Herman Melville's Arrowhead

We are THRILLED to present POOR HERMAN, written by Herman Melville’s great-great-great granddaughter, Austin playwright Elizabeth Doss. She uses the author as a subject to speculate on the line between utter genius and epic failure in us all.

Poor Herman unearths the life of Herman Melville, who arguably wrote America’s best and worst novels back-to-back in 1850 and 1851. The production considers what compelled Melville, struggling to salvage his declining reputation while trying to feed a growing family, to write a virtually unreadable book, Pierre or the Ambiguities, in the aftermath of Moby Dick’s initial failure with critics and readers. The play gives voice to the unsung people in his life, chiefly his mother, wife, sisters, and daughters who each contributed to his fame and flourishing and endured his decline and demise. While hindsight now celebrates his achievements, this production will investigate what it cost him to make history. All characters in the play, including Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne are played by five women: Diana Lynn Small, Katie Bender, Alexis Scott, Marie Ponce and Zoë Laiz.

Poor Herman, July 26 - August 3 - Berkshire County Historical Society Herman Melville’s great-great-great granddaughter, Austin playwright Elizabeth Doss, uses the author as a subject to speculate on the line between utter genius and epic failure in us all.  Details here.  Use the BOOK NOW button to purchase tickets. 

Have a look at this wonderful article from The Financial Times! We are chuffed!

House museums #72: Herman Melville The novelist wrote most of his virtuoso, near-mythical ‘Moby-Dick’ in this Massachusetts farmhouse

On June 19, 1865, freedom finally came for the 250,000 enslaved people of Texas. That day, which would become known as Juneteenth, the Army arrived to enforce what had already been the law of the land for two and a half years — the Emancipation Proclamation. Today, we recognize that Juneteenth not only marks the end of America’s original sin of slavery but also the beginning of the work at the heart and soul of our Nation: making the promise of America real for every American. Since then, the date has served as a symbol for freedom and celebration for Black communities. This year marks the second time Juneteenth will be observed as a federal holiday in the U.S.

What an amazing morning we had! Students from Williams Elementary in Pittsfield came to Arrowhead for a tour, a writing workshop, an art lesson, and a scavenger hunt! If you’d like your class to come visit us, message us!

After the rain

Congratulations to all of the 2024 graduates throughout Berkshire County!
We wish you the best in all of your future endeavors!

Images:

Card to a graduate from Aunt Eda and Uncle Bill, 1935

Pittsfield High School, Class of 1889

You really won’t want to miss this one. It’s fabulous! Link in the bio!

Get your tickets now for Sailing Towards My Father! We sold out last year and it’s a fabulous play!

Sailing Towards My Father, June 26 - Berkshire County Historical Society A one-man play about Herman Melville performed by Stephen Collins and written and directed by Carl A. Rossi. The play chronicles Melville’s life from youth to old age. Details here. Use the BOOK NOW button to purchase tickets.

On June 3, 1844, Pittsfield organized its first fire district. At its initial meeting, the fire district taxed itself $2100, with an additional $2000 to be raised. A committee was formed to determine the proper number of officers and to recommend candidates to fill the positions. On June 8th, Levi Goodrich was named Chief Engineer along with seven Assistant Engineers. An engine house was built on School Street, and two engines were purchased from Henry Waterman of Hudson at the cost of $680 each. The first engine to arrive was named the "Housatonic" and the Housatonic Engine Company was formed in October, 1844. The second engine arrived in June of 1845 and was named "Fame."

Images:

The Pontoosuc Engine Company, 1867. From John M. Bazan's "A Souvenir of the Town of Pittsfield (1976). Original photograph in the collection of the Berkshire Athenaeum.

Engine 2, Morningside, c. 1948. From the Souvenir Program, Pittsfield Permanent Firemen's Association, Second Annual Muster, Monday, July 5, 1948.

