South Mountain Concert Hall
South Mountain Concert Hall | |
Location | New South Mountain Rd. (472 South St.), Pittsfield, Massachusetts |
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Coordinates | 42°25′14″N 73°15′52″W / 42.42056°N 73.26444°W |
Area | 10 acres (4.0 ha) |
Built | 1918 |
NRHP reference No. | 73001943[1] |
Added to NRHP | August 14, 1973 |
South Mountain Concert Hall is a historic performance hall on New South Mountain Road in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1918 by Chicago native Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, it has been home to a classical music summer performance series since then, featuring name performers including Leonard Bernstein, Rudolf Serkin, and major chamber music ensembles. The hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and the extensive estate grounds are open to the public as a nature preserve.[2]
History
South Mountain was founded in 1918 by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, who had moved to the Berkshires in a bid to improve her husband's health. A longtime supporter of chamber music, Mrs. Coolidge in 1916 established the Berkshire String Quartet, which at first gave concerts in her home.[2] Two years later she had the performance hall built on her property that continues in use today.[3]
The hall has played host to a large number of well-known classical music performers, including
Setting and architecture
South Mountain is set on 200 acres (81 ha) of primarily woodland, formerly part of the Coolidge estate. The grounds are operated by the non-profit that manages the facility as a nature preserve open to the public on a year-round basis. The hall is a single-story timber-frame structure, built to resemble a church. It has a hip roof with a cupola, at the center, and a
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- ^ a b "MACRIS inventory record for South Mountain Concert Hall". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2013-11-28.
- ^ "South Mountain Concerts". South Mountain Concerts. Retrieved 2013-11-28.
- ^ a b "NRHP nomination for South Mountain Concert Hall". National Archive. Retrieved 2018-02-07.