National Auto Tour Follow Up at Hancock Shaker Village

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PITTSFIELD – The Hancock Shakers always embraced technological innovation. They were some of the first in Berkshire County to own automobiles. Hancock Shaker Village will explore this facet of Shaker history on Saturday, September 6 when members of the Antique Auto Club of America will be on hand to make the connection between the Shakers and cars. In the Brick Garage, an antique auto owned by the Village, a 1923 REO, will be the focus of the Club’s attention as they work with Village staff to get the REO running again.
 
The REO, a T-6 sedan, was produced by a company founded by Ransom E. Olds, of Oldsmobile fame. Purchased for its practicality, it seated 5 Shakers comfortably. The Shakers, who embraced advances in technology, believed that purchasing the best car available would ensure better performance and require less expense in the long run. Though not the Shakers’ car, the Village’s REO is the identical make and model of the REO owned by the Shakers in the 1930’s. The car was donated to the Village in 2002.
 
The restoration project came about after the National Antique Auto Tour made a stop at Hancock Shaker Village in August and discovered the REO and its restoration needs. Six members from the Connecticut Valley Region of Antique Auto Club are volunteering their time and talent to repair the car and make it ready to drive around the Village. Club members Keith Korbut of Springfield, MA; Bill Hick of Wilbraham, MA; Jerre Hoffman of Chicopee, MA; Bob Watkins of Southwick, MA; Jay Wallace and Ray Boronas of Deerfield, MA will spend the day working on the REO and talking with visitors about the work.
 
The 1923 vehicle’s restoration requires new parts, which have been donated by Club members. Keith Korbut has donated crucial parts and a copy of the owner’s manual, and the Connecticut Valley Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America has given 5 new tires, tubes and rim flaps. Labor donated by the group will revitalize the mechanical performance of this historic vehicle. 

 
“This is a great ‘Hands to Work’ project, and we are grateful to the volunteers for their generous donation of materials and expertise. A working REO will give us another interpretive dimension,” said Hancock Shaker Village President and CEO, Ellen Spear.
 
About Hancock Shaker Village

Hancock Shaker Village, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is situated on 7500 acres of farm, field and woodland. The fully restored Village includes 20 buildings, 22,000 examples of Shaker furniture, crafts, tools and clothes, as well as heritage farm animals and spectacular gardens. Tours, craft and cooking demonstrations, lectures, and a variety of activities for children and families appropriate to every season are available, as well as a Cafe and Museum Store. Open year-round. Hancock Shaker Village is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is supported in part by grants from The Massachusetts Cultural Council and Institute of Museum and Library Services. For more information, call (800) 817-1137 or go to www.hancockshakervillage.org.
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Former Harry's Supermarket Under Construction for Restaurant

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Construction is underway to transform the former Harry's Supermarket into a restaurant

Late last month, the Conservation Commission greenlit some tree pruning on the property. New windows and a new door can be seen in the front of the building. 

"It's a substantial renovation that's currently underway here," Brent White of White Engineering said, speaking on behalf of the applicant and owner, Huajie Zhu. 

A fire gutted the longtime Wahconah Street supermarket in 2023, and the following year, Zhu purchased the property for $460,000 two years ago to build a restaurant with hibachi in the existing footprint of the more than 100-year-old building. 

White explained that the project has been ongoing for over a year, and the Community Development Board granted the property a waiver to reduce the minimum required number of parking spaces so that additional spaces aren't needed.  

He noted that, looking at the site plan, there is very little room to do so. A mirror will be installed near the sharp turn on Bel Air Avenue to alleviate traffic concerns. 

Pruning will be done on trees in the southeast corner of the existing paved parking lot, as a number of branches are hanging over. The new owners also intend to patch, sealcoat, and re-stripe the parking lot. 

A fire tore through the building less than an hour after the supermarket closed for the day three years ago. An automatic sprinkler system is required for the new use. 

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