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Arrowhead (Herman Melville House)

Biographical museums in MassachusettsBuildings and structures in Pittsfield, MassachusettsHerman MelvilleHistoric house museums in MassachusettsHomes of American writers
Houses completed in 1780Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Berkshire County, MassachusettsLiterary museums in the United StatesMuseums in Berkshire County, MassachusettsNational Historic Landmarks in MassachusettsOrganizations based in Pittsfield, MassachusettsUse mdy dates from August 2023
Arrowhead (Herman Melville), Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Arrowhead (Herman Melville), Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Arrowhead, also known as the Herman Melville House, is a historic house museum in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It was the home of American author Herman Melville during his most productive years, 1850–1863. Here, Melville wrote some of his major works: the novels Moby-Dick, Pierre (dedicated to nearby Mount Greylock), The Confidence-Man, and Israel Potter; The Piazza Tales (a short story collection named for Arrowhead's porch); and magazine stories such as "I and My Chimney". The house, located at 780 Holmes Road in Pittsfield, was built in the 1780s as a farmhouse and inn. It was adjacent to a property owned by Melville's uncle Thomas, where Melville had developed an attachment to the area through repeated visits. He purchased the property in 1850 with borrowed money and spent the next twelve years farming and writing there. Financial considerations prompted his family's return to New York City in 1863, and Melville sold the property to his brother. The house remained in private hands until 1975, when the Berkshire County Historical Society acquired the house and a portion of the original 160-acre (65 ha) property. The Society restored most of the house to Melville's period and operates it as a house museum; it is open to the public during warmer months. It has been designated a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Arrowhead (Herman Melville House)
Holmes Road, Pittsfield

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N 42.415388888889 ° E -73.248805555556 °
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Holmes Road 780
01201 Pittsfield
Massachusetts, United States
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Arrowhead (Herman Melville), Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Arrowhead (Herman Melville), Pittsfield, Massachusetts
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Colonial Theatre (Pittsfield, Massachusetts)
Colonial Theatre (Pittsfield, Massachusetts)

The Colonial Theatre is located at 111 South Street, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts. Built in 1903, the theater was host to many theater greats including George M. Cohan, Sara Bernhardt, John Barrymore, Eubie Blake, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Billie Burke, John Philip Sousa and the Ziegfeld Follies. The theater was designed by Pittsfield architect Joseph McArthur Vance along with J.B. McElfatrick. Its ornate turn-of-the 20th century interior has been well preserved by its various owners. Although the theater was closed in 1951, its grandeur had been protected through the years by George Miller and his son, Steven. Miller preserved many features of the Colonial during its conversion from a theater to the Miller's Art Supply Store, making it possible to eventually restore the theater back to its earlier grandeur, a process documented in photographer Nicholas Whitman's The Colonial Theatre: A Pittsfield Resurrection.The Colonial Theatre was named by First Lady Hillary Clinton as a National Historic Treasure in 1998. She later visited the theatre as a U.S. Senator in 2000. Following this announcement, the community invested more than $22 million to refurbish the 100-year-old Colonial Theatre, one of the only theaters of its kind from the Vaudeville age, described as "one of the finest acoustical theaters in the world." The Colonial Theatre Restoration completed work in 2006 and it is now open to the public. Many notable performers have since performed here, including James Taylor, the Lovin' Spoonful, and other musical and theater acts.