Simon Winchester Is Selling His Berkshires Farm After Twenty-Five Years of Chosen Solitude

Writer Simon Winchester has put Barnhill Farm, his historic farmhouse in Sandisfield, in the Massachusetts Berkshires, up for sale. Bought in 2001 as a retreat for writing, the roughly 2,682-square-foot property on nearly 60 acres is listed from $2,250,000 through William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty in Great Barrington, part of the Sotheby’s International Realty network.

A 1760s Farmhouse, Rescued Twice

The original structure dates to around 1760, built by James Ayrault, one of the area’s first European settlers. A Greek Revival addition followed around 1840. After decades of neglect, the house was restored in 1985 by preservationist Peter Strattner, who hand-recreated missing plaster and mouldings and rebuilt the foundation in quarried stone.

Twenty-Five Years Building Solitude

Winchester bought the property in 2001 for $650,000, seeking a remote place to write. The isolation was such that his internet connection once cost about $950 a month. He kept bees, horses and chickens on the land, living out what he called his gentleman-farmer pretensions, and spent roughly $250,000 on renovations while preserving the historic fabric of the house.

The 1812 Granary Turned Writing Studio

In 2006, Winchester found a derelict granary dating to around 1812 near Cambridge, New York. Dismantled, restored in Vermont and rebuilt on the property, it became his studio: a floor-to-ceiling library, a sleeping loft, a full bathroom. Much of his later work took shape there, deliberately set apart from the domestic side of the farm.

Sixty Acres Built Around Quiet

The land runs to about 60 acres, with three-quarters of a mile of frontage on Silverbrook Road, a lightly travelled town road. An orchard, meadow, vernal stream, frog pond and a solar-powered barn make up the setting, which borders protected land. An EV charging point rounds out the utilities.

Price and the Sandisfield Market

Barnhill Farm has been listed since late May 2026 at $2,250,000, with offers above that figure invited. Annual property taxes run to about $8,274. Median single-family home prices in Sandisfield sit around $525,000 to $575,000, placing this estate well above the local market, a gap explained by its acreage, its literary history and the rarity of a restoration on this scale.

FAQ – Buying a Historic Property in the Berkshires

Who is Simon Winchester?

Simon Winchester is a British-American writer and former foreign correspondent, author of some fifteen books including The Professor and the Madman. He lived and wrote much of that work at his Massachusetts farm between 2001 and its 2026 listing.

Why is he selling Barnhill Farm?

After twenty-five years cultivating the solitude he once sought, Winchester is moving in the opposite direction. The sale reflects a personal shift rather than financial necessity, with the property remaining fully maintained and functional.

Where is the property located?

Barnhill Farm sits in Sandisfield, in the southern Massachusetts Berkshires, roughly two and a half hours from both New York City and Boston. The town itself is sparsely populated and sits away from the region’s more touristed routes.

What makes this property unusual?

The estate combines a restored 1760s house, a freestanding 1812 writing studio, a solar-equipped barn and close to 60 acres bordering protected woodland. That mix of age, energy independence and scale is hard to match elsewhere in the local market.

What kind of buyer does a property like this attract?

This category of property tends to draw buyers with an interest in literary and architectural history, looking for a retreat well outside major cities rather than a rental investment. The scale and self-sufficiency suit long-term family or creative use.

How does buying a historic Berkshires property typically work?

Purchases run through a local agency affiliated with a recognised network, here William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, which handles viewings, negotiation and checks tied to the property’s historic status. A thorough inspection of the older structural elements is advisable before any offer.