North Adams Marking Monitor Anniversary

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Celebrations are being held all over the country in honor of the 150th anniversary of various Civil War battles and events. It is always nice to have a local connection.

The public is invited to attend when North Adams holds its own commemoration on Friday, March 9, at 1:30 p.m. for the sesquicentennial of the battle of the first ironclads the Monitor and the Merrimac.

The North Adams Iron Co. smelted pig iron from Furnace Hill and the Paul farm in the Notch and shipped it to a foundry in Troy, N.Y., to be used in making plates for the turret of the USS Monitor, the Union ironclad. The North Adams Historical Society will sponsor the laying of a patriotic wreath as well as pertinent readings by members at the Monitor Monument on West Main Street, the site of the former foundry.

Special guest will be Brian Ferris, who as a 5-year-old in 1951, was pictured in the North Adams Transcript when the plaque was completed and installed. His father ran Everybody's Market then close by at 19 West Main. The local monument was dedicated Dec. 10, 1951, because of the efforts of Clara Beckley, granddaughter of John Beckley of Canaan Conn., owner of the iron company in the 1850s and 1860s.

Robert Campanile will present the "Monitor vs. the Merrimac" as part of his regular weekly series of talks at the Visitors Museum at Western Gateway Heritage State Park on Saturday, March 10, at 3.
 

Brown Street Bridge Reopens in North Adams

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
01:16PM / Monday, December 15, 2025

Mayor Jennifer Macksey is the first to drive across the bridge, closed since early 2023.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Mayor Jennifer Macksey led a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, Dec. 15, marking the official reopening of the Brown Street Bridge.

 

"We are very excited despite the cold weather," Macksey said before the ribbon-cutting. "… We are chipping away at these projects, but this is long overdue."

 

The bridge had been closed to all vehicle traffic since March 2023 after being deemed structurally deficient by the state Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The 26-foot steel structure, built in 1952, was flagged after its superstructure rating fell to 3.

 

The reopening follows a temporary repair project designed to safely restore access while the city and state determine a long-term plan. The temporary repair contract was awarded to J.H. Maxymillian at a cost of $349,920.

 

Funding for the project included $75,000 from state Chapter 90 road funds, with the balance was covered by state flood money the city had been previously awarded following a severe storm in July several years ago.

 

The mayor emphasized the critical need to reopen the span, particularly for public safety. 

 

"The perception behind that was we have flooding on West Main Street and River Street, we have to use this bridge," she said. "We are very excited to have it open. Not only to alleviate traffic problems down at the intersection of Big Y and the intersection of City Hall, but to help our friends at emergency management with the ambulance."