We fell in love with the Berkshires in the 90s, when Nana bought a small lake house near Jacob’s Pillow and Caryn began touring with the Paul Taylor Dance Company. For Caryn and her dance colleagues, Jacob’s Pillow was one of their favorite spots in the world to tour because it was one of the few places where they could see the stars, stand on the grassy earth, look at wild flowers and still dance for a culturally literate dance audience.

Mass MoCA lured us up to the Northern Berkshires and we discovered its neighbor, Adams – a charming New England town that hasn’t lost its walking streets, its historic architecture or its friendly and welcoming character. We found a theater in need of renovation and founded the nonprofit Topia Arts Center. The Topia idea of cultivating creative landscapes was born.

In 2004, during a visioning meeting for the Arts Center with key stakeholders from the community a local resident walked us across the rail trail behind the theater to see if the abandoned Pleasant Street Lodge might be able to contribute to the revitalization efforts underway that the Arts Center would play a key role in. Originally a gentlemen’s lodge in the 1930s and a ski lodge after that, its proximity to the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, Topia Arts Center, Mount Greylock, Berkshire Visitors Bureau and central downtown restaurants, post office, grocery store and Greylock Arts Gallery was attractive.

We had always been interested in green living and were committed to creating spaces that were in harmony with the gorgeous natural beauty that drew us to the Berkshires. We built the Inn according to the highest standards in environmental building (LEED Platinum).