Stockbridge resident, Joe Shapiro, recently purchased Overleigh (sometimes spelled Overlee), the Berkshire Cottage located on Old Stockbridge Road, built by Samuel Frothingham in 1903.

Raised in St. Louis, Shapiro’s association with the Berkshires began forty years ago at Camp Greylock in Becket, and he has been a fan ever since.

In 2020, during the pandemic, he moved his family to Stockbridge, bought a house, and settled in. He volunteered with the Stockbridge Fire Department and soon was looking for a local investment property.

Overleigh, formerly the Hillcrest Educational Center campus, fit the bill. He formed a Limited Liability Corporation to develop the property.

In a telephone conversation, Shapiro shared that he will apply to the Zoning Board of Appeals to develop a resort using extant buildings. The house may have 20 rooms to rent. The gymnasia might become the centerpiece of a sports facility. There will be dining and a large gathering space. He hopes it will be completed within two years.