Hunter House
"The Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival is a delightful enigma that defies preconceived notions of what is possible in today's world of dance and art."
- Artscope
Pillow history began with this white farmhouse, which was built around 1790
by the Carter family and purchased by Ted Shawn in 1931 as a dance retreat in the Berkshires. Boulders dotted the original farm pastures, among them a curiously-shaped one located behind Hunter House. Given the rock "pillow" and the farm's proximity to "Jacob's Ladder", the Carter Family furthered local allusions to the Book of Genesis (which tells of Jacob laying his head upon a rock and dreaming of a ladder to heaven) by giving their farm the name "Jacob's Pillow".
This building served as Shawn's personal residence from 1931 until 1971 and was named "Hunter House" in the 1980's, in honor of longtime board member and supporter Irene Hunter. It now houses our year-round administrative offices.
This building served as Shawn's personal residence from 1931 until 1971 and was named "Hunter House" in the 1980's, in honor of longtime board member and supporter Irene Hunter. It now houses our year-round administrative offices.