Join us EARLY on June 2, for our annual Bird Walk with Ben Nickley, ornithologist extraordinaire from Berkshire Bird Observatory! 7:30 am!
Birds are miraculous! Especially in Spring when they dazzle us with bright, nuptial colors and serenade us with a profusion of happy song. Join us for a bird walk led by Ben Nickley, Director of Berkshire Bird Observatory. Ben will help us find and identify many newly arrived migratory birds as we explore the historic grounds of Arrowhead together. Come celebrate nature, renewal, and all that birds do to inspire and uplift us.

Bird Walk - Berkshire County Historical Society Birds are miraculous!  Especially in Spring when they dazzle us with bright, nuptial colors and serenade us with a profusion of happy song.  Join us for a  bird walk led by Ben Nickley, Director of Berkshire Bird Observatory.  Ben will help us find and identify many newly arrived migratory birds...

May 31, 2010 (Memorial Day of that year) marked the date of the Rededication Ceremony of the newly restored Pittsfield Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. Over 80 years earlier, Redfield Park on South Street was chosen as the memorial's location under the guidance of Daniel Chester French (1850-1931), whose fellow sculptor and former protégé, Henry Augustus Lukeman (1872-1935), created the final design. The monument was formally dedicated on July 8, 1926, five years after Mayor Michael Flynn called for its creation. On Memorial Day of 2010, Mayor Ruberto's address stated that he "especially wanted to thank the people of Pittsfield and the Restoration Committee for their great efforts in ensuring that this monument will be here for generations to come, so that we may never forget."

Images:

Original dedication ceremony in 1926, from the souvenir program "Restoring Pittsfield's Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Rededication Ceremony, Memorial Day, May 31, 2010." Photograph from the collection of the Berkshire Eagle.

Postcard of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, 20th century.

Restoration of the monument by Daedelus, Inc.. Photo by Debbie Drumm, featured in the above mentioned souvenir program.

Opening day, May 18! Come for a tour, come walk our trails, sit on the piazza, check out our gift shop and learn all about Herman Melville‘s life and times right in the place where he lived and wrote Moby Dick!  We’re open from Thursday through Monday with tours on the hour from 10 to 3. Looking forward to seeing you!

On May 11, 1761, the first Pittsfield town meeting was held at Deacon Stephen Crofoot's home on Elm Street for the sole purpose of electing government officials. Captain David Bush, one of the town's earliest settlers, was elected to multiple offices, including Town Moderator, Treasurer, Selectman, Assessor, and Highway Surveyor. In the 1780s, Bush built a house and barn on property which he owned on what is now called Holmes Road, and it was then operated as a tavern by his son, David Bush, Jr. The Bush property was later sold to John Brewster who, in turn, sold the property to Herman Melville in September of 1850. The property is now owned and operated by the Berkshire County Historical Society at Herman Melville's Arrowhead.

Image: Woodcut of Arrowhead from Evart and George Duyckinck's 1855 "Cyclopaedia or American Literature"

May 8, 1945, marked the defeat of N**i Germany and its unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers, marking the end of World War II. In Pittsfield, the air was filled with the sounds of cheering, church bells, air raid sirens, and car horns. People poured out of the stores and offices. Schools remained in session but held special assemblies. Finally, Mayor Fallon begged that the noisy celebration be silenced by 10:30. Later on in the day when the Berkshire Evening Eagle was published, citizens learned that the day would be officially declared VE Day.

From "Berkshire History," Vol. II, No.2, Spring 1983. Image from the collection of the Berkshire Eagle, showing city residents parading up South Street on VE Day, 1945.

Thanks News 10 for this wonderful report!

