Berkshire County Historical Society Celebrates Plant a Tree Day

11:45AM / Wednesday, September 27, 2023Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Join the Berkshire County Historical Society on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 5:30 pm as they celebrate Plant a Tree Day with a ceremonial planting of a young American elm "Jefferson" on Park Square.

The tree will be planted to honor the Berkshires' first known environmentalist Lucretia Williams. Williams threw herself before the woodsman's axe to save a towering elm known as the Pittsfield Elm on Park Square in 1789.

"BCHS is very grateful to the Pittsfield Parks Department and George and Alice Wislocki for helping make this possible, said Executive Director Lesley Herzberg. "It is a fitting and lasting tribute to Lucretia Williams whose story resonates with us today over one hundred years after her efforts to save the Pittsfield Elm."

This free event is open to the public.

Tags: park square, trees,

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Dalton Second Historical District Needs Grant Funding for Consultant

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
02:32PM / Sunday, February 08, 2026

DALTON, Mass. — Efforts to establish historic districts in the town have spanned several decades, creating confusion about what voters originally approved.

"We have to bring them up to speed with the history of the situation with the districts," co-Chair Deborah Kovacs said during the commission's meeting on Wednesday.

In the late 1990s, voters approved the work to create all three historic districts, although at the time they were considered a single, known as the Main Street corridor historic district, she said.

When the town hired a consultant, Norene Roberts, to help with the district's establishment, she informed the commission that it had to be split into three because of the scope of work.

The first district, the Craneville Historic District, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Sept. 14, 2005, after 10 years of work, and is located on Main and South Streets.

It has a rich history because of the activity in building, acquiring, and using the homes in the center of Craneville.

Mary Walsh in the only remaining commissioner involved in establishing the Craneville District.

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