Hinterland Hall, a heritage home for rent in Lanesborough, Massachusetts

A Historic Berkshire Mountain Church Remodeled into a Romantic Retreat

The sanctuary of this stone church has been transformed into a breathtakingly beautiful space to congregate, at the hands of designer Jane Lowe. The church’s stony exterior opens to reveal a living room brightened by nine giant Gothic Revival glass windows, each one made of 300 hand-cut beveled panes. Its pews long gone, the church is now set with minimalist contemporary furnishings softened by sheepskins, a sinuous sofa and antique bar cart. The light-infused space is punctuated by the reassembled hand-pumped mechanical organ, one of the oldest such instruments in the US, and two original stained-glass windows dating from 1851.

The choir loft has been made into a bedroom, a languorous space with a handcrafted Amish bed and a mohair velvet bench seat with storage drawers that curves along its open wall. A 7ft French (Louis Phillipe) antique mirror occupies the lofted bedroom’s south end, creating space and exuding antique charm. The bedroom’s ensuite bath is crafted of native bluestone from a nearby quarry, with a concrete soaking tub and a free-floating hammered brass showerhead suspended 10 feet from the celestial ceiling. And the former pulpit also plays host to an HD cinema projector for heavenly movie nights.

Around

A local guide is available to assist with custom-tailoring a regional itinerary, but some of the draws to the rural area include downhill skiing at Jiminy Peak, hopping onto the Appalachian Trail for a section hike up Mt. Greylock, horseback riding through area forests, and cheese tasting at Cricket Creek Farm. Other must-dos include visiting the Clark Art Institute’s collection and exhibits in Williamstown, and Mass MoCA (the Museum of Contemporary Art) in a converted print factory building complex in nearby North Adams.

Mount Greylock is western Massachusetts’s highest peak at 3,491 feet. Ninety-mile panoramic views are available from its summit on clear days, and the peak’s namesake State Natural Park is crossed by hiking and mountain biking trails, ranging from casual loops to strenuous hikes. During the winter months, snowmobiling to the summit is possible on the trail network, and cross-country skiers also use the system. The town of Lanesborough is a gateway community to the Berkshire mountains, and known for its pretty outdoor recreation options, including Balance Rock State Park, the Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Ashuwilticook Rail Trail, and Pontoosuc Lake, a 511-acre great pond that’s a picturesque spot for a swim, picnic and family fun.