New Marlborough is a small country town in the Berkshires
In southern Berkshire County, the rural town of New Marlborough is a historic community with just over 1,500 residents. Incorporated in 1759, New Marlborough spent its first two centuries heavily involved in the manufacturing and farming industries. These industries gradually faded during the latter half of the 20th century; today, the town is better known for its outdoor destinations, rural living and sense of belonging among residents. “There’s a really strong sense of community here, and the locals are really engaged, whether they’re multigenerational or transplants like myself,” says Jared Kelly, an associate broker with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty who has nearly a decade of real estate experience in the Berkshires.
Enclosed within the boundaries of New Marlborough as a whole is a collection of smaller areas that essentially serve as large neighborhoods. “There are five villages that make up the town, with the main three being Mill River, Southfield and the Village of New Marlborough itself,” Kelly says . The villages of Clayton and Hartsville are the remaining two of the five communities that make up New Marlborough. “All these villages are the kinds of places with only one intersection,” Kelly says. The larger town of Great Barrington is only 10 miles away and serves as a hub where people can find shopping, medical centers and other amenities.
Historic homes meet contemporary builds
Homes across New Marlborough vary greatly in age; some properties date back to the 1790s, while others were built as recently as 2024. “I would say New Marlborough has a higher percentage of historic homes than other towns in the area,” Kelly says. “It still has that historic character, for the most part, but you’ll still also get some more modern builds mixed in.” Aside from these newer contemporary homes, New Marlborough offers a wide range of custom-built farmhouses, along with a collection of Colonials and Craftsman-style homes. “A lot of the older high-end properties that get renovated are usually redone in the colonial style,” Kelly says. Homes across New Marlborough typically sit on large lots and back up against the surrounding woods; many properties also sit on the tail end of long private driveways and are out of eyesight of the town roads. The median price of a single-family home is just over $750,000, with prices typically starting around $300,000 for a small Cape Cod in need of updating, and climbing as high as $6 million for a multi-building compound on over 330 acres. Undeveloped land lots are also frequently listed for sale in this area.
Exploring the rivers, lakes and hiking trails of south Berkshire County
Located in the sprawling Berkshire Mountains, this area has an abundance of outdoor space and recreational opportunities. “New Marlborough arguably has one of the prettiest, most natural, most bucolic settings in the Berkshires,” Kelly says. “There’s access to tons of rivers, lakes, woodlands and pastoral space. At the confluence of the Konkapot and Umpachene rivers is a beloved park – Umpachene Falls Park – with waterfalls and a swimming hole.” Another river, the Whiting River, flows through part of the Campbells Falls State Park at the southern end of town. “Then you’ve got other spots like York Lake, which is a little off the beaten path, so it’s rarely ever busy. The lake has a parking area and a small beach, and it’s a great spot for families to go swimming and hang out by the water,” Kelly says. “There are also tons of protected lands and parks throughout New Marlborough. Places like the Goodnow Preserve have lots of hiking trails and open fields.” Recreational trail networks for hiking and biking can also be found at Beartown State Forest, Monument Mountain Reservation, Sandisfield State Forest, Steepletop Reserve and Dry Hill Reservation. Access points to the Appalachian Trail are located at Lake Buel near New Marlborough’s Hartsville Village. Kelly adds that the closest ski hill is at the Butternut resort, which is less than 10 miles from town.
Students are served by the Southern Berkshire Regional School District
New Marlborough is zoned for the Southern Berkshire Regional School District, which receives a B rating from Niche. Prekindergarten through third-grade students can attend New Marlborough Central School, which is rated B-plus. “The New Marlborough Central School is housed in an older one-room schoolhouse. It’s a great building full of great teachers. People will drive in from other towns just to have their kids attend there,” Kelly says. Undermountain Elementary School is a B-rated institution for prekindergarten up to fifth grade. Mount Everett Regional School is a junior-senior high school for grades six through 12 and is also rated B. Students can enroll in Advanced Placement programs and college credit courses available through partnerships with Simon’s Rock College and Berkshire Community College. Mount Everett also offers high school pathways for manufacturing, information technology, carpentry and culinary arts. The New Marlborough Town Library provides additional educational resources and community programs. “The library is kind of like an unofficial community center here. It has a very welcoming atmosphere,” Kelly says.
Great Barrington offers a larger selection of shopping and dining
New Marlborough is not home to an abundance of shopping and dining establishments , so residents often make the 10-mile drive to Great Barrington for a broader range of retail and restaurant options. “There are two well-known grocery stores in Great Barrington – Big Y, which is a regional chain, and Guido’s, which is a family-run marketplace similar to Whole Foods,” Kelly says. Barrington Plaza has national businesses like Price Chopper, Dollar Tree and Marshall’s. In New Marlborough, residents can find local cafes like Southfield Store and several community farm stands such as The Farm New Marlborough, which operates on a trust system. “You’ve also got the Cantina 229 restaurant, which is a very hip, contemporary space with lots of glass windows,” Kelly says. “For big-box stores, a lot of people will travel up to Pittsfield.” Located less than 30 miles away, Pittsfield has shopping malls, national retailers like Walmart and dozens of chain and local eateries.
New Marlborough is removed from busy roads and public transit
Locals don’t need to worry much about traffic or noisy highways due to its somewhat rural setting. “New Marlborough is a little off the beaten track. There’s no major artery going through town; it’s mostly just a series of winding picturesque roads,” Kelly says. The main thoroughfare in town is Massachusetts Route 183, which merges with Route 57 in the Village of New Marlborough. Route 183 can take residents to Great Barrington, which has 24-hour emergency services at Fairview Hospital. Great Barrington is also home to Berkshire Regional Transit Authority bus services along Route 7 that connect to Pittsfield. The nearest commercial airport is Bradley International Airport, located 38 miles away near Springfield.
