Chesterwood
Open daily, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., May 29 – October 11, 2010
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Heritage Walk: Saturday, September 18 at 11 a.m.
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Berkshire County Day, sponsored by Berkshire Bank: Sunday, September 19, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
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Cider Mash Bash: Saturday, September 25, 6:30 p.m. - 11 p.m.
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Viewers’ Choice Award Ceremony & Reception, sponsored by Berkshire Living: Monday, October 11, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
See our complete calendar of events or visit us on Facebook!
Chesterwood is the country home, studio and gardens of America’s foremost sculptor of public monuments, Daniel Chester French (1850-1931). Situated on 122 acres in the idyllic hamlet of Glendale near Stockbridge, Massachusetts, the property and its buildings were donated to the National Trust for Historic Preservation by French’s daughter, Margaret French Cresson (1889-1973). Inspired by the natural beauty of the Berkshire Hills, French purchased the Marshall Warner farm in 1896. During the month of May, he left his permanent home and studio in New York for six months and moved with his family to Chesterwood, where he continued to work on over 200 public and private commissions. Many of French’s plaster sketches including models of his Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial are on view today in his Studio as well as in the permanent exhibit, Daniel Chester French: Sculpting an American Vision, in the Barn Gallery. Visitors to Chesterwood are invited to explore the beautiful formal gardens and woodland paths created by French himself. In celebration of the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth, we offer Discover Lincoln at Chesterwood, a self-guided tour.
Thanks to the generous support of the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), online visitors can explore virtual exhibits and learn about both the collections and buildings on display at the site. The online exhibits provide Chesterwood with the opportunity to be “open” throughout the year, share highlights from the collection with visitors around the world, and share a wealth of information about French, a seminal figure in the history of American art.
Chesterwood is a National Trust Historic Site owned and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and recognized as a National and Massachusetts Historic Landmark. The National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving places, connecting us to our history and collectively shaping the future of America’s stories. For more information, please visit www.PreservationNation.org.