Exploring Herman Melville’s Arrowhead PITTSFIELD, Mass. (NEWS10) – NEWS10 kicked off our ’10 In Your Town’ series on Friday. The NEWS10 morning team spent the day in Pittsfield, showing off some destinations and peopl…

BERKSHIRE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESENTS
AUTHOR LEE MCCOLGAN

A House Restored Details Trials and Tribulations of Restoring an Historic House

Old houses share their secrets only if they survive. On May 8 at 5:30 pm, the Berkshire County Historical Society welcomes author Lee McColgan to Arrowhead for a free lecture during which he will share his renovation tales of the Loring House as detailed in his new book, A House Restored.

Trading the corporate ladder for a stepladder, Lee McColgan commits to preserving the ramshackle Loring House, built in 1702, using period materials and methods and on a holiday deadline. But his enchantment withers as he discovers the massive repairs it needs. A small kitchen fix reveals that the structure’s rotten frame could collapse at any moment. In a bathroom, mold appears and spreads. He fights deteriorating bricks, frozen pipes, shattered windows, a punctured foundation, and even an airborne chimney cap while learning from a diverse cast of preservationists, including a master mason named Irons, a stone whisperer, and the Window Witch. But can he meet his deadline before family and friends arrive, or will it all come crashing down? Intrigued? Join us!!

We just had our last session with the Melville Fellow’s, writing in Herman Melville’s study with their mentor, Jana Laiz. These Berkshire Community College honors students did such an amazing job and you are all invited to listen to their readings on May 8 at 4:30 at BCC in none other than the Melville room. We are so inspired by these young writers! Are you a Berkshire local college professor with students who might be interested in writing with us? If so, write to [email protected].

On April 23, 1881, the Weller Block, a large wooden structure on the west side of North Street which housed several businesses, was destroyed by fire. The fire started in a barn at the back of the block and the cause was not determined. The aggregate loss was $9,480, the building was insured for $17,350, and insurance paid $8,076. Since the structure was damaged beyond repair, the owner sold the property. Today, that property is known as the Central Block at 65-83 North Street. The J.J. Newbury Company was located in the Central Block for 54 years, closing in 1994, and today the building is home to several restaurants and businesses.

April 21, 1861, marked the 100th Anniversary of the City of Pittsfield. Less than two weeks after the outbreak of the American Civil War, celebrations were put on hold, and the City did not celebrate its anniversary until the 150th in 1911. "The town was born in 1761, and accordingly both her fiftieth and one hundredth birthdays fell at a time when the Republic was on the brink of war and when Pittsfield people were in a mood too stern for self-congratulation." (The wars referred to were the War of 1812 and the Civil War). Quote from Edward Boltwood's "The History of Pittsfield Massachusetts, From the Year 1876 to the Year 1916," published by the City of Pittsfield in 1916.

Images from John M. Bazan's "A Souvenir of the Town of Pittsfield," privately printed in 1976. Original photographs in the collection of the Berkshire Athenaeum.

Our Education Coordinator took a little trip to New York City and stopped by Herman Melville‘s old stomping grounds, the place where he lived on 26th street (which sadly no longer exists but there is this plaque commemorating it) and Madison Square Park, where he reportedly took his granddaughter, Frances for a walk, and was so lost and thought that he dropped her hand and walked away, leaving her to find her way home. Was he thinking about finishing Billy Budd? We’ll never really know. And in case you didn’t know, this is the one hundredth anniversary of the publication of Billy Budd!

The Woodlawn Inn, located at 162 Woodlawn Avenue, opened for business in December of 1901. Within a few years, it became not only a vacation destination but also a popular boarding house for young employees of General Electric who were just getting their start in the city. One such GE employee who resided there was J. Harry English (1882-1959), who worked in the cost department starting in 1909. In 1915, a few years after he moved here, a number of his family members sent him postcards to celebrate Easter with the following messages:

“Dear Uncle, Have a Happy Easter. From Ruth”

“With Love and best Wishes from all. Aunt Maggie March 31 – 1915”

“Dear Boo, Best wishes for a happy easter. All are well, with love from us all. Your Boo, Jane” [Jane Hannon (1886-1977) would become English’s wife in 1918]

“With love and best wishes for a Happy Easter. From Sister Elise.”

