image description — The building's first artwork, created by local artist Ricky Darell Barton, is displayed in the lobby of 21 Park St. and is part of the building's 'Maus-ART' program.

Adams' Mausert Block Filling Space with Local Art

By Brian RhodesiBerkshires Staff
05:21AM / Monday, August 29, 2022Print Story | Email Story

Artist Benne Perkins restored the original stained-glass windows in the entrance archway.

ADAMS, Mass. — Nearly 30 people gathered outside of the Mausert Block apartments on Thursday, as the owners unveiled the first of more than 30 commissioned local art pieces to be displayed in the building.

Mausert Block owners Holly and Stephen Stenson said the artworks, as part of the building's "Maus-ART" program, will be on display once the project is complete. The work, done with help from the Adams Arts Advisory Board, will be put in the building's common spaces for residents to see.

"We have 31 pieces of art, and this is one," Stephen Stenson said. "So we have 30 to go."

The first artwork, created by local artist Ricky Darell Barton, is displayed in the lobby of 21 Park St. and is from a series of works called "Robot Paintings."

"By weaving these elements together as I feel them, and thus through luck and chance, images actually create themselves in the painting," Barton says on a plaque, posted next to the piece. "This is why I call them 'Robot Paintings'; even robotic faces, along with many other things, appear long after the works are completed."

The artist moved from Washington, D.C., to the Berkshires a few years ago. His work has also been displayed at Real Eyes Gallery.

In addition to the first artwork displayed, artist Benne Perkins restored the original stained-glass windows in the entrance archway. Only one window remained when the Stenson's purchased the property.

"He took that, and he made us four brand-new ones that are as close as possible to the original," Holly Stenson said.

The 1901 building has served several purposes in town throughout its history, and may be best-known as the location of an F.W. Woolworth five-and-dime store for more than 60 years. The Stensons have been working on restoring the property since they purchased it in 2011.

The 10-apartment building, when finished, will also house retail and restaurant space on the ground floor. Earlier this year, the building received two awards from Preservation Massachusetts.

Mausert Block is one of several structures on Park Street, including Miss Adams Diner, Adams Theater and the Firehouse Cafe, that has reopened or seen renovation this year. William Kolis, the owner of the Firehouse Cafe, said he is excited to see these businesses revitalized in Adams.

"It's taken a long time, but now we've gotten it done. And it's going to be a tremendous edition, second only to getting the theater up and running," he said. "... There's been an incredible energy that's been brought here."

Tags: art exhibit, Mausert Block,

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Notre Dame Church Closed Indefinitely as Diocese Assesses Structural Damage

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:43AM / Wednesday, September 30, 2026

ADAMS, Mass. — What began as concerns over peeling paint inside Notre Dame Church turned out to be a much larger issue, as the church is now closed indefinitely after inspections revealed structural damage, particularly in the steeple.

Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs Catholic Church, located at 21 Maple St., has been taped off and closed since last week as the Diocese of Springfield assesses water damage affecting several areas of the building.

"There are multiple issues ... but the long and short of it is that there's been a water breach in a number of locations at the church, [compromising] some of the structures. The steeple clearly has been negatively impacted by this water breach, and so they're looking at the steeple as one potential major issue," said Mark Dupont, Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield's director of communications.

"A lot of the other ones are not to that level, but taken as a whole, they might be problematic in the long run. This church is well over 100 years old and has served that community with great distinction over the years, but unfortunately, sometimes our past history with these churches is that they quickly become very costly when they start having issues."

The church was built around 1882 to serve the area's French-speaking residents and is one of the two churches part of the St. John Paul II Parish and St. Stanislaus in Adams, Dupont said. The Catholic Parishes of Adams and Cheshire includes St. Mary of the Assumption in Cheshire

Parish staff were concerned about possible water intrusion and hired a structural mason to inspect the steeple and possibly do some repairs. The hired mason found broken beams.

However, the inspection revealed more extensive damage to the steeple than initially anticipated, prompting parish staff to immediately contact the Diocese of Springfield and close the church, Dupont said.

A more comprehensive inspection is now underway to determine the full extent of the damage and what it could mean for the future of the church, he said.

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