image description — This updated ranch home in Hinsdale offers access to Lake Ashmere.

Friday Front Porch Feature: A Cozy House on the Lake

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:27PM / Friday, January 09, 2026Print Story | Email Story

HINSDALE, Mass. — Are you looking for a peaceful house on the lake? Then this might be the perfect home for you.

Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 30 Cove Lane

The 1950 ranch is 1,001 square feet on 0.12 acres, with two bedrooms and one bathroom. It comes with major kitchen and laundry appliances.

A sunroom on one end offers floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over Ashmere Lake and access to a back deck. It also has a large private dock perfect for a boat or entertaining by the lake, and a firepit.

The house is listed for $699,000.

We spoke to Lisa Kelley with MacCarro Real Estate, which has the listing.

What do you think makes this property stand out in the current market?

Kelley: What makes this property stand out in the current market is the ideal location on Ashmere Lake, combined with a bright, open layout and move-in ready condition. Floor-to-ceiling sliders and windows frame breathtaking water and sunset views, while the deck overlooking the lake and your own private dock, make it a true waterfront retreat.

Do you know any unique stories about the home or its history?

According to local legend, the name Ashmere was chosen by William Cullen Bryant, one of the most well-known and influential American poets and editors of the 19th century. During his travels from the Hinsdale train station to his summer home in nearby Cummington, Bryant was said to have chosen the name Ashmere, inspired by the lake's quiet, poetic beauty.

What kind of buyer would this home be ideal for?

This home is ideal for buyers who want a turnkey, move-in ready property who value the lifestyle and serenity of lake living. It's perfect for those who love a constant connection to nature. Lake life helps people slow down, relax and gather with family and friends.

What do the current owners love most about the home?

Every window frames a lake view and every room invites you to relax. What they love the most is the sense of calm this home provides, a feeling that comes from living right on the lake and being so connected to nature. Nothing compares to the peacefulness of mornings on the deck, sunsets over the water, and the quiet, restorative beauty of lakeside living.

What was your first impression when you walked into the home?

The pristine condition and beautifully open layout, all framed by the stunning lake backdrop, created a powerful first impression.

Have there been any recent renovations or standout design features?

Yes! This 1950s lake house has been beautifully transformed, blending original character with modern touches. The living room features a gas fireplace and a wall of glass offering amazing water views, while the open layout connects the kitchen, dining and lounge areas. This thoughtful renovation preserves the warmth and personality that make a lake house so special.

What would you say to a buyer trying to imagine their life in this space?

Imagine enjoying easy, one-level living in this beautifully renovated lake house. The open layout with amazing water views, perfect for your morning coffee on the deck, afternoons entertaining on the dock, and evenings star gazing while sitting around the fire pit. It's a home that balances lakeside serenity with space for family, friends and memories that last a lifetime!

You can find out more about this house on its listing here.

*Front Porch Feature brings you an exclusive to some of the houses listed on our real estate page every week. Here we take a bit of a deeper dive into a certain house for sale and ask questions so you don't have to.

Tags: front porch, Real Estate,

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Companion Corner: Buster at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
02:19PM / Wednesday, October 28, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – There is a fun and loving boy who is ready to get a fresh start with a new family who will take care of him.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

Buster is a one-year-old Husky mix who has been at the shelter for about two months.

Canine caregiver and adoption counselor Simone Olivieri introduced us to Buster.

"He is very sweet and social. He loves people. He likes kids. It does take him a little while to warm up to new people and build some trust. And then once you do build that trust with him, he's very goofy, and he likes to play and jump on you and mouth playfully and gently, and he does get really excited with his people that he has a strong connection with."

Olivieri said Buster was an unclaimed stray who fell on hard times before going to the shelter. Olivieri said they assume he is approximately one, but his exact age is unknown.

She said that they are unsure of his history, but he could have some kind of soft tissue damage. They conducted X-rays, but they came back inconclusive. There are no breaks in any of his bones, but he has some periodic lameness, and some further diagnostics would be something the shelter requires.

Furthermore, he does occasionally lift up one paw, but he does not show that he is in any pain.

"He came in pretty emaciated. We've gotten some weight on him. He's a little bit hunched in his spine. And again, the X-rays didn't show anything, but there could be something else going on that, like MRI, ultrasound could detect."

She said he needs a home and family that would be willing to keep him current with a veterinarian and able to address anything that comes up health-wise.

"He occasionally will show these symptoms, whether it was just from an old injury or something that possibly could still bother him. So right now he is on some restricted exercise. We're doing leash walks with him only," she said. "He can't really, at this point, run around freely because he could kind of further damage that leg if there's anything really really going on there, so he's a little bit of a puzzle. Like we said, we don't know exactly what happened to him in his past, and we are trying to keep him comfortable. He's not in any pain right now, but that lameness will crop up every once in a while with him."

But Buster can go to a home with cats and kids eight and up.

"He can go to a home with cats, and while he does like other dogs, we're saying he will do best as the only dog, just because he's got a couple medical issues going on and roughhousing with other dogs probably isn't best for him at this point. While he could have some doggy friends and go for some walks and gentle playdates with other dogs."

"He does like kids, but again, he is a little bit kind of sensitive to some body handling and being grabbed and that kind of thing. So we just want to keep him nice and comfortable with where he goes home," she said.

Buster loves to play and be pampered. He loves walks and being out in the woods and can be silly, especially with his picky eating.

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