the

LINCOLN MEMORIAL ILLUSTRATED

followed by a panel discussion with the

Berkshire Jazz Collective, a special Lin-

filmmaker Eduardo Montes-Bradley,

coln tour and readings from the memo-

The Norman Rockwell Museum, in

Lincoln scholar Harold Hozer and Amer-

rial-dedication event 100 years ago, all at

collaboration with Chesterwood, opens

ican art specialist Thayer Tolles. Tickets

reduced admission. More information at

“The Lincoln Memorial Illustrated,” an

available at mahaiwe.org.

chesterwood.org. ■

capital to celebrate the Lincoln Memorial’s centennial, as there will be several opportunities this May to mark the com-

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WH AT A S I T E

‘The Heart of Pittsfield’ A sundial in Park Square marks the spot of Pittsfield’s Old Elm BY JENNIFER HUBERDEAU

PITTSFIELD Thwack! The woodsman’s ax sank into the tree. He loosened it from the trunk of the American elm, raised his ax once more and prepared to swing. But, this time, his blow would not connect with the tree. He would not even swing the ax, its path now blocked by Lucretia Williams. Williams, hearing the ax sing, rushed from her nearby home into the center of town and thrust herself between the ax man and the tree, declaring, “You will have to cut through me first.” Startled, the ax man stopped, much to the chagrin of the men who had hired him. The tree must fall, the town elders decreed, for this was to be the spot of the new Meeting House. Hearing the commotion outside, Lucretia’s husband, John Chandler Williams, a well-respected attorney and one of the most influential residents of Pittsfield in 1790, rushed to the side of his wife. In the moments that followed, he would strike a deal with the fledgling community — he would trade a portion of his estate to preserve the tree. The bargain accepted, Pittsfield built Bulfinch Church, named for its architect, Col. Charles Bulfinch, who also designed the Statehouse in Boston, Faneuil Hall and the U.S. Capitol building. In return, the land immediately surrounding the beloved “Old Elm” would become the Meeting House Common, or, as we know it, Park Square. Lucretia Williams was not the first to protect the Old Elm from a woodcutter’s ax. In 1752, just 38 years earlier, the tree had been spared by Capt. Charles Goodrich. Goodrich arrived, in what would become Pittsfield, in 1752, with the city’s first permanent settlers. It would be another

20 Berkshire Landscapes I SPRING 2022

JENNIFER HUBERDEAU

This sundial, donated in 1903 by the Daughters of the American Revolution, is near the original spot of the “Old Elm,” felled in 1864. At one point, the sundial had been vandalized, stolen and, when recovered, stored away. It was rededicated by a group of Pittsfield High School students in March 1992. The students, who were studying the city’s monuments and markers, located it and had it repaired and returned.

year before their small village of 200 was incorporated as Pontoosuck Plantation and nine years before it was incorporated as the township of Pittsfield. In 1764, Goodrich was hired to survey the land and plot out the village center. He chose the most obvious landmark as his starting point — an American elm that towered over all else. From there, he plotted out the roads that would run north, south, east and west. But, he would not let the men hired to clear the land remove the giant elm. As the story goes, Goodrich stopped a woodsman’s ax two blows in. Instead, he said, the road would go around the tree.

“The Heart of Pittsfield.” It was here that

A LIFE SPARED

promotion (hardly a fair), in the shade of

Its life spared, the tree and the plot of land surrounding it became known as

the Old Elm, would lead to a much more

soldiers mustered before heading out to fight in the French and Indian War. In 1777, men rallied beneath its branches before heading out to join their Revolutionary brothers, the Green Mountain Boys at the Battle of Bennington. The Old Elm also would host the nation’s first agricultural fair, in 1807. Elkanah Watson, a farmer and entrepreneur who is credited with the invention of the agricultural fair, had moved to Pittsfield to farm merino sheep. In 1807, he tied two sheep to the elm, as a way to promote his sheep and the fine wool they produced. The success of this small

ambitious fair in 1810, with a cattle show

WH AT A S I T E and entertainment. In 1824, Revolutionary War hero General Lafayette (Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette) gave a speech to 3,500 people near the Old Elm. The elm also would inspire artists, such as James Clews who, in 1826, included the Old Elm and Park Square in his designs for the now-famous Staffordshire Pottery Blue Tansferware china dinnerware collection, “A Winter View of Pittsfield, Massachusetts.” Authors Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville also would take inspiration, each writing about it. But, the beloved tree could not last forever. It was prone to lightning strikes, which readily were reported on by The Pittsfield Sun and The Berkshire County Evening Eagle. In 1864, the decision was made to spare it from any more agony. The city hired a contractor to remove the tree at the cost of $5. The contractor, in turn, hired a “skilled young Black man named Sylvanus Grant” to cut down the tree. There is no record of what Grant was paid.

The tree, when cut down, was measured. In all, it was 128 feet tall and its trunk was more than 29 feet in circumference. By a count of its rings, it was estimated to be 314 years old. Its wood was sold for $10, and two chairs were hewn from it — one for the First Church, the other for City Hall. Souvenirs made from its wood readily were available for purchase. On June 23, 1903, the Peace Party Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution marked the location of the Old Elm with a sundial, which still can be found there today. The local affiliate was named for the Peace Party House, which once hosted a lavish party in celebration of the signing of the Treaty of Paris. The party, which lasted three days, featured plenty of food, including platters of goose and turkey and half a roasted ox. The hostess? Lucretia Williams, owner of the Peace Party House and savior of the Old Elm. ■

Above, the “Old Elm” of Park Square might be the most “literary tree” in America. Herman Melville mentions it in “Moby-Dick;” Nathaniel Hawthorne describes it in “American Notebooks,” and Oliver Wendell Holmes mentions it in “The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table.”

Lee Bank & Roots Rising

CULTIVATING COMMUNITY

The Soul of a

WHALE

PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE ZOLLSHAN

The Prairie Whale’s bar, just inside the front door, shows the intimacy of the space.

