Logo
Sandisfield Arts Center


Our Mission
To preserve
our historic building
and provide cultural
and educational
programs for
our community.

Sandisfield Arts Center
5 Hammertown Road
PO Box 31
Sandisfield, MA 01255
413-258-4100
sandisfieldartscenter.org

Our programs are supported,
in part, by grants from
the Monterey Cultural Council,
the New Marlborough Cultural Council,
the Otis Cultural Council, and
the Sandisfield Cultural Council,
all local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council,
a state agency.

NEWS

SAC WINS PRESERVATION AWARD!

Massachusetts enjoys a cultural heritage rich in historic resources. The preservation of these resources has revitalized neighborhoods, added to the revenues of cities and towns, and preserved community character. Preservationists, working to protect our historic assets, have maintained the sense of time and place that forms the essence of our Commonwealth. To honor these outstanding citizens, The Secretary of the Commonwealth hosts the Massachusetts Historical Commission's Preservation Awards Program.

In July, we were informed that SAC had been selected to receive a 2006 Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation Award.  This distinctive honor in the “adaptive reuse” category recognizes our significant commitment to historic preservation.  On November 15th, Liana Toscanini, Richard Migot, Susie Crofut, Nancy Flach, Anne Hoffman, Val Coleman, and Ron and Roberta Myers attended the awards ceremony in Boston.   

Here is an excerpt from the application…

”The Sandisfield Arts & Restoration Committee’s greatest achievement is the successful completion of its dual mission to preserve a truly unique building while providing quality programs to the community.  This feat required a decade of tough planning decisions, intense fundraising, and the tenacity of 30 committed volunteers through years of lean budgets, volunteer burnout, and a seemingly unreachable goal of several hundred thousand dollars from a town of 860 residents.  SAC managed to preserve the character and charm of this old building, along with its ‘sense of place’ while, at the same time, adding practical elements for comfort and safety, making the building that much more enjoyable to use.  And use it we do, now more than ever before.”

This award honors all those who worked on this project and contributed to its success with donations of time, labor, money and expertise.   

####################

THE SANDISFIELD ARTS CENTER BUILDING IS NOW ON
THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES!

On November 8th, we received notice that  “The Montville Baptist Church has been accepted by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.”  The Certificate, dated October 12, 2006, was signed by William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth and Bron Simon, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer. The National Register is the nation's official list of buildings, districts, sites, structures and objects which retain their historical character and are important to our local, state, or national history.  The National Register was established under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and is administered by the Commonwealth by the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Over the summer, historic consultant Gregory Farmer worked with the Massachusetts Historical Commission, with help from Nancy Flach and Anne Hoffman, on the lengthy nomination form. 

Here is an excerpt from the nomination…

”The Montville Baptist Church/Sandisfield Arts Center is one of the largest and most significant public buildings in the community.  Its dual role as a Baptist meetinghouse and a Jewish synagogue is unusual and highly significant, especially since both tenancies span an almost equal term of about 75 years.  The original Baptist meetinghouse, its conversion to a Jewish synagogue and the more recent development of a community arts center all speak eloquently to the transformation of a small Berkshire community in the 19th and 20th centuries.  By its prominent location and relation to other historic structures the Montville Baptist Church is an important visual icon for the village of Montville and the town as a whole.  The building’s former religious uses and the new use as an arts center relate directly to the major themes of Berkshire history and merit its listing on the National Register.

Listing in the National Register honors a historic place by recognizing its importance to its community, State or the Nation.  In addition to honorific recognition, listing in the National Register results consideration in planning for federal, federally licensed, and federally assisted projects; eligibility for certain tax provisions; and qualification for federal grants for historic preservation, when funds are available.

We are so proud of this tremendous mark of distinction and thank all who were involved in our success!
web designer
©2003-2008
 Tina Sotis