Multiple Fundraisers Started for Richmond Street Fire Victims

ADAMS, Mass. — A week after a Thanksgiving morning fire destroyed an apartment building on Richmond Street, multiple community fundraisers have, combined, raised more than $50,000 for the victims of the fire. 

While none of the occupants were injured, the fire caused significant damage to the attic, second floor and front facade of the building. Fire Chief John Pansecchi said the cause of the fire was undetermined after an investigation by the State Fire Marshal's office.

"Nobody was hurt. Great job by everybody that was there," Pansecchi said. 

Two separate GoFundMe fundraisers, one for resident Jacob Anderson-Hall and another for residents Marie Ellis and Jake Hall, have raised a total of $13,350 as of Nov. 30. A spaghetti dinner benefit, hosted by the Bounti Fare on Dec. 18 from noon to 4, is being held on support Hall, Ellis and the other victims. 

"We are thankful for each and every person in their kindness through donations, prayers, kind words, and sharing the gofundmes that are set up," Ellis said in an update on the fundraising page. 

Another fundraiser, organized by Susan Bloom for her in-laws Paul and Vanessa Mazzantini, has raised more than $40,000. 

"Yesterday, we spent the day sorting through donations and cleaning them. We appreciate everyone who has donated, it means so much after this loss," Bloom said in an update on the fundraising page. 

The century-old building at 16-18 Richmond caught fire in the early morning, with Firefighters from Adams, North Adams, Cheshire, Dalton and Savoy responding to the scene at about 9:30 a.m. By about 11:30 a.m., the fire was contained but hotspots were still sending smoke into the air. 

The nearly 7,000-square-foot structure is listed as a three-apartment building that the Mazzantinis bought in January 2021 and renovated.

Berkshire Museum Donates Cheshire Crown Glass to Town

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
07:15AM / Saturday, March 21, 2026

Historical Commission Chair Jennifer DeGrenier and Jason Vivori, Berkshire Museum collections manager, present the antique glass to the Select Board. 

CHESHIRE, Mass. — A piece of history has found its way back to the town with the donation of a well-preserved pane of bull's-eye glass made at Cheshire Crown Glass Works. 

 

Manufactured in 1814, the artifact was donated by the Berkshire Museum, where it had been since 1910. 

 

The glass will be on display at the town's new museum, located in the old Town Hall at the junction of Church and Depot Streets, alongside research and photographs gathered by the town's local historian Barry Emery.

 

Prior to being housed at the museum, the piece was at the Berkshire Athenaeum prior to the museum's founding, said Jason Vivori, the museum's collections manager. 

 

The glass was originally used in window making. Its distinctive bull's-eye center was formed when the molten glass was spun on a long rod to form large sheets, Vivori said. 

 

The bull's-eye rendered it unsuitable for windows today, but local historians admire the piece for its preservation, making it unique. 

 

There is another piece of Cheshire Glass in the old Reynolds store, Historical Commission Chair Jennifer DeGrenier said.