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New Ashford Celebrates Restoration of Historic Schoolhouse

Funds to build the structure were approved by town meeting in 1791. It did duty as a school, town hall and library for many years.

NEW ASHFORD, Mass. — It took a village to save the town's 1792 Schoolhouse.

Along with some elbow grease and thousands in donations.

The village came together on Saturday morning to celebrate the restoration of one of its oldest and most historic buildings, complete with a cadre of graduates who brought with them memories of a time before school buses and indoor plumbing, when discipline was a given.

"If not, we got a ruler on our hands," said Cecile Love, 101, who chuckled, "I got into lots of things I shouldn't have."

Love, the oldest living graduate of the little school, cut the ribbon to officially declare the project completed after a gathering in Town Hall across the street.

The one-room building played host to a school, a library and town hall at various times over 160 years. The first woman to legally vote in a presidential election after the passage of the 19th Amendment, Phoebe Jordan, cast her ballot in the little schoolhouse in 1920.

But when the "new" school, now the Town Hall, was opened in 1951, the old schoolhouse lay fallow for nearly 65 years.

"It was becoming an eyesore," said former Selectman Ken Flicker. "We were worried abut it getting burned, we were worried about the bell getting stolen."

Efforts to restore the building began in the early 1990s when brush and ivy were removed from the building but preservation work was spotty until 2008, when an article by Meghan Foley in the former North Adams Transcript led to an anonymous donation of $35,000.

"That got us started on the restoration, the foundation," said Chuck Marrone, chairman of the Historical Commission. "The schoolhouse was actually picked up, stabilized, moved over there to pour the concrete foundation, with a stone shelf so it looks authentic. ... that's what got us started on this restoration."

A year later, his mother's charitable trust made another large donation that allowed work to continue on the exterior.

"In the fall of 2014, after a few years of not having anything done, work was started on the interior reconstruction of the building," Marrone said. "In late summer of this year, we finished the interior work."

Past members of the Historical Commission were instrumental in getting that work done, he said, ticking off a long list that included former co-Chairs Lynn Steinhoff and Louise Palmer.

And there was Flicker, and Cindy and Ed Grosso, Laurie Trottier and Matt Kelly. Ryan Keiper of Pittsfield, who married into Holden family, drew up the plans, gratis; Jeff and Mike Holden did the carpentry and wide pine floors. The Nichols did the wiring, Ed Lacasse laid the cable, and neighbors Sue and Joe Nawazelski allowed extension cords to run from their house during the final work.

Williamstown Board Opts to Negotiate with College on Water St. Lot

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:04AM / Tuesday, June 09, 2026

Newly elected board member Nate Budington, far left, participates in his first in-person meeting along with, from left, Matt Neely, Stephanie Boyd, Peter Beck, Shana Dixon and Town Manager Robert Menicocci.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Select Board on Monday decided to enter into negotiations with Williams College on the sale of the vacant town-owned lot at 59 Water St.

 

But the board members made it clear that the college's proposal to acquire the lot is a starting point, not a final deal that the elected officials would accept.

 

"For the sake of continued conversation, I'm in favor of [awarding Williams the site], but if this process wasn't continued with the opportunity for further negotiation, I wouldn't vote to continue this," Peter Beck said. "I think that next step is necessary for us to get to a yes on this."

 

"I think there's wide agreement on that," Matthew Neely said just before the 5-0 vote to enter talks with the college.

 

Williams was the sole respondent to a town-issued request for proposals to develop the former town garage site, currently a dirt lot.

 

The college's stated intent is to build a new Facilities office and create up to 170 parking spaces at 59 Water Street. That use will allow the college to redevelop the current Facilities building site and parking lot as part of a reconception of the school's indoor athletic and recreation facilities.

 

Under the terms of the RFP, the college's proposal was subjected to review by an ad hoc advisory committee to the town manager, who brought the question to the Select Board. That board will have the final say on any purchase and sales agreement.