Rehabilitation Efforts Reignited for Historical Pittsfield Property

The structure, a remnant of the 19th century, sits between the Registry of Motor Vehicles and Providence Court. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Efforts to save the historic William Russell Allen House have reignited with the support of Community Preservation Act funds. 

The Historical Commission has received more than $33,200 in CPA funding for a feasibility study on the 1886 home, said to be "the finest example of Queen Anne design in Pittsfield and one of the finest in Berkshire County." Now, its bones are showing in several places, and windows are boarded up. 

The feasibility study was funded in the city's $526,548 CPA budget for fiscal year 2025. 

The deteriorating historical property is owned by the state's Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, but was built by the son of Thomas Allen, who underwrote the construction of the Berkshire Athenaeum, and great-grandson of Thomas Allen, Pittsfield's first congregational minister. 

The application reports that in the past few years, DCAMM has indicated it is in support of the property's disposition and redevelopment for productive use. 

"The Pittsfield Historical Commission proposes to conduct a feasibility study, updating a previous one completed over 20 years ago. Such a study would assist any potential buyer or developer to have a full picture of the requirements in preserving and re-purposing this property," it reads. 

The study is expected to cost $42,500, which was the original CPA funding ask. 

The effort is backed by the Berkshire Historical Society, DCAMM, descendants of the William Russell Allen family, and previous efforts. In 2007, the William Russell Allen House Inc. nonprofit attempted to raise money for rehabilitation but was only able to finance the building's stabilization in 2009. 

The William Russell Allen House was also listed in Pittsfield's Community Preservation Plan as a significant historical structure. 

Included in the CPA application is a letter of support from Thomas W. Allen reporting that the Allens are "delighted" to learn of renewed interest in restoring the house and strongly support the project. 

"You may be aware that in 2017 our family mounted a preservation and restoration effort, together with local community leaders and Preservation Massachusetts, but the difficulties of finding sufficient financial support proved overwhelming at the time. We are pleased that the Berkshire County Historical Society and the local community are working on this project, and that we all may see it come to fruition in coming months," Allen wrote. 

• The Elizabeth Freeman Center Fire House Restoration: $150,000, Historic Preservation
• Greenagers Inc. Barkerville Trail Creation: $53,457, Open Space and Recreation
• Roots Rising Farm Improvements: $90,000, Open Space and Recreation
• City of Pittsfield Conservation Commission, Barkerville Expansion: $13,000, Open Space and Recreation
• Williams Elementary School Playground Restoration: $30,000, Open Space and Recreation
• City of Pittsfield Parks Department West Part Cemetery Restoration: $9,990, Historic
  Preservation
• Pittsfield Parks Department Park Signage: $4,850, Open Space and Recreation
• Pittsfield Affordable Housing Trust: $140,000, Community Housing
• Boys and Girls Club of the Berkshires Mural Restoration: $15,000, Historic Preservation
• Pittsfield Historical Commission Russell Allen House Study: $33,250, Historic
  Preservation

Pittsfield Council Says 'Yes' to Soccer at Crane Park

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
06:35AM / Saturday, June 13, 2026

The pitch will have the logos of the city and the US. and Massachusetts soccer associations. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is gladly accepting a "mini-pitch" from the U.S. Soccer Foundation to bring games back to Crane Park. 

Fueling excitement around the World Cup, U.S. Soccer has been working with the Massachusetts Youth Soccer League to make these facilities available to 20 communities — one of which will be at the park at the intersection of Benedict Road and Springside Avenue. 

The City Council accepted the gift on Tuesday during its regular meeting. 

A mini pitch is a compact, modular field typically used for soccer, and it can also accommodate inline skates. It has a galvanized steel border with built-in goals and a rubber plastic surface that is clicked together; installed on the existing inline hockey court. 

Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham said he has gone door to door speaking with nearby residents, and they are "really excited" about the upgrade. He also sees it as a great addition. 

"They say that nobody really uses the court a ton now, and they are excited to see kids back on there playing," he said. 

Decades ago, the Crane Park facility was a wading pool. It closed in 1980, and before the turn of the century, it was filled in and marked for hockey. 

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath explained that the wooden border around the rink is showing its age, has been vandalized and tagged, and the facility is seeing a "real decline" in use. 

"This would seem to be an appropriate spot for us to remove the board system that's in place and install the mini pitch system through this grant," he said.