Berkshire Snow Basin History - Massachusetts

Berkshire Snow Basin Details
Status:	Lost/Defunct
First Year of Operation:	1949
Last Year of Operation:	1989
Vertical Drop:	550 feet
Lifts in Operation:	0
Lifts Removed/Non Operational:	Surface lifts

After researching snow depth throughout Western Massachusetts, Stan and Ruth Brown decided to build a ski area on Bryant Mountain, likely opening Berkshire Snow Basin as a rope tow served facility for the 1949-50 season.

The upper portion of the ski area likely opened for the 1952-53 season.

The area installed its first T-Bar for the 1961-62 season. Two more T-Bars would be installed for the 1967-68 season.

After Stan Brown's death in 1969, Ruth continued running the area with the help of her sister until 1980.

Nearby Berkshire East operated Berkshire Snow Basin for the 1980-81 and 1981-82 seasons while Jiminy Peak operated Berkshire Snow Basin for the 1982-83 season.

Most of the ski assets were sold in December of 1984 to Edwin Waszkelewicz. Heritage NIS Bank for Savings foreclosed on the ski area in August of 1987.

In November of 1987, Cummington Farm Realty Trust purchased Berkshire Snow Basin from Heritage NIS Bank for Savings for $380,000. Run by Patrick Goggins and Thomas Beggs, the company would open Berkshire Snow Basin for the 1987-88 and 1988-89 season. The company would also market its Cummington Farm Village cross country ski area in conjunction with Berkshire Snow Basin for the 1988-89 season. Larger plans included developing condominiums, cabins, and operating an inn. Beggs would step down from the company in January of 1989.

A Berkshire Snow Basin postcard

Due to losses during both seasons and unsustainable expenses, the company transferred Berkshire Snow Basin to the NIS Development Corporation in June of 1989 in exchange for more financing. The Cummington Farms group was to maintain the grounds of the alpine ski area while a lessee or buyer was sought. A 24 room Inn opened on the Cummington Farm grounds in September of 1989. Cummington Farms closed in January of 1990.

The Cummington Farms property was nearly sold to New England Adolescent Research Institute, Inc. as a school campus, however local opposition likely halted the sale. Instead, the company went bankrupt in June of 1990.

The Cummington Farm Village nordic ski area would be purchased by Peter Laird (co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) in 1991 for nearly $1.5 million and developed for the 1991-92 season as the Swift River Inn ski area. The nordic area saw investments of $1.5 million from Laird and would feature a rare combination of snowmaking and night skiing. The area would likely close following the 1996-97 season, after which it would become the Academy at Swift River.

After losing an estimated $3.5 million in the Cummington Farms saga, the Heritage Bank for Savings failed in 1991 and would be purchased by Fleet.

The Berkshire Snow Basin alpine ski area would never operate again and would be sold to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at the end of the winter of 1994 for $240,500.

Expansion History

Name	Year	Status
Summit Area	1980s	Cancelled
Go to Berkshire Snow Basin Expansion History

Lift Timeline

Season	Lift Name	Type	Event	Notes
1960s
1967-1968	East	Mueller T-Bar	Installed	From Berkshire East, MA
1967-1968	Main	Mueller T-Bar	Installed
1961-1962	West	Doppelmayr T-Bar	Installed	New install

Ticket Price History
Weekend Full Day Lift Ticket

Season	Price	Source
1980s
1988-89	$15.00	New York Times
1970s
1971-72	$6.00	Boston Globe
1960s
1963-64	$4.00	Buxton's Eastern Ski Slopes

Vintage Ads

Berkshire Snow Basin ad in the 1962 Eastern Ski Map
Click here to see more Berkshire Snow Basin vintage advertisements

External Links

Berkshire Snow Basin - New England Lost Ski Areas Project

Last updated: March 27, 2012