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Springside NowNews & Information on Springside Park Vol. I, Fall 2012

Springside House One Step Closer to Restoration

Pittsfield's only city-owned historic mansion moved one step closer to revitalizationthis summer, with the completion of an analysis of its original appearance by

UMASS historical preser-vation student Lisa Sauer.

This historic paint analysis of the 152 year old house formerly known as Elmhurst,

which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008, was conducted

in consideration of a $250,000 allocation by the city in 2010 to help establish the

UMASS historical preservation program based at Hancock Shaker Village. In it,

researcher Lisa Sauer conducted both archival research as well as sampling and

laboratory analysis of the mansion's exterior paint finishes. Twelve samples were

taken from discrete areas of the building, and their multiple layers of paint studied at

the conservation laboratory at Shaker Village. by reconstructing the dating of layers,

combined with reference to local records and architectural history from the era ofits construction, Sauer determined the most likely historic color scheme of the house

and what its equivalents in modern paint shades would be. According to her

research, the most historically accurate motif would be a white and cream

combination with the addition of green shutters, as opposed to its current white and

green finishes.

The house was last painted in 1991, by the GE Elfin Club. At the time, it quartered

the city's Parks and Recreation Department, but the house has been mostly vacant

since 2007, with the exception of a rear apartment which has been used to house the

city's AmeriCorps Vista volunteers. Park advocates say this analysis was an essential

omponent to any potential restoration efforts on the house. Due to its national

historic status, future work done on the property must be done with an eye topreservation of its original character. Ward 1 Councilor Christine Yon, who has

been advancing a proposal to restore the house, expressed gratitude to the

Master Historic Preservation program at Shaker Village for the finished paint

analysis.'

"This document is a great resource to the City of Pittsfield as we move forward to a

hopeful future renovation of this great Berkshire Cottage," said Yon. "Just like the

Colonial Theater, the Springside House is an

integral piece of Pittsfields history and

should be preserved."

Pond Repair on City Wish ListBy James McGrath, City of Pittsfield

Editor's Note: The City of Pittsfield recentlyreleased a "Wish List" of projects it is not

currently prepared to fund, but would welcome

support from local business and community

members in

, provided the

following overview and history of pond

restoration planning.

The City of Pittsfield is seeking to undertake

a complete pond restoration project at

Springside Pond. With the goal of restoring

this small degraded urban pond to a more

natural functioning open water resource, the

project will yield numerous benefits,

including improved aquatic habitat,

improved water quality and enhanced public

recreational access. This will be a multi-year,

multi-phase project that will also include

efforts to address previously identified areas

within the Springside Pond drainage area

that are known to contribute to the erosion

problems that have negatively impacted the

pond. Once realized, these environmental

restoration actions will contribute to and

stimulate ongoing park and neighborhood

revitalization efforts.

Constructed in the late 1890s and enlarged

to its current configuration in 1919,

Springside Pond is currently a 1/2 acre

shallow water body of irregular shape that

lies along an intermittent stream that travels

southerly through the park. The

contributing watershed is approximately 200

acres and consists mostly of sloping woodedterrain with some open grassy and/or brushy

areas. A low cut granite and limestone

retaining wall, topped with a concrete cap

once bordered the entire pond but is severely

deteriorated and in many areas has fallen into

the pond. A portion of the pond bottom has

Great Strides Made in Spring Clean Up Efforts; Fall Park Cleanup Set for Nov 10

About forty volunteers turned out for the annual spring clean up organized by the Friendsof Springside on April 21.

We're very delighted, because the garbage in the park is getting less and less, ElizabethKulas told the Parks Commission in June, though noting that some illicit dumping remains an

issue. In addition to around two dozen trash bags and larger items collected, concerns voiced

by volunteers following the cleanup prompted the city to remove several tons of its own

refuse which had accumulated around the Buildings and Maintenance Department facilities

there. This included the removal of large amounts of scrap metal, plastic and broken

equipment strewn between the maintenance buildings and the Stephens Pond wetland area,

some of which had littered the area for years. The Friends of Springside has organized one to

two cleanup efforts per year for nearly a quarter of a century, typically in the Spring and late

Fall. While diligent efforts by volunteers and neighbors have greatly reduced the refuse in this

sprawling parkland, littering and even larger illegal dumping remain an ever present problem,

In addition to paper, plastic and glass litter, volunteers at the April clean up day removed such items as tires, pallets, a toilet tankand a car door.

