Friday Front Porch Feature: Lincoln Log Home Near Onota

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Are you looking for a Lincoln Log home with beautiful views and plenty of room to roam? Then this is the home for you.

Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 1020 Cascade St.

This 1995 home features three bedrooms and three bathrooms. It is 2,662 square feet on 19.20 acres.

The home's first floor is open and includes hardwood floors, full bath and laundry room, and a large living room with a stone gas fireplace and vaulted ceiling, entertaining lots of natural light. The second floor has a primary bedroom with en suite and two bedrooms and a bath. 

Outside, there's a covered front porch and a large new Trex deck in the back. The house also has an attached two-car garage and a walkout basement, plus a barn and shed.

The home is listed for $975,000.

There will be an open house for this home Saturday, March 28, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

We spoke to Amy Wood with Steepleview Realty, which has the listing.

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

I think what is unique about this property is that it truly is its own private oasis; from a 2,662 square feet, thermal insulated log home with plenty of natural light and modern amenities, to over 19 private acres with multiple trails and babbling brook. Additionally, the property is ideally located just steps from a 10,000-acre state forest and minutes from Lake Onota — offering trails and water — providing for four-season recreational activities — all within such close proximity.

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

A feeling of warmth and comfort. This is a very inviting home with vaulted ceilings and numerous windows allowing for an abundance of natural light; all with a rustic flare and modern updates. It has an open-concept layout on the main level that leads to a large new Trex deck — the perfect scenario for both day-to-day living with the ease for entertaining. The sellers are prideful of their home and the upgrades and their upkeep are reflective of this.

Are there any standout design features or recent renovations?

There are many! As noted before, this is a 1995-built thermal insulated Lincoln Log home; upgrades to the home itself include new Trex deck, security system, bluestone hearth/cultured stone façade with propane fireplace insert, granite vanity tops/counters, new furnace, well pump, garage doors and openers, blow-in insulation-sealed basement, and freshly painted throughout! 

Sellers also installed an EV charging unit and cleared and vapor barriered/graveled the main barn (32x27), which is equipped with both water and electricity. With all the mains taken care of, this is a turnkey home ready for its next owner!

 What kind of buyer would this home be ideal for?

The property has so many possibilities; I could envision a young family who need size and grounds to grow their family to couples or retirees who want to enjoy all the Berkshires have to offer with room to entertainment and host guests — this property has the ability to fit and conform to any lifestyle. Formerly an equine estate, I could easily see horse lovers back as well.

How would you describe the feel or atmosphere of this home?

Both the feel of the home and its surroundings portray an immense feeling of tranquility and serenity.  Whether from inside the home looking out, or outside absorbing the beauty and views in your immediate surroundings — you're truly met with a calming sense of bliss.

You can find out more about this home 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.

Community Meeting Addresses Prejudice in Pittsfield Schools

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:49PM / Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Johanna Lenski, a special education surrogate parent and advocate, says there's a 'deeply troubling' professional culture at Herberg that lets discriminatory actions and language slip by.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Around 60 community members gathered at Conte Community School on Monday night to discuss issues with prejudice in the district. 

The event was hosted by the Pittsfield Public Schools in partnership with the Berkshire NAACP and the Westside Legends. It began with breaking bread in the school's cafeteria, and caregivers then expressed fears about children's safety due to bullying, a lack of support for children who need it the most, and teachers using discriminatory and racist language. 

"One thing I've learned is that as we try to improve, things look really bad because we're being open about ways that we're trying to improve, and I think it's really important that we acknowledge that," interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips said, reflecting on her work in several other districts before coming to PPS last summer.  

"It is very easy to stay at the surface and try to look really good, and it may look like others are better than us, when they're really just doing a better job of just kind of maintaining the status quo and sweeping things under the carpet."

Brett Random, the executive director of Berkshire County Head Start, wrote on her personal Facebook page that her daughter reported her math teacher, "used extremely offensive language including both a racial slur (n-word) and a homophobic slur (f-word) and then reportedly tried to push other students to repeat those words later in the day when students were questioning her on her behavior."

The school department confirmed that an eighth-grade teacher at the middle school was placed on leave.  

The Berkshire Eagle, which first reported on the incident, identified the teacher as Rebecca Nitsche, and the teacher told the paper over the phone, "All I can tell you is it's not how it appears." Nitsche told the paper she repeated the words a student used while reporting the incident to another teacher because officials needed to know it happened. 

Johanna Lenski, speaking as a special education surrogate parent and parent advocate, on Monday said there is a "deeply troubling" professional culture at Herberg that has allowed discriminatory, racist, non-inclusive, and ableist treatment of students.

She said a Black transgender student was called a "piss poor, punk, puke of a kid," and repeatedly and intentionally misgendered by one of the school's teachers, and then wrongfully accused of physically assaulting that teacher, which resulted in a 10-day suspension. 

Another Herberg student with disabilities said the same staff member disclosed to an entire classroom that they lived in a group home and were in state Department of Children and Families' custody. When the teacher was asked to come to an individualized education program meeting for that student, Lenski said he "spent approximately 20 minutes attacking this child's character and portraying her as a problem, rather than a student in need of services and protection and support."