What would Great Barrington be like without The Prairie Whale? Restaurateur Matt Straus thinks we’re lucky we don’t know. BY MATT STRAUS GREAT BARRINGTON “If you want to know the essence of

business, nothing is a fluke. Even if you tried to add something artificial — some

crannies than one ever will see. From the bar, just inside the front

a restaurant in the Berkshires, visit it

flashy sconces, a breed of beef from

door, in the center of the space, there

after the weather turns,” said nobody,

Japan that nobody’s ever heard of — it

are modestly sized dining rooms — six

ever, so far as I know. But, it was an

wouldn’t work anyway. At age nine, a

or eight tables each — to the left and

inescapable impression on a recent night

restaurant is what it has wanted to be all

the right, and nothing more. There is an

on Main Street in Great Barrington:

these years, and never more transpar-

intimacy to the space, conferred by the

The first flakes of snow were falling

ently so than when life turns inside in

low ceilings, and perhaps by inheritance

after dark, and I peered into the organic

the colder months.

— courtesy of the families that probably

machinery of The Prairie Whale. I say organic because the restau-

One gets the feeling when seated somewhere in the colonial-style home

rant just celebrated its ninth birthday,

that is The Prairie Whale that there are

and after nine years in the restaurant

many more rooms, alcoves, nooks and

22 Berkshire Landscapes I SPRING 2022

lived in the house since the early 18th century or before. On the evening of a recent visit, an easygoing Monday night, memories

The castelfranco salad, served with orange, radish, candied almonds, piave cheese and horseradish dressing.

The dining room is filled with alcoves and nooks. Local farm suppliers are listed in the dining room.

of previous visits, of quaint summer evenings on the veranda or the lawn out front, tomato salads, linen shirts, perspiring glasses of Provençale rosé, were squarely in the rearview mirror. The place was loud and boisterous; the colonial’s bones were enjoying a bit of a Whale-style dust-up. Journey and Tom Waits were the tame selections on the playlist, joined not just by Deadbolt, but also by The Dead Boys. Those among the service staff not carrying plates through the room, or dancing

half-dozen employees munching french

beans, the leafy green called spigariel-

fries with cocktails in hand, and vague

lo, and rocketship romesco, which was

dimensions of an educational tasting of

quite generally spiced, as is the case

some bottles from the top shelf.

with most everything that comes out of

This is not a place where you might

the belly, er, kitchen of the Whale.

behind the bar and making drinks, were

expect to find poached fish in a but-

gathered on stools at the bar, drinking

ter sauce, and indeed, you do not. My

most always seems somewhat irreverent.

drinks. By the time I left, there were a

mahi-mahi was served over cranberry

“Pig Head Rillettes,” especially 

The food is usually delicious, and al-

SPRING 2022 I Berkshire Landscapes 23

G RE AT E AT S

The Prairie Whale restaurant in Great Barrington serves a menu that evades catorization. The Whale, “goes out on a limb” and does so “with a measure of modesty,” says Matt Straus.

when named that way, draw a certain

This is partly because a restaurant

line in the sand. The towering mound

such as this, that goes out on a limb

of castelfranco salad I ate before my

as a matter of course and imbues that

fish arrived included cubes (parmentier

risk-taking with a measure of modesty

cuts) of butternut squash and apple, and

(most larger portions are priced from

was showered in judiciously candied

$20 to $30), deserves a bit of latitude. You

pumpkin seeds.

don’t expect your headbanger daughter to come down the stairs in the morning

The cuisine Chez Whale, the menu as a whole, does not seem much interested

in a skirt and a pressed cardigan, and

to be categorized. There are nods to

neither should you be surprised when

Americana, like fried chicken and mac

something racy in some dish doesn’t

and cheese; but a tagliatelle dish, with

seem quite right.

bacon, broccoli raab and egg yolk, could

A few weeks before I ordered ma-

show up, verbatim, as carbonara in a Ro-

hi-mahi with spigariello, I was served

man osteria. The pig’s head is joined in

a side portion of the vegetable that was

the roster of smaller dishes by chichar-

virtually all stems, and was not the most

rones, the fried pork skin that is a staple

delicious thing I ever ate. On the other

of many Latin American cuisines.

hand, how downright thrilling it is to find a wonderful and generally still-ob-

In fact, the menu design seems to

scure green like spigariello in a restau-

thrive on risks and tweaks, and the choices of many ingredients further

with coriander pickles and aioli flavored

betray an experimental streak. Fish and

with urfa, a Turkish chile pepper.

chips, often accompanied by nothing but

In about a dozen visits to The Prairie

rant kitchen so far from an urban hub. The offerings at The Prairie Whale, in spite of its Brooklyn genealogy, most

a bottle of malt vinegar, was prepared

Whale in the last year or so, my disap-

remind me of a restaurant called Nopa,

that night with mackerel, and served

pointments have been very few, indeed.

in my old hometown of San Francisco

24 Berkshire Landscapes I SPRING 2022

G RE AT E AT S

New deli coming April 2022

The “Pig Head Rillettes’ appetizer, served with pickled vegetables and grilled sesame bread.

which is another place with spirit animals like pork chops, french fries, spigariello on romesco and a well-made Sazerac. The spaces hardly could be more different (Nopa was built in a former bank, with 40-foot ceilings), but both ambitious dinner spots are perhaps primarily moored in their love of cocktails and spirits, and the ingredient-driven fearlessness of their kitchens. While they are certainly not for everyone or every occasion, you can feel their personalities from the sidewalk. I used to wonder what Divisadero Street in San Francisco would be without Nopa, and I have that same feeling of indispensability about The Prairie Whale. How lucky it is for Great Barrington and for the greater area to have a place like this in the mix, and in spite of other fine eateries in the area, how diminished it would be without it. It is a restaurant with sophistication and local appeal in just the right places and proportions. After nine years, as it looks out on the north side of town from its slope-side perch, it feels like part of the natural landscape. ■ Matt Straus is the owner of Heirloom Café, a San Francisco restaurant, and recently bought the former Williamsville Inn in West Stockbridge. He has worked at renowned restaurants in Boston and Los Angeles. He was named one of the top sommeliers of 2011 by Food and Wine Magazine.

