North Adams Transcript (Newspaper) - March 28, 1978, North Adams, Massachusetts ADAMS 171 MARCH 28. 1978 PAGES city hall crumbles as anniversaries JAMES Transcript Staff NORTH ADAMS - By a fluke of history that defies all old city hall is going to the grave this week in the same year marking its 100th the North Adams centennial and the Adams of the old known as city hall since 1896, commenced yesterday when the wrecking contractor brought down the house and addition that were annexed to the main structure over the years to expand office the demolition crew cleared away that rubble this it was already the main assault on the 2'/2-story brick portion that the nucleus of North Adams government for 78 years until its abandonment four years the historical record is it seems probable that the old barn leased by North Adams when it was a town and later purchased for was built exactly a century ago in 1878. was the same year in which North Adams gained its independence as a separate and the city now is forming a centennial commission to commemorate that Before 1878,. North Adams was simply the north village of the greater township of which was Itself incorporated one century earlier in 1778 and village retained the old name after the hall itself apparently was built in 1878 as well but with an entirely different Before it became a municipal the structure served as a stable for the Summer Street mansion of Albert C. the city's leading manufacturer and a man of great shows that the property before then was used as administrative offices for the Hoosac Tunnel construction The whose eventual completion in 1875 gave North Adams the economic boost to incorporate started in 1851 with the drilling of and central shafts by the Troy Greenfield railroad purchased the Summer Street property that year from one John A. who himself had bought it from one Edward a year The Troy Greenfield Railroad used the building as project offices until 1865, when the state took over the tunnel project that had gone bankrupt and Into suspension during the Civil which refinanced and completed the Hoosac Tunnel under the supervision of a Tunnel sold the land In turn to Cordelia J. Mr. Houghton's Jan. 23,1878. lived Morris Street in the building they later deeded over to the It was apparently In that year that the tunnel offices were torn down to clear the site for construction of the brick who took over as president and chief stockholder of Arnold Print Works in 1882, moved to Church Street around 1890 Into what is now the Masonic Sometime between then and 1895, when North Adams received its city charter population doubled from 10,000 to 20,000 in one decade with introduction of the the town took over the premises as government offices under a lease from Mr. dilemma between building a new city hall or continuing to occupy the Houghton stable was a hot controversy In the fall of 1895, just months before the new charter was to gain Mr. Houghton promised to renovate and equip his old barn for more suitable and a town meeting of Oct. 12, 1895, outvoted the opposition by a 2-1 city received a conventional mortgage loan of from the Provident Institution for Savings in Boston and took title to the building June 29, 1896 from The loan was paid over a course of 30 with annual Installments of plus 3.26 percent on page 10) Mowe soys LeBlanc attacked partly low near 30. variable high 45-50. PETER G. the victim of a knife attack here last September that almost killed told a Berkshire Superior Court jury in Pittsfield yesterday her assailant was Herbert questioning by Assistant District Attorney William R. the young woman told the hushed court she had in her mind that Mr. LeBlanc choked eyes purchase of North attorney acknowledged today he has conducted with a group of businessmen for the possible purchase of the Green Mountain Race Richard A. Fitzpatrick of 124 Church North confirmed the group Is discussing whether it can put together a funding arrangement that will allow it to bid on the Fitzpatrick refused to say who the members of the group are or at what stage negotiations for funding think anything I'd say right now would be he member of the Richard owner of Grocery Store on Route 7 in also declined to describe the nature of plans to purchase the Lewis said if negotiations are successful announcement of an offer will be made In couple of general manager of Green Mountain Race said today he has not been contacted by Mr. Fitzpatrick or any member of the nobody has made an offer to said Mr. general manager confirmed that the owners of the pari-mutuel Rooney Associates of would sell the facility the price is said the Rooney's bought the track for about million In 1974. her repeatedly on the evening of Sept. 24 after she returned to her home at 55 Olds St. after a day at 24, who now lives In Monroe said she saw the defendant at close range on at least three during the ordeal which lasted about 45 minutes until she was able to telephone for young victim showed the jury scars from stab wounds on her and counsel Theodore Garabedian of Worcester pressed the woman under cross-examination for details of the including a description of the attacker's clothing and the assailant's facial such as the color of his Garabedian returned several times to Ms. testimony that she had rushed back into her home to call for help after escaping to the despite the fact she did not know whether her assailant young woman acknowledged she did not see who was stabbing her at the moment she first realized she was being She said she had blood In her eyes at the said she returned to her Olds Street home after escaping because she did not believe she had the strength to reach other houses in the who was on the witness stand for about hours was expected to return for further cross-examination Garabedian said he will show Inconsistencies In her testimony about the attack during the witnesses during the day included state police chemist Ronald P. Kaufmann and Dr. Paul J. Maher of 88 who examined Ms. Mowe when she was taken to the emergency room at North Adams Regional Hospital after the Kaufman said human blood found on several Including three knives and articles of clothing belonging to Mr. could not be positively Identified as the said the blood could not be typed for the Identification so that test results were Maher told the court Ms. Mowe had 24 wounds that broke the In addition to numerous said three of the wounds on the victim's face penetrated to the said the most serious wound was a but short midline cut In the The wound sliced Into Ms. causing difficulty In her Maher said the If left could have threatened the victim's He said physicians were forced to perform an emergency tracheotomy and Install a tube into Ms. throat so she could by John Gaspardi checks damage to the section of car last night was placed on the old Fair Grounds hit by an eastbound freight and carried over 300 yards The junked which had been left next to the tracks for a long was hit by a train traveling from to needs Transcript public meeting conducted Monday by the city's historic survey team seems to indicate North Adams Is moving toward major historic restoration renewed efforts to restore Eagle Street and to launch other historic preservation projects depend on two essential Ingredients according to commitment by city officials and property and availability of outside survey team unveiled some of the work It is conducting on an inventory of city buildings and The funded jointly by the city's community development funds and the Massachusetts Historical Is claimed to be the first step to any restoration It is expected to be finished by with a recently completed historic structure study of Eagle state officials and historic preservation specialists think the city has laid the groundwork for receiving state and federal support for acting executive director of the Massachusetts Historical said she was by the progress North Adams has made towards historic said it was now state policy to require a historic survey before grant at the state or federal level for historic preservation work is grants manager for the Massachusetts Historical said Is a lot of federal money available for historic preservation In places like North She said while the bulk of population and buildings are In the Eastern part of the the commission has a commitment to fund programs In western G. preservation architect from whose firm did the Eagle Street structure said Adams has the potential to be Walte compared the city to In Great a town with a rich 19th century Industrial heritage that the English government Is spending millions of dollars to He said the Hoosac Tunnel Is North Adam's equivalent to which is the first Iron bridge in the railroad buildings and warehouses are not but are Important resources just waiting to be Mr. Walte director of the said the to success to restoration efforts will be the participation of the people who live response to a question from on page 20) costs cutting deeper into Sherman loses Round 2 in zoning cor went THROUGH the the Coach Hall 17 ObitiKincs 10 ol 1 1.5 William.stown H.!)
