Working in conjunction with the city, a group of Pittsfield-area residents are continuing to push the revitalization of a once-celebrated park.Standing on roughly 240-acres of park land, the city’s Open Spaces and Natural Resources Manager Jim McGrath envisions Springside Park as a destination.
“It being the largest park [in Pittsfield] it has so much to offer from hiking trails to bird watching,” McGrath explained. “We have the Little League field and the only handicap-accessible playground in the county. This park is really Pittsfield’s Central Park
McGrath joined members of the Springside Park Conservancy to highlight the latest push to restore what used to be a popular gathering place for picnics, ice skating and community events. There were even two incarnations of a zoo at the North Street park. Taking input from other groups committed to Springside and community members over 18 months, the group’s master plan was adopted by the Pittsfield Parks Commission in April. At the center of the effort is the Springside House, built in the middle of the 19th century.
“This room here at the Springside House is the tower room here on the third floor,” McGrath described. “You can imagine those that lived in this building over the years coming up here and enjoying this expansive view to the south and east, sweeping views of the city here at Springside – house up on the hill. It’s an impressive room and one of the rooms we hope to restore back to its original glory.”
McGrath says the multi-year, top-down effort to restore the house could start with foundation work this summer if the coalition is awarded a historical grant from the state. Serving as a private home, the building later housed the city’s parks department until 2007 and has since fallen into disrepair. Its floors are filled with baseball trophies, ice skates that Eric Heiden would reminisce about and a wooden chest that once contained all the essentials for a day in the park – such as horseshoes, checkers and something called a utility ball – which a person could rent for the day. Ward 1 City Councilor Lisa Tully serves as an adviser to the Conservancy.
“The Conservancy and many people of Pittsfield have come together and decided what they would like to see the house become one day,” Tully said. “There are so many ideas – make it a visitors’ center, a reception area and talking to local officials about having classrooms for agriculture here. Many, many ideas to make it revenue for the city.”
Restoring Springside Pond and improving access to and signage within the park are also included in the group’s five-year action plan. To help fund the effort, a community gala is planned at the park on July 1, offering people a rare look inside Springside House and an evening featuring music and local food.
“There’s a picture inside the house that shows a bunch of people dancing outside at the park on the house porch at one time,” Tully described. “It’s a beautiful picture of the past and I’m hoping this group of people can bring that back.”
Click here to learn more about the Springside Park Conservancy.
