Chesterwood

The mission of Chesterwood is to preserve the site and its collections; to present the life and artistic achievements of Daniel Chester French, one of the foremost artists of the American Renaissance; and to foster public appreciation and interest in sculpture through an annual contemporary sculpture exhibition, artists’ talks and demonstrations, and artist residencies.

Chesterwood is the former summer home and studio of Daniel Chester French (1850-1931), sculptor of the Minute Man and Lincoln Memorial Abraham Lincoln statues and a leading artist of his era. The site, located in idyllic Stockbridge, Massachusetts, includes: French’s home and studio; museum collections of objects owned or created by him; outbuildings; and 122 acres of designed and wooded landscape. (The Chesterwood Archives are located at the Chapin Library at Williams College). The National Trust for Historic Preservation maintains the historic buildings, collections, and landscape as a museum for the public. A contemporary sculpture exhibition has been guest-curated and sited throughout the core of the property for four decades as well as an artists-in-residence program.

JOIN OUR TEAM!

Full-time OPENIngs

Assistant Buildings and Grounds Manager

SEASONAL openings

Tour Guide

Visitor Services Associate

INTERNSHIPS

Since the property opened to the public in 1969, interns have long been the back bone of everything we do at Chesterwood. Past interns have worked closely with our full-time staff in curatorial projects, educational programs, marketing, fund-raising, landscaping, and special events. We currently have one paid opening:

Historical Landscape & Horticulture Internship

VOLUNTEERs

Are you a people person interested in art and history and looking for interaction with the public? Are you highly organized and comfortable working on a database? Do you enjoy performances and are comfortable checking guests in? Please contact us at chesterwood@savingplaces.org to express your interests and how you can support our work at Chesterwood!

National Trust for Historic Preservation

Martha Nelson, Chair, Board of Trustees
Carol Quillen, President and CEO
Omar Eaton-Martinez, Senior Vice President Historic Sites

CHESTERWOOD ADVISORY COUNCIL

Rick Brown
Michele Cohen Ph.D.
Jennifer Crews
Lori Flynn
Dr. Owen Lewis
Susan Moyle Lynch
Nancy Fernandez Mills, Chair
Karen Marshall
Karen Spies

Omar Eaton-Martinez, ex-officio

Miguel Rodriguez, Executive Director

Council Emeritus

Lila W. Berle
Jeannene T. Booher
Nancy J. Fitzpatrick
Anita Heller
Sarah La Cour
James D. Tobin
John E. Toole
Terry B. Wise

Donna Hassler, Director Emerita

Staff

Miguel Rodriguez, Executive Director
MRodriguez@SavingPlaces.org
413.298.2025

Gerard Blache, Senior Superintendent of Buildings & Grounds
GBlache@SavingPlaces.org
413.298.2021

Ute DeFarlo, Senior Manager of Development
UDefarlo@SavingPlaces.org
413.298.2028

Benjamin Perrett, Buildings & Grounds Manager
BPerrett@SavingPlaces.org

Dana Pilson, Curatorial Researcher & Collections Coordinator
DPilson@SavingPlaces.org
413.298.2035

Michelle Teillon, Senior Site Manager
MTeillon@SavingPlaces.org
413.298.2990

Leah Weinman, Associate, Membership & Operations
Lweinman@SavingPlaces.org
413.298.2027

Chesterwood is an Historic Site owned and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and recognized as a National and Massachusetts Historic Landmark.

As the leading voice for preservation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is the cause for people saving places. Its mission is to protect significant places representing our diverse cultural experience by taking direct action, working with governments to save America’s heritage, and inspiring broad public support to create a cultural legacy that is as diverse as the nation itself so all can take pride in the American story.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places as:

• The cause that inspires Americans to save the places where history happened.

• The cause that connects us to our diverse pasts, weaving a multi-cultural nation together.

• The cause that transforms communities from places where we live into places that we love.

 The National Trust for Historic Preservation asserts without equivocation:

Black Lives Matter.

Black History Matters.

Historic places of all types and periods should be places of truth-telling and inclusivity.

Historic preservation must actively advance justice and equity for all people.

Historic preservation organizations have an obligation to confront and address structural racism within our own institutions.