Join us on April 7 beginning at noon time at Hot Plate Brewing Co. For a readathon of this powerful novel and its hundredth anniversary! Read for 15 minutes while enjoying Hot Plate’s signature beer made for this event, Handsome Sailor. For more information go to berkshirehistory.org.

Who are your ancestors? Join us for a virtual workshop about genealogy research on Wednesday, March 20th at 5:30pm. Sign up at berkshirehistory.org!

On March 10, 1906, the first trial launch of a passenger-bearing balloon took place. High winds prevented a successful flight. The facilities of Pittsfield Coal Gas Company, located on East Street beyond Silver Lake, provided the gas used to inflate the balloons. In 1907, the City of Pittsfield was officially designated as the balloon ascent station of the Aero Club of America. The land at the corner of East and Newell Streets was named Aero Park and numerous ascents were made by ballooning enthusiasts. Within a few years, aero-plane travel replaced ballooning, and today Aero Park is known as the Mark Belanger Memorial Youth Athletic Field.
Images circa 1910.

On Sunday, March 8, 1992, the old sundial, marking the original location of the famous Pittsfield Elm Tree, was restored to its place of honor in Park Square. The original monument, donated by the Peace Party Chapter of the D.A.R. in 1903, had been destroyed by vandalism. Three PHS students located the sundial in the Springside House and worked with Allen L. Williams, owner of the Chester Granite Company, and Louis Allegrone to remount the sundial on its new base. Williams donated the granite base and costs of installation.

Present at the formal dedication were the three students, city officials, and members of the Peace Party Chapter of the D.A.R. The monument was later moved to the south side of the park to make way for the city's new elm.

We're excited for this online event! Space available if you'd like to attend. Contact [email protected]

Berkshire County Historical Society: Daf Moby, A Voyage Through Melville’s Talmud (Virtual) Williams College professors discuss their unique approach to studying

On February 20, 1938, WBRK, the first AM radio station in Berkshire County, opened its broadcasting with a Dedicatory Program featuring Mayor Fallon and other local musicians and celebrities. Its radio studios and headquarters were located on the second floor of the Pittsfield Coal and Gas Company building at "Bank Row" and South Street. WBRK was to maintain a concentrated radius of 25 miles covering Berkshire County and eastern New York. A 170 foot broadcast tower, located on Pittsfield Coal and Gas Company's property on East Street near Newell, allowed programming from 7 am until 1 am daily. It was also a CBS Radio Network affiliate.

Images:
The home of WBRK at the corner of North and East Streets, c. 1970
An ad for The 1340 Club, a radio show that began in the early years of the station

What an honor to be featured in this Saturday's Berkshire Eagle and on the front page! Education Coordinator and Writer-In-Residence Emeritus Jana Laiz, Author just completed a 6 week writing and literacy residency at Williams Elementary School as part of Pittsfield Public School's Arts Integration Initiative and will be at many other schools celebrating the life of Herman Melville and the rich literary history of Berkshire County. And the 100th anniversary of Billy Budd!

At 1:30 am on February 17, 1898, C.W. Wright's Burbank Block at North and Summer Streets suffered a large fire. The city's fire department was equipped to race to the scene from the newly-built Central Fire Station (1895) on Allen Street, at the head of School Street. This North Street area seemed prone to fires: on February 9, 1912, there was a destructive fire on the west side of North Street below Summer Street. The department responded to 160 alarms in 1912 with an estimated property loss of $328,000.

Images:
Photograph of the aftermath of the fire by S.S. Wheeler
Postcard of the Fire Department Headquarters, Pittsfield, postmarked 1912

What a wonderful writing workshop today at Arrowhead; Cultivating Deep Attention, with Scott Edward Anderson We’re so lucky and honored to have such an amazing group of facilitators and writers. Incredible writing and inspiration going on!