Events

Visitors can experience a FREE guided walking tour on the interpretive trail at the W.E.B. Du Bois Homesite in a rural setting two miles from downtown Great Barrington. The interpretive trail highlights Du Bois’s journey from Great Barrington to the world stage, information from ongoing archaeological excavations, as well as the Homesite dedication in 1969. Visitors can also explore Du Bois’s legacy in the landscape of downtown Great Barrington. Take the W.E.B Du Bois in Great Barrington Walking Tour to learn about places and people important to Du Bois.Free Guided Walking Tours at the W.E.B. Homesite, 2018

• June 30 through September 1

• Saturdays, 1-hour tours at 11 AM, 1 PM, and 2 PM

• Group tours will also be available on other days and times by appointment.

• The tour is about 50 minutes long, and follows a loop wooded trail that takes visitors to the remains of Du Bois’s ancestral home where visitors will learn about Du Bois’s family and way of life as revealed through archaeological investigations and historic documents. Along the way, visitors will learn about Du Bois’s journey from Great Barrington to the world stage, as well as the site’s beginnings as a memorial.

• Meet at the Homesite parking area. Please note, presently there are no bathroom facilities at the Homesite.

• For questions or group bookings: Email info@duboisnhs.org or (413) 717-6259.

The Ashley House tells the intertwined stories of the Ashleys and the enslaved African Americans who lived here in the 18th century.

Col. John Ashley built the house in 1735, and spent the next decades accumulating wealth and land. By the time of his death in 1802, Ashley owned more than 3,000 acres – including the land that is now The Trustees’ Bartholomew’s Cobble. Ashley supported the American Revolution, heading a committee that wrote the fiery Sheffield Resolves, a petition against British tyranny and manifesto for individual rights, in 1773. His financial success was based in part on the labor of five enslaved African Americans.

Inspired by Revolutionary-era rhetoric and her own desire for freedom, Mum Bett, who was enslaved in the Ashley House, helped end slavery in Massachusetts. In 1781, she sued Col. Ashley for her freedom – and won. Mum Bett was and remains an inspiration to all who learn her story.

Today, the Ashley House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and an anchor site on the Upper Housatonic Valley African American Heritage Trail. It contains fine collections of redware, furniture, and tools. The Ashley House is adjacent to Bartholomew’s Cobble Reservation, which offers five miles of scenic trails.

The Ashley House is part of the Berkshire 18th Century Trail.

Trails
At Bartholomew’s Cobble, five miles of moderate hiking; some may find the climb to 1,000-ft. Hurlburt’s Hill strenuous.

Call 413.298.3239 x3016 for more information

Telephone: 413.298.3239 x3008
E-mail: naumkeag@thetrustees.org

Visitors can experience a FREE guided walking tour on the interpretive trail at the W.E.B. Du Bois Homesite in a rural setting two miles from downtown Great Barrington. The interpretive trail highlights Du Bois’s journey from Great Barrington to the world stage, information from ongoing archaeological excavations, as well as the Homesite dedication in 1969. Visitors can also explore Du Bois’s legacy in the landscape of downtown Great Barrington. Take the W.E.B Du Bois in Great Barrington Walking Tour to learn about places and people important to Du Bois.Free Guided Walking Tours at the W.E.B. Homesite, 2018

• June 30 through September 1

• Saturdays, 1-hour tours at 11 AM, 1 PM, and 2 PM

• Group tours will also be available on other days and times by appointment.

• The tour is about 50 minutes long, and follows a loop wooded trail that takes visitors to the remains of Du Bois’s ancestral home where visitors will learn about Du Bois’s family and way of life as revealed through archaeological investigations and historic documents. Along the way, visitors will learn about Du Bois’s journey from Great Barrington to the world stage, as well as the site’s beginnings as a memorial.

• Meet at the Homesite parking area. Please note, presently there are no bathroom facilities at the Homesite.

• For questions or group bookings: Email info@duboisnhs.org or (413) 717-6259.