Williamstown's Two Newest Public Spaces Run on Drop-In Time

"Every town needs places to play," Select Board chair Peter Beck told the crowd at the October 17 skatepark opening on Stetson Road, as iBerkshires reported. "Places to play can be just as important as places to work and places to live."

His next point was the more specific one. Williamstown has thousands of acres of woods and trails, plus school and college teams. Beck said that still "leaves a big gap," mostly for middle and high schoolers and young adults "who want to play outside, in town, on their own terms — not necessarily on a team or on a team schedule."

That gap describes October in Williamstown better than any one ribbon cutting does. Within two weeks the town gets two new public spaces: the Max Rothschild Memorial Skatepark, which opened October 17, and Studio1095 at the Milne Public Library, which opens October 29. Community groups built both, and both run the same way. You show up, learn the rules, and use the space without joining a team or signing up for a season.

A skatepark built for working up from the basics

The new park replaces the prefabricated skatepark the town put on the same land in 2004. Grindline Skateparks designed and built the poured-concrete version, and the nonprofit Purple Valley Trails led the project with the town. Bill MacEwen spearheaded the effort, according to the Town of Williamstown's project page.

The layout itself makes the drop-in case. The Berkshire Eagle reported that the park pairs a flat street-style strip with rails and stairs and a walk-in bowl that gets deeper as you go. It's meant for skateboards, scooters, bikes and roller skates. MacEwen told the Eagle that riders can "work their way up from the basics to more advanced." That design suits a 12-year-old on a first board and a college student who has skated for a decade, and neither one needs a coach or a schedule.

The posted rules are short. All ages and abilities are welcome, and helmets and pads are recommended. Motorized equipment is not allowed, and that includes e-bikes and e-scooters. Glass, alcohol and smoking are also prohibited. The town's page still lists park hours as "coming soon," so check it before an early-morning or after-dark visit.

Stetson Road became a recreation strip in three steps

The skatepark is the third open-access piece on this stretch of Stetson Road, and the second in just over a year. At the opening, Rep. John Barrett III pointed out that the park joins the multi-use path beside it and the fitness pad next door.

1. The Mohican path, two summers before August 2025. An August 2025 iBerkshires report said the town had opened the trail "two summers ago." The town's recreation page says the path follows the Hoosic River for 2.5 miles, from Syndicate Road to The Spruces Park.
2. The Fitness Court, September 10, 2025. The town's launch announcement describes seven body-weight exercise stations at 27 Stetson Road, with free digital workout programming. A $50,000 Blue Cross of Massachusetts grant and Community Preservation Act funds paid for it.
3. The skatepark, October 17, 2026. 8,500 square feet of concrete, right next to the Fitness Court and beside the path.

Together they make one stop where someone can run the river path, do a circuit at the Fitness Court and drop into the bowl without signing up for a team. Each piece is aimed at the unscheduled, in-town play Beck described.

Who actually paid for it

Town Meeting approved $32,000 in Community Preservation Act money for design in fiscal 2026 and $350,000 for construction in fiscal 2027. The town puts the total project cost above $750,000. DPW site-clearing labor, private donations and corporate sponsorships covered the rest.

That means CPA funds covered roughly half. In November 2025, the Eagle reported sponsored donations of $10,000 to $25,000 from companies including eBay, Stewart's Shops and National Grid. By July, the Eagle listed Berkshire Concrete and an anonymous $85,000 donor among the backers and said the $750,000 fundraising goal had been met.

It also took time and some compromise. According to the Eagle, Purple Valley Trails spent about three years getting the project shovel-ready before opening public fundraising late the previous year. Construction began in early June 2026 and was running ahead of schedule by July. Inflation shrank the plan from 10,000 square feet to the 8,500 that opened.

On October 17, riders were on the ramps around noon, two hours before the ribbon was cut a little after 2 p.m. Organizers, town officials and the Rothschild family were all there for the dedication.

The Milne applies the same model indoors

Studio1095 is the Milne Public Library's new makerspace and audio and podcasting studio at 1095 Main Street. The library credits the Friends of the Milne Public Library with funding it. It works much like the skatepark: a community group raised the money, a public institution hosts it, and anyone can walk in.

The access rules on the Studio1095 page are some of the most open in town:

• No library card is required, and you don't have to live in Williamstown.
• Using library-owned equipment and tools is free.
• First-time users sign a waiver and user agreement and get a short tour.
• Children under 10 need an adult supervising them in the room.
• You can reserve an Open Studio spot online or walk in if there's room. Capacity is 10 people.
• One-on-one training appointments are available, and staff promise to respond within two business days.

Some equipment requires online training or certification first, and some also requires a hands-on test. The audio and podcasting studio is on that list. The library's certification list includes sewing machines, an industrial sewing machine, a serger, a sublimation printer, a Cricut Maker 4, a large-format printer, soldering irons, a printing press, linocut tools, a button machine, a heat press and a vinyl cutter.

Certification plays the same role indoors that the bowl's gradual depth plays on Stetson Road. You start with the basics and unlock more as you learn, at your own pace.

The grand opening is Thursday, October 29, from 4 to 7 p.m., and all ages are welcome. The library is planning tours, equipment demonstrations, quick hands-on projects you can take home, a look inside the recording studio, and a chance to suggest what you'd like to make. Snacks will be in the Community Room.

Scheduled programs have started to appear on the library's November calendar. A 3D papercraft workshop runs Saturday, November 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. A two-part printing-plate workshop meets Wednesdays, November 18 and December 2, from 6 to 7:45 p.m. Registration is required.

In-town dates through mid-November

Studio1095's opening lands in a busy stretch for downtown.

According to Destination Williamstown, Second Chance Composting, Tunnel City Coffee and Where'd You Get That!? are taking part in the Pumpkin Smash, so post-Halloween jack-o'-lanterns can end up as compost.

On the walk down Spring Street, Pappa Charlie's Deli is open again. It closed in March, and the Williams Record reported that it reopened in mid-September under Brian Czarnecki. He started there as a high school summer job seven years ago and became manager in 2021. The Mary Tyler Moore and the Columbo are still on the menu. The new hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the deli is closed Wednesdays.

Seasonal events in Williamstown have dates and an end. The skatepark, the Fitness Court, the Mohican path and Studio1095 stay open to the public after their ribbon cuttings, under posted rules and hours.

If you'd like a local's view of Williamstown, from Stetson Road to Spring Street, Diane Thorson is glad to talk it through. Schedule a consultation whenever you're ready.