In 1884, Joseph Choate, a prominent New York attorney and his wife, Caroline, had a 44-room shingle-style summer retreat built in Stockbridge, MA.
Several generations of the Choate family lived at the estate until daughter Mabel Choate bequeathed it to The Trustees in 1958.
In this digital exclusive, Trustees Curator Mark Wilson talks about the story of the home and how Kinetic Artist George Rickey’s installation fits in with the gardens of Naumkeag.
See more of artist George Rickey’s work in our full story on ViewEscapes, on display at Naumkeag.
Read the full transcript:
Mark Wilson, The Trustees of Reservations: Working at this property, Naumkeag, and with the Trustees of Reservations, this is one of 127 properties that we have around the state.
But Naumkeag is a remarkable example of an estate from the late 19th century that had this 20th century gardens added to it.
And here, we’re continuing to build on this legacy of the Choate family, who owned the house for 70 years, then transferred the property to the Trustees.
They were artists. They were world travelers, much like Rickey, who traveled the world and created this whole new expression of art with his kinetic sculpture. And it’s a perfect setting for his works and for continuing the legacy of the Choate family, who enjoyed their summers here for 70 years.
