Saint James Place partnered with the
Great Barrington Historical Society to
create a lecture series highlighting local
history including Shays Rebellion and
Elizabeth Freeman, a freed slave whose
court case in Massachusetts was the
catalyst for the abolition of slavery
statewide.
In 1920 the organ was moved to
another location in the building,
prompting the addition of steel beams
to reinforce the structural system in the
sanctuary. However, ongoing structural
problems resulted in the partial collapse
of the rear chancel wall in 2008,
compelling the congregation to worship
elsewhere and consider demolition of
the building. Sally Harris, a long-time
seasonal resident and now a permanent
resident of Great Barrington, who was
also a member of the parish, envisioned
a new life for the church. Sally and her
husband Fred, driven by their love of
the building and personal history with
the space, embarked on a research
project to find grant opportunities to
support a new course for the church
building. Through that research, they
found Partners for Sacred Places and
reached out to its president, Bob Jaeger.
Jaeger conferred with the Harrises,
encouraging their work to bring new life
to the church, and was invited to speak
to the Great Barrington community
about how old sacred places can be
repurposed for the city and region. Sally
and Fred Harris saw that they “were not
alone” in their efforts, and toured other
examples of reused churches for
inspiration and information. They
founded SJP in 2010, began to gather a
board of directors, and brought Partners
back to study the needs and wants of the
Berkshires cultural community.
Partners led an Arts Market Study and
helped generate interest in SJP, which in
turn led the way to $500,000 in funding
from the Massachusetts Cultural
Council.
Performance by the Olga Dunn Dance Company
Photo: Olga Dunn Dance Company
and convinced me that this could be a
game changer in the future.” Pignatelli’s
district is the largest in the state, and
one of the most rural, and thus he was
eager to invest in SJP’s future as a
cultural economic engine of the
Berkshires. “This church right on Main
Street had fallen into disrepair. They
have helped not just the corner but the
entire region because of the location.”
He adds that SJP “is the economic hub of
the South Berkshires,” expanding the
traditional tourist season beyond the
summer and shoulder months.
“Saint James Place” says Chris
Rembold, City Planner at the time of
renovations, “...creates a great synergy
with the Town Hall next door and the
Mahaiwe Arts Center. It is a center of
cultural and civic happening.” Local
taxpayers agreed, voting to allocate
To maximize support from the
state, SJP connected with State
Representative William “Smitty”
Pignatelli, who recalls that “[Sally and
Fred] got me there early in the process
The Great Barrington Arts Market Holiday Sale
Photo: The Great Barrington Arts Market Holiday Sale
SACRED PLACES • WINTER 2019
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