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Merwin House (Stockbridge, Massachusetts)

Federal architecture in MassachusettsHistoric New EnglandHistoric house museums in MassachusettsHouses completed in 1825Houses in Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Museums in Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Merwin House (Stockbridge, MA) front left facade
Merwin House (Stockbridge, MA) front left facade

Merwin House, also known as Tranquility, is a house located at 14 Main Street, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, USA. It is now a non-profit museum operated by Historic New England and sometimes open to the public. An admission fee is charged. The original brick, Federal-style house was constructed c. 1825 by the Dresser family, who sold it to William and Elizabeth Doane of New York City as a summer home in 1875. They doubled its size by adding a shingle-style ell, and also remodeled its interior. It was donated to the public by the Doanes' daughter, Vipont Merwin, who was born in the house in 1878 and died there in 1965. The property was acquired by Historic New England in 1966, whereupon it became a museum.The house currently reflects furnishings and a lifestyle of the late 19th century, with period antiques and items collected during world travel.

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Merwin House (Stockbridge, Massachusetts)
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Latitude Longitude
N 42.282402777778 ° E -73.313522222222 °
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Address

Main Street 24
01262
Massachusetts, United States
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Merwin House (Stockbridge, MA) front left facade
Merwin House (Stockbridge, MA) front left facade
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Elm–Maple–South Streets Historic District
Elm–Maple–South Streets Historic District

The Elm–Maple–South Streets Historic District is a historic district encompassing part of the historic downtown of Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The most prominent parts of Stockbridge lie within the Main Street Historic District, which abuts this district to the north. The southern boundary of this district is the railroad tracks that run parallel to the Housatonic River. The eastern boundary of the district is Laurel Hill, a wooded park overlooking the town, and the western boundary is a terraced shelf in the plains of the river. The district includes properties on Depot, Elm, Maple, and South Streets, and Laurel Lane. Unlike Main Street, this district consists of more densely place residences, and narrower roads containing businesses just off Main Street. Its buildings were mostly constructed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and partially reflect Elm Street's function as an industrial part of the town. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.Stockbridge was founded in the 1730s as a "Praying Indian" community, with its main settlement where the downtown area is now. South Street began as a Native American trail leading to the south, crossing the river at a fordable location. A bridge was first built near where the modern bridge now stands in 1744. The junction of Main and South Streets became a major local commercial nexus by later in the 18th century, with the area closer to the river where small industries began to flourish. One of Berkshire County's first printing operations was begun in this area, and there was by the mid-19th century a blacksmithy. A few houses stood in the area by the turn of the 19th century, but it was not until the 1850s that a significant number of houses began to be built south of Main Street. Many of these were populated by people engaged in trades for travelers, or otherwise engaged in business on Main Street. One of the older houses and the largest in the district, the Tidmarsh-Edwards House at 8 South Street, has had a number of notable residents, including politician and businessman John Z. Goodrich.

National Shrine of The Divine Mercy (Stockbridge, Massachusetts)
National Shrine of The Divine Mercy (Stockbridge, Massachusetts)

The National Shrine of The Divine Mercy is a Catholic shrine located in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The priests and brothers of the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary have resided on Eden Hill in Stockbridge, since June 1944. Father Walter Pelczynski, MIC, with the assistance of local clergy and friends of the Marian community, initially purchased 50 of the 370 acres (1.5 km2) that constituted the "Eden Hill" estate in November, 1943. The house was to serve as the novitiate for a newly formed province. An image of "The Divine Mercy" was enshrined in one of the small chapels where the members of the community prayed daily a perpetual novena to the Divine Mercy. Pilgrims began to arrive the very next spring to celebrate the Feast of The Divine Mercy (the Sunday after Easter). By the end of World War II in 1945, pilgrims in growing numbers came to offer thanksgiving for graces received through the Divine Mercy message and devotion. They urged the Marians to build a shrine to Jesus, The Divine Mercy, as a votive of thanks. The Fathers decided to accede to the requests since there was also a need for a larger chapel to accommodate a growing community. The construction of the present Shrine began in 1950 and was completed and solemnly dedicated by Springfield Bishop Christopher Weldon in 1960. In 1996, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops declared it a National Shrine in accord with Church law. The National Shrine has drawn thousands of pilgrims from around the world.

Main Street Historic District (Stockbridge, Massachusetts)
Main Street Historic District (Stockbridge, Massachusetts)

The Main Street Historic District is a historic district encompassing the scenic and historic portions of Main Street in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The downtown portion of Main Street is widely recognizable due to its use by Norman Rockwell in his 1967 painting, Main Street, Stockbridge at Christmas. The central portion of Main Street is a broad street with wide green lawns, anchored by a traditional New England town center containing a church and municipal buildings. Along this part of Main Street is the Mission House, a National Historic Landmark that is one of oldest buildings in Stockbridge, dating to the early 1740s. Further to the west the road is more rural, and the district's western boundary is at the crossing of Main Street over the Housatonic River. The eastern part of the district includes the retail heart of the town, including the Red Lion Inn and several blocks of shops. The far eastern part of the district is Laurel Hill, a wooded park with views of the town center. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.The Stockbridge area has a significant prehistory of Native American use, with archaeological evidence of human use on at least a seasonal basis dating back for centuries. In the early 18th century it was settled by Mahican Indians who had been driven from the Hudson River area by conflict with the Mohawks. These uses included the establishment of a Native burying ground, which is within the bounds of this district. In 1734, the Province of Massachusetts Bay founded a "Praying Indian" community, with its main settlement where the downtown area is now. The arrival of English squatters and conflicts over land usage patterns led to the Natives eventually losing control of the community. The area's colonial settlement accelerated after the end of the French and Indian War in 1763. The Red Lion Inn opened in 1775, and it flourished in the early 19th century as a crossroads community not far from the county seat at Lenox.