Stockbridge, Mass. – May 7, 2021 – William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty announced today that the company has sold two landmark Main Street buildings in Stockbridge, Mass., that both appeared in Norman Rockwell’s iconic depiction of Christmas in small town America, “Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas.”
The two buildings both sold to different buyers. 44 Main Street, the antique shop in the painting, was represented by agents Steven Weisz and Maggie Merelle, while 36 Main Street, the country story in the painting, was represented by agent Katie Williams.
Sold for the first time since it was painted in 1967, the antique shop has been owned and well maintained by the same family since the 1960s. The Victorian-style building has three stories including three retail spaces, a large and vacant second-floor residential/office space, and an income-producing third floor. The retail spaces are occupied by a gift shop selling vintage items including vinyl records, a yarn shop selling specialized fibers and a soon to open chocolate shop. The property can be viewed online here.
The second building, its façade unchanged since the time of the painting, is home to Williams & Sons Country Store and the picturesque shops in ”The Mews.” With the same owner since the 70s, the property consists of 10 units, including a well-established restaurant, six retail spaces, two apartments, and one office. The property can be viewed online here.
The properties are close to the famous former Alice’s Restaurant, which sits directly beneath the space Rockwell kept his studio.
Every year Stockbridge reenacts the painting at Christmastime, setting a day to close the street to traffic and park vintage automobiles outside the town hall, country store and historic Red Lion Inn.
“The popular annual Berkshires Christmas event along with the painting itself have made these buildings recognized all over the world,” said Steven Weisz. “This sale was quite an emotional experience for my sellers. I feel honored to have participated in such a significant transaction.”
“In a sense, these new buyers have the rare opportunity to live and/or work inside a Norman Rockwell painting,” said Katie Williams, who has a personal connection to the country store. Although her family no longer owns it, Williams’ grandfather originally opened the Williams & Sons store in 1964. The signage and name still remain the same as preserved in the painting.
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About William Pitt – Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty
Founded in 1949, William Pitt – Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty manages a $5.9 billion portfolio with more than 1,100 sales associates in 26 brokerages spanning Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Westchester County, New York. William Pitt – Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty is one of the largest Sotheby’s International Realty(R) affiliates globally and the 37th-largest real estate company by sales volume in the United States. For more information, visit the website at williampitt.com.
Sotheby’s International Realty’s worldwide network includes 1,000 offices throughout 75 countries and territories on six continents.
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Andrew Wood
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AWood@williampitt.com
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