Friday Front Porch Feature: A Historic Georgian Colonial

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Are you looking for a historic home perfect to live and host in? Then this is the home for you.

Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 65 Crofut St.

This 1930 home has five bedrooms and five bathrooms. It is 4,948 square feet with more than two acres.

The brick home includes a heated in-ground pool, a two-car basement garage, and comes fully furnished.

The home was designed by Henry Seaver, who designed many local buildings including the Berkshire Museum, Lenox Town Hall, and Pittsfield High School. Many of the original and replica 18th-century details including the woodwork, mantels, and wainscoting have been preserved. 

The house is on the market for $1,350,000.

We spoke to Conor Meehan from Stonehouse Properties LLC, which is listing the property. 

What do you think makes this property stand out in the current market?

What sets this home apart is the rare combination of architectural pedigree, preserved history, and true turnkey living. Designed by notable architect Henry Seaver in 1930, it carries the scale, craftsmanship, and proportions you'd expect from that era, but it's been thoughtfully updated for modern life and is offered fully furnished. Its proximity to downtown Pittsfield, Tanglewood and Lenox adds a lifestyle component that's increasingly hard to find.

Do you know any unique stories about this home or its history?

The home was originally built for sisters Elizabeth Campbell and Grace Campbell Van Norden, and for decades it served as a gathering place for Pittsfield's social and civic life, hosting events and community meetings. One of the most fascinating details is that the house incorporates architectural elements from two of Pittsfield's earliest homes — 18th-century mantels, doors, and millwork that were carefully preserved and integrated into the design. It gives the home a layered sense of history that you can actually feel as you move through it.

What kind of buyer do you see this home being perfect for?

This is a great fit for someone who appreciates historic architecture but doesn't want to take on a project. It also works beautifully for a buyer looking for a Berkshire retreat with space to host — whether that's extended family, guests, or even a rental component. With its layout and multiple bedroom suites, it lends itself well to multi-generational living or a luxury second home with income potential.

What would you say to a buyer trying to imagine their life in this space?

It's easy to picture long summer evenings with friends spilling from the kitchen out to the patio and pool, or quieter mornings in the sunroom with coffee and a book. The house has a natural flow for both entertaining and everyday living, and its proximity to culture, dining, and the outdoors means there's always something to step out and enjoy — or you can simply stay in and feel completely at home.

Are there any recent renovations or standout design features?

What stands out most is how beautifully the home balances preservation and modern comfort — original millwork, fireplaces, and proportions alongside thoughtful updates, including a new high-efficiency heating system. The kitchen, butler's pantry, and multiple living spaces make it highly functional, and the curated furnishings allow for immediate enjoyment.

What was your first impression when you walked into this home?

The sense of scale and warmth right away. There's a graciousness to the rooms — the ceiling heights, the moldings, the way light moves through the space — that immediately gives you the feeling that this is a home that has been both well-designed and well cared for over time.

How would you describe the feel or atmosphere of this home?

It has a quiet elegance to it — refined but very livable. There's a strong connection to its history, but it doesn't feel formal or untouchable. Instead, it feels welcoming, layered, and comfortable in a way that invites people to gather, which is exactly what it's been doing for nearly a century.

You can find out more about this house on its listing here

*Front Porch Feature brings you an exclusive to some of the houses listed on our real estate page every week. Here we take a bit of a deeper dive into a certain house for sale and ask questions so you don't have to.

 




Tags: front porch,   Real Estate,   

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Pittsfield School Committee OKs $87M Budget for FY27

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee has approved an $87 million budget for fiscal year 2027 that uses the Fair Student Funding formula to assign resources. 

On Wednesday, the committee approved its first budget for the term. Morningside Community School will close at the end of the academic year and is excluded. 

"This has been quite a process, and throughout this process, we have been faced with the task of closing a $4.3 million budget deficit while making meaningful improvements in student outcomes for next year," interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips said. 

"Throughout this process, we've asked ourselves, 'What should we keep doing? What should we stop doing? And what should we start doing?' I do want to acknowledge that we are presenting a budget that has been made with difficult decisions, but it has been made carefully, responsibly, and collaboratively, again with a clear focus first on supporting our students."

The proposed $87,200,061 school budget for FY27 includes $68,886,061 in state Chapter 70 funding, $18 million from the city, and $345,000 in school choice and Richmond tuition revenues.  It is an approximately $300,000 increase from the Pittsfield Public Schools' FY26 budget of $86.9 million. 

The City Council will take a vote on May 19. 

Thirteen schools are budgeted for FY27, Morningside retired, and the middle school restructuring is set to move forward. The district believes important milestones have been met to move forward with transitioning to an upper elementary and junior high school model in September; Grades 5 and 6 attending Herberg Middle School, and Grades 7 and 8 attending Reid Middle School. 

"I also want to acknowledge that change is never easy. It is never simple, but I truly do believe that it is through these challenges that we're able to examine our systems, strengthen our practices, strengthen our relationships, and ultimately make decisions that will better our students," Phillips said. 

Included in the FY27 spending plan is $2.6 million for administration, $62.8 million for instructional costs, $7.5 million for other school services, and $7.2 million for operations and maintenance. 

Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Bonnie Howland reported that they met with Pittsfield High School and made two additions to its staff: an assistant principal and a family engagement attendance coordinator.

In March, the PHS community argued that a cut of $653,000 would be too much of a burden for the school to bear. The school was set to see a reduction of seven teachers (plus one teacher of deportment) and an assistant principal of teaching and learning, and a guidance counselor repurposed across the district; the administration said that after "right-sizing" the classrooms, there were initially 14 teacher reductions proposed for PHS. 

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