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TA K I N G BACK T H E H O U S E

‘Not your typical

HOME RENOVATION’

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ROBERT HARTWELL

In the renovating process, Hartwell said he hopes to honor the 200-year-old home’s architectural integrity while also staying true to his own past by bringing in Black designers and artisans.

Broadway veteran to film documentary-style series that combines history, home renovation and genealogy BY EMILY THURLOW

GREAT BARRINGTON

ctor Robert Hartwell is no ...stranger to the spotlight or the stage. But, this spring, instead of the lights from Broadway, the lights that might be shining on him likely will be more

4,500-square-foot mansion. In his poat, he wrote that when he contacted the seller, he was told that it was a “cash-only offer” and that the seller stated he was sure that “it took [Robert] off the table.” He noted that the house was constructed for the Russell family, who were textile manufacturers working with cotton and wool. Slavery at the time, he wrote, was still legal. “I know this house is bigger than me. I wish I could’ve told

recessed, pendant-style, or even from a chandelier or two. And

my ancestors when they were breaking their backs in 1820 to

the stage, well, that will be the steps up to his own 1820 colo-

build this house that 200 years later a free gay black man was

nial Great Barrington home as he stars in and co-executive

going to own it and fill it with love and find a way to say their

produces a home-renovation series.

name even when 200 years later they still thought I would be

Hartwell, whose credits include “Motown” and “Hello, Dolly!”, purchased his Castle Street home this past Juneteenth, and his story went viral on Instagram, garnering more than 505,000 likes after he posted a photo of himself in front of the

‘off the table’,” he wrote. “We are building our own tables. I’ve never been prouder to be a black man.” Months before the purchase, Hartwell lost his Aunt Paulette to COVID-19. Her passing was truly devastating, he said. 

Left, “I immediately just knew: ‘This is going to be my house’,” Hartwell said when he saw the 1820 colonial home in Great Barrington.

SPRING 2022 I Berkshire Landscapes 27

TA K I N G BACK T H E H O U S E After shutting himself away in his bed-

magazine National Review, which as-

room, his stepmother coaxed him to go

serted that Hartwell had manufactured

out and get some fresh air. He complied

a racial past about the property. In a previous interview, Hartwell

and went for a walk in the park near his Manhattan apartment with a House

explained that his words were intended

Beautiful magazine in hand. Along the

for friends and family, and were taken

way, he stumbled upon an article about

out of context and morphed into an ar-

a family who purchased a home right

gument about whether enslaved Blacks

on the Great Barrington border and

in Massachusetts built the house, brick

described it as a “sanctuary” property.

by brick. The house’s builder, Dr. David Leaven-

“That level of freedom they described … and to be able to get in my car to go

worth, had Black servants in his house-

upstate to have space and air … their

hold in the year that it was constructed

thoughts really resonated with me and I

— the same year that 425,000 Black people were held as slaves in Virginia,

felt like I could really use a sanctuary of

which included Hartwell’s ancestors.

my own at that point,” he said.

But, researching Black history is often

Those words led the founder and artis-

missing or incomplete.

tic director of musical theater academy

Since the purchase, Hartwell has

Broadway Collective to Zillow, where

continued looking into the history of his

he would discover his now Castle Street

new home and the town it resides in.

home, after only viewing two other properties online. “I immediately just knew: ‘This is going to be my house’,” he recalled. In the wake of his viral post, Hart-

“I’ve been buying books on Amazon

Hartwell performed in the Tony Award-winning revival of “Hello, Dolly!” starring Bette Midler, in 2017.

and doing a deep dive on the life of

CBS News and Fox News, and at People.

cess, especially, I was researching every

well’s story received media coverage in

com. He also received some criticism

the New York Post and Daily Mail, on

from publications like the conservative

W.E.B. Du Bois. During the buying proday,” he said. CREATING A SANCTUARY Before Hartwell purchased the Castle

SEASON

Street property, he said, the property was used as a medical facility. “It has been decades since it was an actual home,” he said.

ON SALE NOW Tickets to the Classics!

Hartwell, a native of Raleigh, N.C., says that his new home has inspired him to delve into his own lineage. The first time he entered the home and strolled up the stairs, he noticed a wall on the left-hand side of the stairs. “It’s a bare white wall that has some plaster chipping. But I didn’t just see the chipping plaster when I looked at it. When I saw that wall, I could see my family tree on that wall. I could only visually see the frames. It was like a movie playing in my mind and I have to connect these dots,” he said. “I have always been fascinated by history. ... You can’t really tell your whole story unless you have a chance to go back and find the pieces. I’ve been running in my career really quickly, but now it’s time to pause, remember, learn and celebrate.”

Left to Right: Malcolm Ingram andTamara Hickey, Heisenburg, 2018. Photo by Daniel Rader.

70 Kemble Street Lenox, MA 01240 28 Berkshire Landscapes I SPRING 2022

413.637.3353

SHAKESPEARE.ORG

In creating a sanctuary of his own, the house will be undergoing extensive renovations that will be documented via BlackManWhiteHouse.co. His

TA K I N G BACK T H E H O U S E

MOVE TO THE BERKSHIRES FOR A LITTLE BEAUTY

PHOTO PROVIDED BY BJORN BOLINDER VIA ROBERT HARTWELL

Robert Hartwell is founder and artistic director of The Broadway Colllective, where he is training the next generation of Broadway artists.

restoration efforts have evolved into a

to see the way that we are intending to

documentary-style five-part TV series,

tell this story,” he said. “I want to make

“Taking Back the House,” starring

it honestly and tell the real story. I want

Hartwell, from Property Brothers stars

people to know that you don’t magically

Drew and Jonathan Scott, co-produced

get money for a renovation. There were

by OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network and

a lot of sleepless nights.”

