Pittsfield To Begin Study Of Springside House

The city is putting $30,000 toward a study of Springside House to set the stage for a future restoration.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city will have a plan for reuse of the Springside House by next June.

The City Council accepted a $30,000 grant on Tuesday from the state Historical Commission and will provide an equal match for a study of the building.

After being approved by the Finance Committee, the city accepted the grant and in six to eight weeks will hire an engineering firm to examine the house.

"We'll get into an evaluation of the house from top to bottom, a structural analysis of all of the systems, the foundation, the roof, the walls, everything about the house," said the city's Open Space Manager James McGrath. "We are going to find out where we're at with this building and what the challenges are."

The city will hold public hearings throughout the process. Once the study is completed, city officials will determine the course of rehabilitating the house.

"We're going to stick with this. We are in it for the long haul," McGrath said.

The grant only evaluates the condition of the building but Ward 5 Councilor Jonathan Lothrop called it a "critical" step toward doing something with the building. The city will likely have to spend more money in the future for any renovations.

McGrath said a selection committee will be formed to choose the firm for the study and will be focused on getting value for the $60,000 which will be spent.

Ward 1 Councilor Christine Yon said she is constantly asked about the building from people who want to save it. Those in the area have been "building momentum" for years toward restoring the building, she said.

"We really need to find a good use for it and restore it," Yon said.

The building is the main structure on the 275-acre Springside Park and is on the state's historical register. It was a private mansion until being gifted to the city and from 1940 until 2007 was the parks and recreation headquarters. Now a Friends of Springside Park group has been pushing for rehabilitation.

"I'm thrilled that they accepted the grant," Friends of Springside Park interim President Joe Durwin* said.

In other business, the council appointed John Jackson as a Fire Department captain and David Hathaway and Carolyn Valli to the Community Development Board.

The council also accepted the warrant for the municipal election, sent a petition from the Community Development Board to expand the downtown arts overlay district back to the board for public hearings and approved hiring a crime analyst for the Police Department.

*Durwin is a Pittsfield correspondent for iBerkshires.com.

Pittsfield Remembers Lives Lost to Overdose, Underscores Harm Reduction

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:33AM / Tuesday, September 01, 2026

Mayor Peter Marchetti reads a proclamation at City Hall encouraging residents to raise awareness and lift each other up. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dozens of people gathered downtown on Monday to remember those lost to overdose and work toward a future of zero deaths from substance use disorder. 

The Berkshire Overdose and Addiction Prevention Collaborative and its partners held a proclamation reading and flag-raising at City Hall, followed by a standout in Park Square with signs promoting the use of naloxone, harm reduction, and reducing associated stigma. 

There were 23 fatal overdoses in Berkshire County in 2025, 11 in Pittsfield. This is down 44 percent from the 41 countywide fatalities in 2024. 

While it is a significant decrease, advocates want to see that number at zero. 

"On the one hand, we're very pleased to see this significant of a decrease. This is actually the lowest number that we've had since [Department of Public Health] started collecting these numbers in 2013, but the goal is still zero," said Andy Ottoson, public health planner with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. 

August is International Overdose Awareness Month, the world's largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember those lost without stigma, and acknowledge the grief of families and friends left behind. September is National Recovery Month, a national observance to educate the public on the importance of substance use treatment and mental health services.

Samantha Kendall of Berkshire Harm Reduction explained that it is truly meeting people where they are, as they are, and when they are, "and I think we all do a really great job at that."

"We also want to remember that we're building a community for everybody, and systems and policies for everybody. That's really important in harm reduction work, so that's also the reason we're here today," she said.