We have much to do at the National Trust and in the preservation movement to align our work with these facts, and we must do it—and we will do it—with a sense of urgency.

HISTORIC ARTISTS’ HOMES & STUDIOS (HAHS), a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, consists of more than 40 museums that were the homes and studios of American artists. Each site is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the places where art was made. HAHS, headquartered at Chesterwood, is a peer-to-peer coalition of sites that brings these museums together to conserve the legacy of creativity in the visual arts in America.

Please direct all inquiries about this program to:
Valerie Balint, Director, HAHS
Historic Artists’ Homes & Studios
c/o Chesterwood
PO Box 827
Stockbridge, MA 01262

VBalint@SavingPlaces.org
413.298.2033

Land Acknowledgement
Honoring the Mohican Nation

Chesterwood resides on the ancestral homelands of the Mohican Nation, which once stretched from the Hudson River Valley into western Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont.   The Muh he con ne ok (People of the Waters That Are Never Still) were forced from their land in the late 1700s by European settlers.  Today the community is known as the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians and is a federally recognized tribe based in Wisconsin. 

It is with gratitude and humility that we acknowledge that we are learning, creating, and gathering on the ancestral homelands of the Muh he con ne ok people.  We pay honor and respect to their ancestors past and present as we dedicate our resources and privileges to building a more inclusive, equitable, and respectful space for all.

The Stockbridge-Munsee Historic Preservation Extension Office is in Williamstown, MA.  Learn more at www.mohican.com

WEDDINGS + SITE RENTALS

Long a site that sparks visitors’ creativity, Chesterwood is an outstanding location for weddings, meetings, retreats and reunions.  The property masterly combines the elegance of European gardens with the natural landscape of the Berkshires to create a beautiful and memorable backdrop to any event.  Here you will find formal, perennial gardens, sweeping lawns with natural woodland walks, and broad porches, all with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. Chesterwood is an entirely outdoor venue. We are happy to make recommendations on rental and catering vendors. Now booking for 2026 - 2027 events.

For more information please download our Wedding Information Packet below. To schedule a site tour please contact Taylor Garrett of Taylored & Thyme at taylor@tayloredandthyme.com

Please note that Taylored & Thyme is a contracted, independent event and wedding planning company - please be sure to mention Chesterwood when you contact Taylor! This helps her guide you seamlessly through the whole process!

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FAQs

What is the rental fee and what does it include?
Pricing varies in increments depending on the scope of your event (ceremony only, ceremony & reception) as well as on the guest count. Please reference our information packet for a full breakdown of our site rental pricing tiers.

The site rental fee also includes rehearsal time, public restrooms, on-site parking, water and electricity to the reception tent site, a point person from the Chesterwood staff to handle parking, emergencies and removal of trash, discounted admission for all your wedding guests the weekend of the wedding, and access to the French sculpture studio and porch for your guests to enjoy during cocktail hour.

Do you provide a tent and other rentals?
No, the tent and all the rentals are available from Classical Tents in Pittsfield, or Mahaiwe Tents in Great Barrington. They have years of experience working with our site.

When can the tent, rentals and flowers be set up?
Tents may be set up the Thursday before the wedding, rentals and flowers are typically set up on Fridays and/or Saturdays, for Saturday weddings.

What vendors do you work with?
Our wedding information packet has a list of pre-approved vendors who are local to the area and are familiar with working events at Chesterwood.

What time are we allowed to start the ceremony?
Weddings usually begin at 5pm when the Chesterwood estate closes to the public.  However, you are welcome to begin earlier in the day. Please be aware that there may still be general admission visitors on the grounds before 5pm. 

How late can the music play?
Due to the Town of Stockbridge noise ordinance the music must end by 11pm.

Are fireworks, open fire cooking, and/or bon-fires permitted?
No, due to the historic nature of the site these activities are not permitted.

Where do we hold the wedding ceremony if it rains?
There are a couple of creative solutions: use your reception tent – your rental company can help transform the dance floor space; or order a small backup ceremony tent which can double as a shaded place during the cocktail reception.  Alternatively, if you have under 70 guests, the wide, covered studio porch makes for a stunning wedding ceremony with the view of Monument Mountain directly in the background.