Housatonic River Walk

HOUSATONIC RIVER WALK
RIVERBANK CLEAN-UP
A History

River Walk Volunteers Housatonic RiverWalk represents a number of riverbank clean-up and trail building efforts by local volunteers.

During the last twenty years,2000 local residents have removed 400 tons of rubbish, wood waste, and construction debris from numerous sites on the west bank of the Housatonic River between Cottage and Bridge Streets in downtown Great Barrington.

In 1988, the Community Land Trust in the Southern Berkshires led the removal of 30 yards of inherited rubbish and demolition debris behind their newly acquired Riverbank House at 195 Main Street. Six months later, approximately 70 students from the Searles Middle School Eighth Grade Class cleared 300 feet of riverbank by their school of its litter, excess brush and storm damage. In 1991, a clean-up behind Brooks

River Walk Upstream

Pharmacy at 197 Main Street, owned by Melvin Katsh, drew volunteers from throughout Berkshire County, resulting in the removal of 200+ cubic yards (75+ tons) of storm damage and demolition debris from the remains of an old building destroyed by fire. The clean-up was followed by stabilizing, mulching, seeding, and landscaping the steep bank.

In appreciation of these volunteer efforts, the owners of the riverbank at Riverbank House and Brooks Pharmacy granted permanent access for a downtown community walking trail of 136 feet, making the Housatonic River accessible to Great Barrington's Main Street. The conservation leases and easements are managed by The Great Barrington Land Conservancy on behalf of the local community.

River Walk first opened to the public on November 1, 1992. It is the first public greenway of its kind to be installed on the Housatonic River in Massachusetts.
Morris Dancers In October, 1994, volunteers completed an additional 300 feet of trail to the south behind St. Peter's Catholic Church on Main Street and the Lucien Aigner residence on Dresser Ave. A new 150 foot section behind 31 Dresser Ave. was added in November, 1996.

The River Walk trail is coordinated by Rachel Fletcher, designed by Peter Jensen, Principal of Openspace Management and landscaped by Marconica and Heather Cupo of Plant Euphoria. As with the clean-ups, the trail is accomplished primarily through volunteer labor and donations of labor, goods, and services.

In 2001, volunteers completed an additional 1,200 feet of River Walk trail along the riverbank adjacent to Searles Middle School and the Berkshire Corporation parking lot. In 2002, a River Garden park was dedicated to civil rights activist W. E. B. Du Bois.

In 2006, we celebrated Great Barrington's early industrial history and the special accomplishments of electrical inventor William Stanley, by constructing a new trail terminus to River Walk's upstream section.

It is our hope that volunteers will eventually extend River Walk throughout the town. An expanded river greenway for biking, jogging and other uses is planned from Bridge Street south to the senior Center and beyond.

For additional information, you may purchase River Walk: History Underfoot, an illustrated 24-page historical booklet. Send e-mail to: river@gbriverwalk.org

Donations are tax-deductible and should be made to:

Housatonic River Walk
P. O. Box 1018
Gt. Barrington, MA 01230 USA

Contact person: Rachel Fletcher, Project Coordinator - 413-528-3391 or river@gbriverwalk.org