Bidwell House History Talk: The Battle of Louisbourg

MONTEREY, Mass. — Join the Bidwell House Museum on Aug. 23 for their last history talk of the 2025 season with Dr. Amy Watson, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The talk is free for members. Non-members pay $15. Only one registration is required per household. Lecture will be held via Zoom. 11 a.m.

According to a press release:

In 1745, New England colonists launched a successful expedition to conquer Louisbourg, a port in present-day Nova Scotia, which was then controlled by the French Empire. The original owner of the Bidwell House, Reverend Adonijah Bidwell, was witness to this battle as the Chaplain of the fleet. In this talk, Dr. Amy Watson will explain why New Englanders launched this invasion of a frigid Canadian port, why they were forced to return it, and what the Siege of Louisbourg can tell us about both British party politics and the origins of the American Revolution.

Amy Watson is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her first book Patriots Before Revolution: The Rise of Party Politics in the British Atlantic, 1714-1763 examines the British political origins of the Patriot party that inspired the American Revolution. The book was published by the Yale University Press in June 2025.

This lecture will be held via Zoom. Registration via the Museum event page is required, https://www.bidwellhousemuseum.org/event/the-battle-of-louisbourg/

Details for how to access the event will be sent via email 1-2 days in advance.

The Bidwell House Museum is open for guided tours from Memorial Day to October. Tours are by appointment only on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m., 1p.m. or 3 p.m. Tours can be booked by calling 413-528-6888 or emailing bidwellhm2@gmail.com. The Museum grounds—194 acres of woods, fields, historic stonewalls, self-guided trails and picnic sites—are open every day, dawn until dusk, free of charge. The program of events can be found on the museum's website: www.bidwellhousemuseum.org.

Units Available at Lee's New Eagle Mill Housing Development

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
01:57PM / Tuesday, October 27, 2026

It's took more than a decade to bring the Eagle Lofts to fruition in the former Eagle mill. 

LEE, Mass. — Hearthway wants community members to know there are three-bedroom units available at The Lofts at Eagle Mill with little to no waitlist. 

The apartments at 73 West Center St. recently came online in the historic building on the banks of the Housatonic River after more than a decade of work. The first tenants began moving in last week. 

Three-bedroom units are less than $2,000 per month for those who meet income requirements. 

"These units are $1,855 a month with hot water included. To qualify, applicants must be under the 60 percent AMI income limit by household size and be able to afford the rent," the affordable housing provider wrote in a communication on Monday. 

"Mobile vouchers are welcomed."

A ribbon was cut at the former paper mill over the summer for 56 one- to three-bedroom, mixed-income units in the heart of downtown. 

According to a chart provided by Hearthway, 60 percent area median income is $55,320 per year for a one person household, $63,240 a year for a two-person household, $71,160 a year for a three-person household, and $79,020 a year for a four-person household. 

Applications are available in English and Spanish. They can submitted via email to leasing@hearthway.org, drop off to the main office at 1 Fenn St in Pittsfield, fax to 413-403-2710, or USPS mail to P.O. Box 1180, Pittsfield, MA 01202-1180.