corporate cousin HGTV in its first-ever

Hartwell hopes to encourage others

partnership. Hartwell will serve as the

in the Black millennial community that

production’s executive producer alongside the Scott brothers. “But this is not your typical home renovation show. It’s not just a before and after. You’ll get history, story and renovation,” Hartwell said. “You’ll get the opportunity to learn about the history and region, and I will be uncovering my own family history that is so unknown because, you know, Black people, at that time of construction of this home, we were tally marks. We did not have names. If we did, it may only be a first name.” The show also will take viewers through the home-buying process, including securing financing. Hartwell says he feels it’s important to not present a false reality on the challenges of the process. He wants to detail how he is learning along the way as he renovates his 200-year-old home while honoring his

they do have buying and investment power, and have agency to share stories and insist on making room for others. He also notes that he has no misconception that in digging into his ancestry, there might be things there that will be unsettling. “I know there will be some painful things that come up. I don’t think anyone wants to know that their lineage is shrouded in oppression and shrouded in the slave trade, but that is the reality of being a Hartwell in America,” he said. “I’m blessed to know we will have the resources to put together historical pieces that I would never be able to put together on my own.” Along the way, viewers also will get a peek at interactions with Hartwell’s inner circle of friends and family. Hartwell expects that construction

past and the architectural integrity of

and filming will begin in the spring.

the home. Along the way, he’ll be bring-

Filming should be wrapped up by the

ing in Black designers and artisans. At

end of this year with a slated show pre-

the end of each episode, a room will be

miere in early 2023.

unveiled to show the fruits of their labor. “I think it’s going to be quite stunning

REPRESENTING BUYERS AND SELLERS OF REAL ESTATE

“I’m so excited to see the home begin to come to life again,” he said. ■

SPRING 2022 I Berkshire Landscapes 29

A GRAND RETURN

PHOTO PROVIDED BY VENTFORT HALL

30 Berkshire Landscapes I SPRING 2022

A GRAND RETURN

A Steinway piano returns

home to Ventfort Hall

Sarah and George Morgan’s Model A grand had remained within the family BY FELIX CARROLL LENOX

orn in the spring of 1895, it spent its formitive years at Ventfort Hall, the Morgan family’s country estate in Lenox.

Then, in the 1920s, it set off on an odyssey spanning thousands of miles and nearly 100 years. No small feat for a 6-foot grand piano. During that century away, the piano — a Steinway — lived the posh life on Park Avenue in New York City. It eventually headed down to entertain the well-heeled socialites of George-

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY VENTFORT HALL

Sarah Spencer Morgan, sister of J.P. Morgan, sits second from the bottom stair, surrounded by her children and granddaughter on the veranda of Ventfort Hall. Seated to her right is daughter, Caroline Lucy Morgan, granddaughter, Sarah Morgan (later Gardner), daughter-in-law, Josephine Perry Morgan. Below, left, son, Junius Spencer Morgan II. Above, left, son, George Denison Morgan.

town, in Washington, D.C. It made its way across the country to Portland, Ore., where a teenage boy would come home from school, open the French doors and entertain the neighbors with Beethoven, Bach, Coldplay: What do you want to hear? Last fall, the folks at Ventfort Hall Mansion & Gilded Age Museum rejoiced in its homecoming, inviting guests to a 

Above, Pianist Amy Renak, of Pittsfield, plays the Morgan family’s Steinway Model A during a concert at Ventfort Hall in November. JENNIFER HUBERDEAU

SPRING 2022 I Berkshire Landscapes 31

A GRAND RETURN

BEN GARVER

This particular piano — a Model A grand, its serial number, 81766, etched and intact — was built in 1895 and shipped to a customer at 104 Walker St., Lenox, on May 29, 1895. The customers were Sarah and George H. Morgan, owners of Ventfort Hall.

been the Morgans, at Ventfort Hall.

musical celebration to mark the return of

family of bankers, the Morgans had

a grand piano with a rosewood veneer, 88

their Lenox country estate, Ventfort

notes and a sonic force that’s velvety rich.

Hall, furnished, fitted and completed

in the salon, which was also known as

for them in 1893. (Sarah, by the way,

the Music Room,” said Haley Barbieri,

was the sister of financier J. P. Morgan,

Ventfort’s volunteer coordinator and

and if that sounds confusing, just know

acting executive director. “And it’s also

details. A letter written by a grand-

that Sarah and George shared the same

where the ladies would go at the end of

mother to a grandson traces the piano’s

last name before they were married.

an evening. When the Morgans would

CALL IT THE PRODIGAL PIANO. A woman in Oregon can fill in the

movements over time. And like a forensic

George was a cousin.)

“The piano, we think, originally sat

have parties, they would have quartets

expert dusting for prints, the Berkshires’

The piano, which would have been

come and play. But just for the daily

renowned piano technician, Terry Flynn,

a central source of entertainment in

musical needs, they would have this

spent a couple days with it and will hap-

those pre-radio days, came a couple of

piano there on hand.”

pily share his notes. (Spoiler alert: “It’s a

years later.

wonderful piano,” he said.)

Because it’s a Steinway and because

Following the death of George Morgan in 1911 (Sarah died in 1896), the

Steinway keeps meticulous records

executive of his estate, representing his

has returned to its original home is the

dating back to its founding in 1853 in

three adult children and second wife,

other near miracle that, all the while, it

New York City and because this piano

auctioned off nearly all of the furnish-

has remained in the same family. That is

came with a document attesting to its

ings, except for a few select items. In

to say, the family beginning with George

provenance, we know a few vital details

1925, the estate, too, was sold.

Second only to the fact that the piano

Hale Morgan and his wife, Sarah Spencer Morgan. Let’s begin with the beginning. SPECIAL DELIVERY Members of the famed New York City

32 Berkshire Landscapes I SPRING 2022

for sure. This particular piano — a Model A

A letter written in 2011 by the Morgan’s great-granddaughter, Caroline

grand, its serial number, 81766, etched

Morgan Macomber, spells out the piano’s

and intact — was built in 1895 and

whereabouts in the decades since the

shipped to a customer at 104 Walker St. in

1920s. All along the way, the piano ap-

Lenox on May 29, 1895. That would have

pears to have been played and prized.

