Santarella

Santarella. Tyringham’s Gingerbread House. , Santarella is the historic estate of Sir Henry Hudson Kitson. Kitson, an English American sculptor, is most noted for the Lexington Minuteman and Plymouth Rock Maiden in Massachusetts. Kiston began transforming the property around 1920 at which time the 4-acre homestead consisted of an 18th century colonial house and a dairy barn. , Inspired by his time in the English countryside, Kitson turned the existing barn into his art studio and called it Santarella. Affectionately known as the "Gingerbread House," the most striking feature of his studio is it's 80-ton, asphalt shingled storybook roof which was inspired by the autumn leaves blowing in the wind across the Tyringham Valley. Other whimsical details include huge stone buttresses, stained glass windows, and gothic doorways. Kitson created a cluster of other fairytale inspired buildings, including a cottage and detached tower, which he used as additional studio space. These projects, along with an enchanting garden would become Kitson's primary focus for the last 25 years of his life., After Kitson's death, Santarella was bought by the Davis family, who operated the Tyringham Galleries until 1996. Since then the property has served many functions from the Henry Kitson Museum and Sculpture Gardens to a magical wedding venue. Current owners, Joshua Williams and Shaun Mosley, are committed to restoring and maintaining this one-of-a-kind property for future generations. They are currently seeking community support to rebuild the 100 yr old storybook roof with the goal that Santarella can be used as a venue for local artists and nonprofits as well as host community events. As stewards of this Berkshire treasure, they hope to preserve the property so it can continue to enchant visitors for many years to come., Please consider donating to our GoFundMe campaign.