The paperwork has all been pushed through, and it’s official: Main Street in Stockbridge has made the list of the National Register of Historic Places — from the Tuckerman Bridge at the golf course to the Knoll, the large house that was turned into condominiums at the intersection of Route 7 and Route 102.
Christopher Niebuhr, who served on the Stockbridge Historical Commission before he moved to Lee in 1988, said the certificate finally reached the Stockbridge Town Hall last month. Niebuhr saw the beginning of the whole process. Linda Jackson, the president of the commission, has guided the project.
During the last fiscal crisis in Massachusetts, Niebuhr explained, Stockbridge applied for a historical certificate for the Sedgwick Mansion. The Massachusetts Historical Commission, which administers the National Register program in the state, told the town that all of Main Street should be listed.
The register keeps a list of American cultural resources. It is part of a program authorized under the Natural Historic Preservation Act of 1966, and it coordinates public and private attempts to protect natural and archaeological resources. The register lists sites and structures of all kinds, from districts to objects. On the list are all the historical areas in national parks, National Historic Landmarks designated by the Secretary of the Interior, and properties that states or communities have nominated and that the National Park Service has approved.
The register admits properties that have an association with historical figures or events, that embody a distinct period or method of construction, or that offer significant information about an area’s history or prehistory.
Being listed on the register will grant Stockbridge recognition and some protection from federal or state projects. It will give the owners of properties in the district tax incentives to rehabilitate these properties. Because the district will also automatically join the state registry, Stockbridge will become eligible for state matching grants to restore properties owned by nonprofit organizations or by the town. The listing will not interfere in any way with a property owner’s right to change, manage or sell a property with private funds, unless a Stockbridge bylaw specifies otherwise. The state historical commission will review changes made with state or federal funding.
In 1994, Stockbridge received a matching grant, seed money, and hired Margaret Hepler, of Amherst, as a consultant to do a historical survey of the town and to determine which historical places the town ought to put on its application, Niebuhr said. She completed the survey of Main Street in 2000. She has been working to add Elm and Maple streets, Niebuhr said.
Stockbridge Main Street’s designation should have come up for a vote September 12, 2001, but the vote was delayed because Logan Airport had closed down, he said. Stockbridge eventually got its approval in October 2001.
In addition this summer marks the 150th anniversary of the Laurel Hill Association, the oldest existing village improvement society in the United States, which was founded in 1853, Niebuhr said. It is also the 125th anniversary of the Children’s Chimes tower. Stockbridge appropriated funds at its Town Meeting to repair the tower.
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Berkshire Food Project Closed for Power Issues
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Berkshire Food Project is closed Monday because of a power outage early in the morning.
"We are unable to get proper electricity and heat to the building," according to Executive Director Matthew Alcombright. "We hope that this can be resolved and be open tomorrow."
The project does have some sandwiches and frozen meals that will be distributed at the entry.
The city has lifted a boil water order — with several exceptions — that was issued late Monday morning following several water line breaks over the weekend. click for more
The bridge had been closed to all vehicle traffic since March 2023 after being deemed structurally deficient by the state Department of Transportation. click for more