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Springside NowNews & Information on Springside Park Vol. I, Fall 2012

Expanded Summer Concert

Series Well Attended

Excellent weather and high attendance

was enjoyed at the city's oldest

continuously running concert series on thelawn of Springside Park this summer,

which saw expansion from six to eight

weeks this year. This year's concert series

included the Eagles Band, was held June

19. The Housatonic Philharmonic on July

10; the Eagles Band, July 17; The Dixie

Cats, July 24; Wintergreen on July 31; and

the Eagles Band, Aug. 7; Phil Grovers Rock

& Roll Review, Aug. 14, and Rumours on

Aug. 21.

The series, which is organized by the J.Vincent Hebert Arboretum, and made

possible through funding from Berkshire

Bank, Greylock Federal Credit Union, and

donations from concert goers, saw crowds

of around a hundred people or more

throughout the season.

The location has been utilized as a venue

for musical performances for much of the

last century, hosting crowds of up to 3,000

people in earlier decades. The Eagles Band,

which plays several concerts there eachsummer, is the oldest continuously running

performance ensemble in the Berkshires.

The Arboretum also sponsored a series of

nature hikes guided by park naturalist

Victor Capelli, gardening work days and

educational workshops on pruning trees

and shrubs the second Tuesday of each

month.

Facebook Favs

Quotes & Comments from the official

Springside Park Facebook page

I spent everyday in the summer

months during the 70's with my

little ones at the wading pool. We

would pack a lunch and spend

hours. -Barbara Walger

I lived in the alps for many years

but will never forget how big the

Indian rocks were when I wasclimbing them back in the day.

Loved that park, -Robert LeClair

Pond Restoration on City Radar[continued from page 1]

a concrete cap layer, a remnant from thetime when a portion of the pond was used

as a public wading pool. A granite and

limestone dam, outflow structure, and

arched footbridge at the lower end of the

pond are also deteriorated and the

intended water level in the pond cannot be

maintained due to leakage through the

dam and spillway. Outflow from the pond

travels a very short distance overland to a

catch basin where it is then pipedunderground over 1/2 mile to the

northwest corner of Silver Lake where it is

discharged.

Over the years, the pond has become

heavily silted in, leading to diminished

water quality and habitat value as well as

diminished recreational value. Currently,

sedimentation has filled the northern end

of the pond, considerably reducing its size.

Estimates of sediment build up from 2000

revealed that approximately 3,200 cubicyards of material could be removed during

a restoration project.

In 2000, the Springside Park Pond

Management Study (Dufresne-Henry, Inc.)

was completed. This study analyzed the

drainage area of the pond and found

several keys areas where erosion was

taking place within the park (primarily

along paths and roadways) which directly

contribute to the siltation problems being

experienced in the pond. The study alsodetailed pond restoration strategies,

outlined permitting requirements, and

developed estimates of probable cost.

The pond restoration project is an

important aquatic resource reclamation

project for the City of Pittsfield and the

Morningside neighborhood. Through the

restoration activities, the environment and

community will benefit from a marked

improvement in water quality into and

through the pond environment which willlead to improved aquatic habitat for flora

and fauna within the feeder stream and

pond. In addition, recreational

opportunities at and around the pond will

be improved. Once these improvements

are realized, it is envisioned that more park

users will enjoy the pond area for wading,

fishing, or just simple quiet reflection. In

the winter months, the city hopes to be

able to provide ice skating for the public as

it had for many years prior. The city hasno plans to promote swimming in this

restored pond and will actively discourage

that activity.

Get Involved874 North St.

Pittsfield, MA 01201 413-347-3812

P.O. Box 344,

Pittsfield, MA 01202 413-443-5348

Gailann1064@aol.com (413) 499-8627

New Pavilion for Pond Area

The Morningside Initiative is proud to

announce the addition of a new pavilion toSpringside Park. Working closely together

with the City of Pittsfield a mutual

decision was made that Springside Park

would be the perfect place for a new

pavilion. The pavilion is covered and

houses four picnic tables with views of the

nearby pond. The pavilion is an inviting

venue for picnics, gatherings and family

parties and promotes a welcoming

community spirit into the park.

The Morningside Initiative would like tothank all the organizations and groups

involved in the revitalization of Springside

Park, we support any efforts to beautify

and improve the park and we are proud to

have such a wonderful asset in our

community.

The Fall park cleanup will be held

on Nov. 10 from 9:30am-5pm. Meetat the upper playground, just past

874 North St. Work gloves are

recommended.

***

Paula Cousineau and Kim Smith

were married in the gardens of

Springside Park on August 17, 2012.

Springside Now

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