A GRAND RETURN After Ventfort Hall, its first stop was an apartment in an elegant building at 550 Park Ave., in Manhattan, the home of the Morgan’s daughter, Caroline Lucy Morgan. It stayed put there until Caroline’s death, in 1942, when it was passed to her brother Junius’ son (George and Sarah’s grandson), Alexander Morgan (father of Caroline Morgan Macomber), who had it moved a few blocks to the north, to his home at 16 East 74th St. There, according to that letter written by Macomber, “It sat in a rather dark corner of the living room, and I labored long over my practicing.” She also wrote that her father “loved to play — by ear — amazing,” and she referred to his favorite song, one that included the lyrics, “There are smiles that make us happy.” On 74th Street, the piano would apparently bring lots of smiles. Macomber wrote of how “occasionally a fine pianist would come to play — fond memories!” Her letter mentions another move, this time, years later, to the place she would come to call home: the 14th floor of 770

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Park Ave., an address and elevation “that sent it to new heights!” She wrote of how a Russian pianist named Larissa would come by. She’d play “mighty Russian pieces” that were “superb!” With Macomber’s move in the 1990s down to Georgetown, the piano would accompany her. This handwritten letter, Macomber’s letter, was written to her teenage grandson, Coleridge “Cole” Williamson. That’s an important detail. By means of her letter, she was gifting the piano to him. She had it shipped from Georgetown all the way out to Portland, Ore., where furniture was shoved out of the way to make room. Her letter concluded with one piece of advice, followed by one request. The advice was that Cole someday visit Ventfort Hall “and see where the piano first lived.” And the request was that “if ever no one in the family wants it after you … I would like it to be sent back to Ventfort and complete the circle.” ‘IT’S THE RIGHT THING’ Cole loved the piano, said his 

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A GRAND RETURN mother, Janet Morgan Macomber Williamson, the great-great granddaughter

pense and give the piano to the museum

classical. He would play pop.

because it’s such a good thing for the said Williamson. “It’s the right thing.

front hall and go sit down at the piano,

Cole’s pleased.”

and I could tell what sort of day he had,”

It should be noted that the folks at

his mom said. “He either played lightly or

Ventfort Hall were well aware the estate

he’d bang away, like, ‘OK, not such a good

originally had a piano. It’s shown in the

day at school, Cole?’”

background of at least one photograph from back in the day, said Barbieri. But

genius computer programmer” (his

they had no idea of its whereabouts or

mom said) and with little time and no

even whether it had survived the years.

space to devote to a 126-year-old family heirloom. Williamson said that when she recently decided to move into a smaller

The call from Portland came as a shock, a happy surprise. Since Ventfort Hall was saved from

house, keeping the piano was no longer

demolition in 1997, the mansion has been

an option.

painstakingly restored back to its 1890s

“It takes up a lot of space,” she said.

glory. Still, except for a few items —

After much discussion among family,

including Sarah’s monogrammed bed lin-

Cole decided the piano’s next move was

ens, a pair of traveling trunks, two pairs

one preordained by his grandmother.

of wall sconces, a few books, table linens,

They contacted Ventfort Hall last spring

and some photographs — the museum

and not only offered the piano free of

has few items original to the Morgans.

charge, but they also paid for its shipping

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museum and the piano and our family,”

every day, put his school bag down in the

Cole is now 28, still in Portland, “a

The Morgan family’s Steinway Model A piano after a concert in November. Janet Morgan Macomber Williamson, a descendent of Sarah and George Morgan, was on hand to hear the piano played in its original home.

“We were happy to cover that ex-

of George and Sarah. He would play “He would come home from school

JENNIFER HUBERDEAU

across the country.

“It’s so great to have this original piece,

A GRAND RETURN and that it’s a piano,” said Barbieri. “People can look at it, of course, but we

tal tension.

dence once again in a drafty old mansion.

The piano is 6 feet, 2 inches long, and

To that end, Ventfort has begun a

can also use it and be able to share music

by the time it was built in 1895, “Stein-

fundraising campaign for maintenance of

with people.”

way was at the top of their game,” Fly-

the piano. The campaign launched with

nn said. “They dominated the concert

a concert on Sunday, Nov. 7, a piano con-

market in the U.S.”

cert, that is. Among the many guests, was

WHAT IT’S MADE OF The piano was returned to Ventfort Hall on July 14, 2021, not by a horsedrawn wagon this time, but by means of an internal combustion engine, a moving truck. The first order of business was to summon a piano forensics unit in the form of Terry Flynn, of Flynn Pianos, in Great Barrington. When we asked him about the piano in early December, Flynn took a moment to fetch his notes. “OK, are you recording this?” he asked. “You might want to record this.”

Steinway’s patented acoustical inno-

Janet Morgan Macomber Williamson,

vations, he said, are embodied in this

who flew in from Oregon, her first ever

particular piano.

visit to Ventfort Hall.

Flynn, who spent a couple of days ser-

“It was fabulous,” she declared.

vicing the piano, made a discovery that

With everything all tightened and

he found delightful. At one point, possi-

tuned by Flynn and with a cavernous

bly in the 1920s or 1930s or even earlier,

room filled with attendees to mark a

this piano was adapted such that a player

yearnful return, the esteemed pianist

piano mechanism could be attached to it.

