Berkshire County Historical Society Opening Celebration

07:59AM / Monday, May 11, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire County Historical Society will host a day of free, family activities on May 16 from 11 am - 4 pm to celebrate the opening of its summer season.

Starting that day, hourly guided tours of Herman Melville's historic home will be offered Thursday - Monday with the first tour beginning at 10 am, and the final tour at 3 pm.

Tickets are required for tours and can be purchased at berkshirehistory.org by using the BOOK NOW button, or on site. This event is sponsored by Massachusetts Cultural Council and Housatonic Heritage.

Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides, 11 am - 2 pm - A team from Four Seasons Stables in Lanesboro will ride around Arrowhead's field.

Silk Screening, 1 - 3 pm - Pittsfield's Penny Arcade Press will be on site demonstrating

silkscreen printing with water-based ink. Prints made using this traditional, hand-pulled method will be available for purchase in the museum shop.

Children's Story Hour, 2 pm - Explore new children's books based on works by Herman Melville - Call Me Moby by Lars Kenseth and Bartleby by Matt Phelan.

"Herman Melville in the Berkshires" Book Launch with author John Dickson, 4 pm

According to a press release:

The Berkshires have long attracted artists and writers, drawn to the mountains, rivers, forests, and lakes of Western Massachusetts. Herman Melville first came here as a young boy and was so inspired by the surroundings that he returned to live here for thirteen years during one of the most productive writing periods of his life. He finished his masterpiece, Moby-Dick, in his first year here, seated in his study with a view of Mount Greylock. "His first love," is the way his cousin described his relationship to his adopted home. He wandered on foot and horseback to all corners of the county, tapping into the Berkshires in his art. The places he explored are sprinkled through the pages in his stories. Herman Melville in the Berkshires reveals the connections between Melville's writing and the beauty of the landscape that inspired him. This program is co-sponsored by OLLI at Berkshire Community College.

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15 People Displaced in Pittsfield Home Fires

Staff Reports11:35AM / Sunday, October 11, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fifteen people were displaced after 2-alarm home fires this weekend on Springside Avenue and Elaine Drive.

On Friday evening, the Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 209 Springside Ave., which took a four-hour battle to extinguish and resulted in a partial roof collapse. The next day, on Saturday evening, crews knocked down a fire at 121 Elaine Drive in about an hour.

The garage and part of the single-family home on Elaine Drive were gutted to the frame, along with a vehicle parked in the driveway. On Springside Avenue, the top level and porch of the multifamily were burned through.

A GoFundMe has been started for the family of the Elaine Drive home, which includes several young children. The fundraiser, with a $5,500 goal, explains they lost their home and all of their belongings. (iBerkshires.com does not confirm or endorse fundraisers; they are provided as information only.)

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries, and both incidents are under investigation. One dog was rescued on Springside Avenue.

On Oct. 10, around 6:15 p.m., PFD responded to the Springside Avenue home for a reported structure fire and saw a 2 1/2-story wood frame multifamily with a heavy blaze showing from the second-floor front porch, extending out.

The building suffered a partial roof collapse, which prolonged extinguishment. The fire was brought under control after about four hours.

“An aggressive offensive attack was mounted by first arriving crews stretching hose lines into the building as well as primary searches that proved negative. Ladders were placed around the structure to provide access as well as escape if needed. An off-duty Fire Captain had also been on scene early in the incident to help evacuate the structure and rescue a dog,” PFD wrote in a press release.

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