‘Best Thing’ in the Berkshires: Ray LaMontagne’s $5.2M Massachusetts Home Ready To Woo a Buyer

by Kellie Speed

Grammy-winning folk artist Ray LaMontagne and his poet wife, Sarah Sousa, have just listed their restored, antique abode in Ashfield, MA, for $5,250,000.

The couple bought the nearly 200-year-old property in 2008 for $1,050,000. Since then, they’ve spent years rehabbing the 1811 residence and making additions that combine its storied history with modern conveniences, according to Mansion Global.

The 103-acre property is surrounded by lush, green, rolling fields and offers picturesque views of the Berkshire Mountains in the distance.

Inside, the six-bedroom retreat “exemplifies the best of three centuries: early 19th-century Federal architecture, 1920s country estate style, and the structure and systems of the 21st,” according to the listing.

The farmhouse “was once home to the U.S. Ambassador William C. Bullitt, who served under President Franklin D. Roosevelt,” Mansion Global reports.

Evidence of the home’s history is still found throughout its 10,747 square feet. There are 11 fireplaces, custom millwork, many built-ins (in the wood-paneled library and beyond), wide-plank floors, and exposed-beam ceilings. There is even a Dutch door that opens to the private backyard.

The nearby kitchen features custom cabinets and a spacious island with a prep sink.

A two-story great room offers a fireplace; dark-wood, exposed beams; cathedral ceilings; and floor-to-ceiling, library-inspired bookcases, complete with a ladder. According to Boston.com, this space is used as a recording studio for the “You Are The Best Thing” singer and was where LaMontagne recorded his fourth album, “God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise.”

And when it comes to the best vantage points to take in the surrounding natural beauty, there’s a covered front porch and a pond flanked by those striking, mountain views.

Surrounded by 438 acres of protected land, the private estate also features a three-story, 19th-century barn; a stone cottage with a fireplace; a newer, two-story carriage house; and a garage.