Amy Renak, of Pittsfield, sat down at the

Flynn said he kept the evidence of this

old Steinway Model A.

intact, “just for fun, for history.” Judged by the material, he also quickly

She prayed a couple of Hail Marys to herself, and then she maneuvered

Record button engaged, Flynn ex-

discerned the piano’s acoustical innards

the piano keys to unlock the old ghosts

plained just about everything a layman

had been rebuilt at some point in the last

from the long-absent, intricately synco-

could possibly wish to know about an

20 to 30 years, which would be typical for

pated gay 1890s.

old piano. For instance, this one has a

a piano that is cared for. Its keyboard is

rosewood veneer that was originally

original. Its ivories are in excellent shape.

painted black. Its big cast iron harp,

The piano sounds “very good,” but it will

Everyone then retired for that lovely

forged by Steinway at its New York City

need some significant upkeep in the long

tea, Ventfort Hall once again sanctified

foundry, bears 20,000 pounds of horizon-

term, particularly as it takes up resi-

by song. ■

“It was so dreamy to play,” the pianist said afterward.

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T R AV E L O G U E

Olio novello in Sicily Jean-François Bizalion travels from the Berkshires to Italy to celebrate the start of the olive harvest BY JEAN-FRANÇOIS BIZALION It’s Nov. 22, 2021, and in the distance, Mount Etna is spewing smoke. It is halfway through the harvest of olives in the outskirt of Centuripe — a town shaped like a man laying on top of a mountain, facing the volcano. Every day, a small white Fiat van, loaded with 16 to 20 red plastic crates of emerald and onyx olives the size of robin’s eggs, is driven to the frantoio (mill) in the outskirt of Catania. Within a couple of hours, the nocellara etnea, the predominant olive varietal grown on these rich, fertile volcanic grounds, are extracted into olive oil. And with a harvest that happens when autumn turns to winter, this brief and culminating moment in the production of olive oil, the name of the first olive oil pressed from fresh green olives and the celebration of the start of the harvest season, is called “olio novello.” After two years of stalling our visit because of traveling restrictions, my family and I are spending a few days with our olive oil producers: Mello, who oversees the cultivation of 80 hectares (about 198 acres) of olives and oranges, and Maria Grazia, the owner of the giardini (gardens), as her family calls the land they own. THE HARVEST For context, their olive oil is among the selection we bring every year to our shop, Bizalion’s Fine Food, in Great Barrington. From what I have seen in other areas of Italy, olio novello is somewhat akin to the birth of a child — erasing the fears of harvest pitfalls that might have loomed throughout the growing season, such as lack or excess of water, and half a dozen of fungi and diseases that could put the olive tree and the fruit at risk. Here with Signore Tomachio, the owner of the frantoio — a high-ceilinged warehouse that allows skids to drop mountains of olives into stainless steel equipment linked with conveyors and pipes — euphoria is palpable. Olive oil growers are bringing their crop on a pre-booked schedule, and the pace is fast. A young couple has hauled the harvest of a dozen trees, maybe 300 kilograms (about 661 pounds), which will, in turn, yield roughly 60 liters of olive oil. After a process of cleaning, grinding, malaxing (slow churning or mixing) and spinning, olives are transformed into a pulp. In the last stage, olive oil is  Left, An olive tree near Vallelunga, on the island of Sicily. ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

SPRING 2022 I Berkshire Landscapes 37

The city of Catania, Sicily, and Mount Etna, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, seen in the distance.

separated from the remaining water in spinning turbines. And

bouquet of flavors of an olive oil that has become a great part

then, through

of my life. I congratulate Mello, Maria and her son, Ernesto.

what looks like an ordinary piece of plumbing

equipment, a geyser of neon green liquid flushes through. This

“Bello,” I say too often, not knowing a better way to praise the

is olio novello.

oil, the moment, the place — Sicily, even.

A dish is filled, and slices of bread are laid around it. I find

I appreciate the chance to be within the circle of people who

the bread obstructs the taste. I pour a drop on the back of

agree that food should be made with integrity, with tradi-

my hand, in a shallow cup between the thumb and the index

tion — and accessible when it is at its best. Mello hands me a

finger. I tilt my head back and drop the oil in my mouth. It’s

1.5-liter plastic bottle full of olio novello. Any vessel goes, as he

pungent, harsh on the tongue and throat. On subsequent

passes some more to members of the family.

trials, I detect a faint citrusy aroma and herbs — specifically, wild mint. I keep repeating the trial, unwrapping the complex

38 Berkshire Landscapes I SPRING 2022

In the meals to come, olive oil will be the star, in bread, soups, salads, meat and fish. Meanwhile, I mourn that I will be

T R AV E L O G U E

Above, Olio Novello, just extracted, is poured into a container. Above, right, Jean-François Bizalion carries a crate of olives during a visit to Sicily.

forced to leave my gift behind, otherwise having to give it up at the boarding gate on my flight back to the U.S. The olive oil produced is unfiltered by choice. Unfiltered olive oil contains higher antioxidants than filtered olive oil. We do know that it deteriorates faster, therefore, it is best consumed within the year that follows production. No worries there — Sicilians are among the largest group of olive oil consumers in the world. Unfiltered olive oil remains opaque due to the minuscule floating particles, similar to freshly squeezed orange juice, and might not conform exactly to the public perception of what olive oil should be. Small-scale production of olive oil remains, and mostly is consumed in Sicily. It is specially obvious in the region spanning from Catania to the town of Enna, where traditions run deep. With their aging roads, towns born from Greek settlements in the 7th century B.C., such as Centuripe, Adrano, Biancavilla and Enna are supremely authentic. Few tourists visit there, at least past September. ■ Jean-François Bizalion, who co-owns Bizalion’s Fine Food in Great Barrington, grew up in Arles, France.

SPRING 2022 I Berkshire Landscapes 39

D AY S G O N E B Y

FAMOUS FACES

at the Williamstown Theatre Festival

Christopher Reeve first joined the Williamstown Theatre Festival as an apprentice, when he was 15 years old in 1968. The next summer, he turned Equity in Boston. He unsuccessfully would audition for Nikos Psacharopoulos annually, until 1980, when the artistic director found him suitable for a role (that he wouldn’t give to a non-Equity apprentice). Reeve, who already had donned Superman’s cape for two feature films, accepted the role and became a mainstay at the festival.

