Chenango Stories: The Masons

On any given Friday, tucked within the rolling hills of Coventry, Scandinavian melodies can be heard and the sounds of laughter and folk singing will carry into the night. As the cars pull into the drive of this 18th century home on Friday evenings, the instruments come out and the food is laid out on the table in anticipation of another night of music and entertainment.

Regina Mason and her husband Steven have created a place in which people gather for festivals, nights of song and celebrations throughout the year. Their home, purchased just eight years ago from Dave Denny, an Appalachian fiddler, required a lot of restoration to make it look like it does now. Keeping in tune with original rustic features and atmosphere of the house, the Masons worked hard to restore the home, but also to keep the old feel of it and use traditional and simple design concepts. “There are good energies here,” said Regina.

The first part of the home was built in 1779 and the second in 1859. The home holds a library with hundreds of titles, a rustic kitchen with bare open shelves and wooden accents, an office for Steven who works outside the home as an architect, a room currently being used as the sewing studio and many other rooms which house a variety of rustic furniture.

The Masons operate a small farm at 1216 Route 235, known as BelleWeather. At a quick glance, seeing how much the sheep mean to Regina is easy. Throughout the home, spinning wheels, new and old, line the halls and can be seen in many of the rooms. Regina, a fiber artist, spins her own yarn from her sheep and makes puppets, hats, scarves and other clothing. She also does felting, knitting, weaving and teaches workshops.

Besides raising the animals on their small farm, Regina has home-schooled her five children for the past 24 years, using Waldorf methods of education. Home schooling was a decision Regina reached following an illness her daughter encountered, which ultimately caused her to miss a lot of school time. Regina says she couldn’t see her daughter going back and getting sick again, therefore she decided to teach them herself.