Berkshire County Historical Society Lecture on Late 19th Century Textiles

03:25PM / Tuesday, October 21, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire County Historical Society will host historian Lorraine German for the lecture Grandmother's Wedding Dress on Oct. 22 at 5:30 pm.

German uses the swatches and clothing information found in a small late-nineteenth century scrapbook filled with fabric swatches to reveal a story of fabrics and fashion in nineteenth-century Vermont, as told by three generations of an ordinary family. The lecture takes place at Arrowhead; tickets are $15 for BCHS members, $20 for non-members and can be purchased by using the BOOK NOW button at berkshirehistory.org.

Lorraine German and her late husband Steve established Mad River Antiques, LLC in 2001, with a concentration on 18th, 19th, and 20th century Americana and decorative arts. She has been a guest speaker at antiques shows, museums, and antiques organizations, where she has covered a variety of topics, including stoneware, redware, quilts, Christmas ornaments, and Santa Claus. Lorraine is also the author of Soil and Shul in the Berkshires: The Untold Story of Sandisfield's Jewish Farm Colony, published in 2018.

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Lanesborough Seeks State Support for Berkshire Mall Redevelopment

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires.com
05:58PM / Monday, October 12, 2026

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The town plans to petition the state to take ownership of the Route 7/Route 8 Connector Road, which officials believe is a "critical component" of the Berkshire Mall’s redevelopment strategy.

On Tuesday, the Select Board approved a letter to state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. John Barrett III to request their support for the vacant mall's redevelopment by helping advance transfer of the Route 7/Route 8 connector and considering funding for essential infrastructure.

"We have held discussions with the Baker Hill Road District … which will take the necessary steps to formally petition the commonwealth to take over ownership of the Route 7, Route 8 connector…Your continued support in facilitating this transfer is greatly appreciated," the letter says.

Berkshire Mall owner JMJ RE Holdings has said the potential sale and redevelopment of the mall hinges on dissolving the Baker Hill Road District, a condition of the agreement that, if unmet, would render the contract null and void.

As a result, the mall will continue to deteriorate and the litigation will proceed forward, said Tim Grogan, of JMJ.

Vera Farrell, the liaison to the Baker Hill Road District, said the district board had discussed at one of its most recent meetings that the connector road could be transferred directly to the state, rather than returned to the town; Barrett and Mark were also a part of the discussion.

"The representatives recommended that as an option, that it could transfer the connector road directly to the state, as opposed to deeding it back to the town to dispense it. If we get to that point, that would be a better option to do it that way," Farrell said.

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