WILLIAMSTOWN ...

he Williamstown Theatre Festival was conceived during winter 1954 by Ralph Renzi, Williams College’s news director, and David C. Bryant, chairman of the college’s active drama program. The original idea? To use the Adams Memorial Theatre on the Williams College campus for a summer theater with a resident company. The Williamstown Summer Theatre — it later was renamed the Williamstown Theatre Festival — opened in summer 1955. Bryant was joined by assistant director Nikos Psacharopoulos, a professor of drama at Yale University. They assembled a

40 Berkshire Landscapes I SPRING 2022

company of actors made up of young New York professionals, Yale actors and alumni and a few students from Williamstown. The season was successful, and it returned the next year, with Psacharopoulos as artistic director. Under his direction, the festival became a professional summer theater attracting actors of all stages of their career and shaping the careers of young actors through its apprentice programs. The festival, which received a Tony Award for Best Regional Theatre in 2002, opens its 68th season this summer. Here is a look back at some of the famous faces that have been part of the festival over the years. Sources: wtfestival.org, Berkshire Eagle Archives

D AY S G O N E B Y

In 1985, Blythe Danner returned to the Williamstown Theatre Festival for her 12th season, heading the cast of Tom Stoppard’s “Undiscovered Country.” Danner is seen with Artistic Director Nikos Psacharopoulos at the 31st season’s opening night gala.

Playwright Tennessee Williams was in town for the production of his latest play, “Gideon Point,” playing on The Other Stage at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in August 1982. Most of the summer had been devoted to Williams, seen with Artistic Director Nikos Psacharopoulos. Williams had been in residence for a month before the WTF’s 28th season, which opened with “Tennessee Williams: A Celebration,” a two-part play-collage of Williams’ works.

Christopher Walken, Joanne Woodward, co-chairwoman of the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s annual New York City cabaret, and James Naughton chat during the festivities at the Criterion Club in May 1989. The event, “A Gala Tribute to Nikos Psacharopoulos,” was dedicated to the memory of the artistic director who died Jan. 12, 1989, ending a 34-year-association with the festival. All three actors are WTF alums. Walken, who has appeared at the festival five times, was directed twice by Psacharopoulos, in “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “The Three Sisters.” SPRING 2022 I Berkshire Landscapes 41

D AY S G O N E B Y

Williamstown Theatre Festival cast members came together for a news conference in August 1985 to field questions about the summer experience, in response to a Wall Street Journal article that compared the festival to a summer camp. From left: Laila Robins, Richard Thomas, WTF Artistic Director Nikos Psacharopoulos, Karen Allen, John Sayles and George Grizzard. The Second Company, the festival’s non-Equity ensemble, launched the careers of many television and film stars we know today. In 1972, the company included a crew with many familiar faces. Back row: Peter Evans, Sigourney Weaver, Bing Gordon, Veronica Horan, Alley Mills and Carol Potter. Front row: Ellene Winn, Lee Wessoff and Terry Byars. Evans was best known for his role as Russ Merman in the 1980s sitcom “9 to 5.” Weaver is an Oscar-nominated actress best known for her roles in “Gorillas in the Mist,” “Ghostbusters” and “Alien.” Although not an actor, Gordon, a venture capitalist, is the founding director of Audible.com and spent 10 years as chief creative officer of Electronic Arts. Mills is best known for her role as Norma Arnold on “The Wonder Years,” while Potter is known as another famous TV mom, Cindy Walsh from “Beverly Hills 90210.” Byars is a mainstay in the Baton Rouge, La., arts scene.

42 Berkshire Landscapes I SPRING 2022

D AY S G O N E B Y

Paul Newman was a frequent visitor to the Williamstown Theatre Festival, as his wife, Joanne Woodward, performed in several productions and still is associated with the festival. In August 1985, Newman, left, was among many associates of film and stage director Elia Kazan, right, who attended a special festival event in Kazan’s honor.

SPRING 2022 I Berkshire Landscapes 43

D AY S G O N E B Y

Sigourney Weaver, who originally joined WTF as a member of the Second Company, would star as Stella in the 1986 production of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” opposite Christopher Walken’s Stanley. She is seen on opening night of the 1986 season and of the production “The Barbarians.”

Robin Williams never appeared onstage at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, but he was an audience member in July 1981, when he attended the opening night performance of “The Greeks,” in which his good friend, Christopher Reeve, was playing Achilles.

Actor Teri Garr, who was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actress for her role in “Tootsie,” talks with Peter Corbin, of Williamstown, at a party at Capers on June 27, 1985, after the opening night performance of “Undiscovered Country,” in which she performed. 44 Berkshire Landscapes I SPRING 2022

Edward Herrmann was a prolific actor, director and writer, with a career that included a Tony Award for best featured actor in a play for “Mrs. Warren’s Profession” in 1976 and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for “Gilmore Girls” in 1999. Herrmann, seen at WTF in July 1981, appeared in three plays that summer, including George Bernanrd Shaw’s “Arms and the Man.”

D AY S G O N E B Y Richard Thomas, who appeared in the 1984 production of “The Devil’s Disciple,” was among the names drawing patrons to the theater that summer. Thomas, who appeared as John-Boy Walton in the series “The Waltons,” from 1972 to 1975, is seen in July 1984, signing autographs for fans.

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D AY S G O N E B Y

The 1956 company of the Williamstown Theatre Festival gathered outside the Adams Memorial Theatre. In 1955, WTF produced “Odine” with the original Broadway costumes worn by Audrey Hepburn. Seen here are director Niko Psacharopoulos, actor Sue Ann Gilfillan, who took on Hepburn’s roles, and actor Tom Brennan. Gilfillan would go on to have roles in television and film. Brennan also would have several roles in television and film, including a role as Michael Douglas’s father-inlaw in the movie “Fatal Attraction.” ■

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E XECUTIVE Q& A

WHISPERER

The Mill

GILLIAN JONES — BERKSHIRE LANDSCAPES

David Moresi, principal of Moresi & Associates, stands in the Norad Toy and Candy Company, in the NORAD Mill in North Adams. Moresi, also a partner in Moresi Real Estate Partners, has redeveloped multiple buildings into residential and commercial spaces in North Adams, including the Wall-Streeter Building and the former Johnson School. He is also co-owner of Grazie Italian Ristorante.

