Berkshire County Historical Screens "H. Knox...On The Knox Trail."

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire County Historical Society and Bidwell House Museum will co-host a screening with filmmaker Jonathan Barkan.

In 1973, emerging professional photographer and media producer Jonathan Barkan was contracted by the Massachusetts Bicentennial Commission. His assignment - create a multi-projector traveling slide show to inspire a statewide reenactment and tell the story of Revolutionary War hero Henry Knox and his plan to retrieve and haul cannons from Fort Ticonderoga, New York, to Boston- stated a press release.

This historic event linked the entire Commonwealth from west to east and led directly to the first major military victory of the War for Independence - Evacuation Day.  The original media program has been modernized for twenty-first-century audiences as a state-of-the-art video. It is enlivened by additional imagery and retains a re-creation with period cannon, draft horses, and oxen that was filmed at the Jug End Resort in South Egremont. 


On Oct. 6 at 5:30 pm, the Berkshire County Historical Society will screen the video and Barkan will share his personal experiences and production challenges...both then and now. 

Tickets are $10 for BCHS members, $15 for non-members, and can be purchased by using the BOOK NOW button at berkshirehistory.org. This event is sponsored by Massachusetts Cultural Council, Greylock Federal Credit Union, and The Feigenbaum Foundation.

 

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Holiday Inn Remains Closed from Broken Elevator

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It has been almost three weeks since broken elevators temporarily closed the Holiday Inn & Suites, and the hotel is still working to meet code compliance. 

The hotel at 1 West Street has been closed since Sept. 25, after its last working elevator of three broke down. The 101 Restaurant & Bar, located within the Holiday Inn, also has temporarily shut its doors while repairs are ongoing. 

The day of the shutdown had emergency personnel carrying people who use mobility devices down stairs. 

“We were called there a couple of Fridays ago. There was no working elevator. There were EMTs and the fire department there, and they were getting over half a dozen people down the stairs that were in wheelchairs and walkers,” Building Commissioner Rian Dowd told iBerkshires on Wednesday. 

“So with the no working elevators, we shut the building down.”

The central downtown, 12-story hotel has nearly 180 guest rooms. Massachusetts requires public multi-level buildings and facilities to have elevator access. 

Dowd said the Holiday Inn is still working with the elevator company and state inspectors to be certified and reopen. They were told to provide the City of Pittsfield with a timeline, work orders, and contracts from repairs so that everyone can be on the same page and the hotel can open as quickly as possible, she said. 

“We have not heard anything from them yet this week,” she reported. 

iBerkshires’ attempts to reach a representative from the Holiday Inn were unsuccessful. 

There were no passengers in the elevator when it stopped working; how it broke was not disclosed. 

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