48 Berkshire Landscapes I SPRING 2022

E XECUTIVE Q& A

David Moresi sees life in old buildings BY LARRY PARNASS

NORTH ADAMS

n 2017, David Moresi bought a building he’d been driving by his whole life. The owner couldn’t wait to

Adams. I came through the

ing. I loved it. I’d be in here at

place and I’m thinking, “My

5, 6 in the morning on a Sat-

goodness. I don’t know, let’s see

urday, just like a little mouse

what happens — see if we can

running around with a tape

pull this one off.” There was

measure.

no redevelopment plan. Now, I’ve got to put the money where

Q A

What’s the personality of this place?

tures. The first thing peo-

my mouth is and actually do

unload it. Because the price

ple think of when they hear

something with the place.

was so low, Moresi went with

about mill redevelopment is

his gut, thinking that, if noth-

contamination. Is it a dirty

ing else, the former Excelsior

building? Unfortunately, a lot

Mill in North Adams, all 100,000

of the buildings around here

square feet of it, could house a

[in the Berkshires] have been

workshop and storage for his

dirty. So that’s the first thing

on it, something started to

sound, strange smell or weird

construction and real estate

you need to look at — and get

happen. Our phones started

sight. It could be a steam line

development business, Moresi

a clean bill of health.

ringing. “Hey, I’m looking for

blown. It could be an electri-

space.” And, no lie. We were

cal hum. It can be water drip-

& Associates.

Then you have to look at the

Q A

What happened next?

Once we got into this building, and had a little press

Buildings do have personalities. I can walk in that

front door and, believe it or not, this building will talk to me. I can recognize any odd

Early the next morning, a

building from the practicality

averaging three to four calls

ping. You can almost think of a

rainy Saturday, he went alone

standpoint. The buildings tend

a day for months from people.

building as a living, breathing

into the old mill and put his

to be vast, wide open spaces.

Our first tenant was Tunnel

thing. If you don’t maintain a

hands on it.

How are you going to divide it

City Coffee. They were here

building, the building will die.

Enviable blank canvas?

up? Obviously, everybody goes

within 48 hours of us buying

Money pit?

gaga over these giant windows.

the building. It just went from

Early on in our project, I’m

there. There was no plan. The

Today, the rebranded NORAD Mill — short for North

looking at all these old floors,

Adams and the original name

all dinged and damaged, think-

of the building, which began

ing that we got to cover these

lords say, “Here’s the space.

as a textile mill in 1863 — at

— until we realized people

Here are the keys. Here’s what

60 Roberts Drive, off Route 2,

marveled at the floors. You see

the rent is.”

hums with life as home to doz-

these gouges and scratches

ens of tenants and their scores

and burn marks. Places where

company. We have electricians.

of employees and customers.

machinery was bolted down

We have carpenters. We do all

throughout the years. These

the build-out. We don’t let any-

floors tell a story.

body else touch our product.

Q A

We asked Moresi how he got here from that dreary Saturday. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

You said in 2019 you believed mill development

OK, but what about a business plan?

I’ll be honest, I never had any intention of purchas-

When you take this building’s pulse, is it

hard for you to read what’s

thing just evolved. A lot of commercial land-

We have this very diverse

How do you curate what happens here, as emcee,

of sorts, for this big stage?

going on?

This building’s an open book. I purchased it on a

Friday. And that next day, Saturday, was this rainy, dreary day. I got up early that day, I told my wife, “I don’t want anyone bothering me. I’m going to explore and see what the hell I got.” And I came in here. I started all the way up in the attic, as high as you can go, crawling around. It was actually really

about finding the right mix?

more shop space. I’m sitting

mall. But malls are dead. So

with thread on. I worked

here at a stop sign one day and

we called it a business mill.

all the way down into the

I saw the for-sale sign.

We’re signing leases left and

basement, into crawl areas. I

right. We’re getting all these

needed to mentally map this

was the future of the Berkshires region. What’s tricky

Mills are very complex buildings. In the con-

ing NORAD. I was looking for

This has always just been

We first had to define what this place was. It’s like a

cool. You’d find old bobbins

struction industry they’re

a monstrous building to me,

diverse businesses. It was like

building. And know every-

considered “archaic” struc-

growing up here in North

orchestrating this whole build-

thing about it. ■

SPRING 2022 I Berkshire Landscapes 49

L AST WORDS

‘Walk With Her’

BEN GARVER — BERKSHIRE LANDSCAPES

“When the neighborhood below Jubilee Hill was razed for urban renewal, the tenants had to bravely walk on in their lives much like little Ruby Bridges, whose historic walk to school at the age of 6 changed the world and inspired generations. We have brought ‘Rainbow Ruby’ to Pittsfield to inspire a new generation. If this mural encourages one soul to be brave and strong, to face their fears and keep moving past their pain and troubles, then ‘Walk With Her’ will be truly beautiful.” — Maurice “Pops” Peterson, artist, on his “Reinvented Rockwell,” a reinterpretation of Ruby Bridges in Norman Rockwell’s painting “The Problem We All Live With.” His installation, “Walk With Her,” a giant vinyl installation above Center Street in Pittsfield, is in celebration of the former Jubilee Hill neighborhood. ■

50 Berkshire Landscapes Magazine I SPRING 2022

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Berkshire Landscapes Spring 2022

Articles inside

Berkshire Bites

A Steinway piano returns home to Ventfort Hall

‘Not your typical' Home Renovation

‘Walk With Her’

THE MILL WHISPERER

'THE SOUL OF A WHALE'

Celebrate the Lincoln Memorial Centennial in the Berkshires

News of Note from the Berkshires

OLIO NOVELLO IN SICILY

‘The Heart of Pittsfield’

FROM THE STACKS

Famous Faces at the Williamstown Theatre Festival

SO MUCH TO DO