Greylock $50K Grant Supports Samuel Harrison Homestead

PITTSFIELD, Mass., July 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Samuel Harrison Society (SHS) announced a $50,000, three-year pledge from Greylock Federal Credit Union to begin interior renovations of the Samuel Harrison house. The 1858 house, considered a touchstone of African-American heritage in Berkshire County, is located at 82 Third Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Exterior work was completed in June 2009. Completion of the interior work will allow the home to open as a museum and an education center.

SHS President Churchill Cotton said, "We thank Greylock for their generous donation to the restoration project. This provides the boost we needed to begin the interior work. We are in the process of raising additional monies to complete the work. We estimate that we will need about $150,000 to finish the job and we are actively looking to secure additional donations and grants." Cotton said that in honor of Greylock's donation, the main room on the first floor will be named for the Credit Union.

Greylock President Marilyn S. Sperling said, "We are happy to support the efforts of The Samuel Harrison Society. The values that Samuel Harrison lived by – leadership, inclusion and advocacy for our community – are the same values that guide Greylock's mission today. "Sperling added, "The story of Samuel Harrison is one that should be remembered for generations to come and we are honored to help share it, especially now during the celebration of Pittsfield's 250th birthday."

Pittsfield Community Development and Housing Program Manager Bonnie Galant said, "Greylock's funding helps advance a restoration project that is important not only for its historical significance in Berkshire County, but for the rehabilitation of the Morningside neighborhood in Pittsfield as well."  Galant added, "Since we completed the exterior work on the homestead, we have already seen some improvements to adjacent properties. People are taking pride in this wonderful neighborhood and the momentum is growing."

Cotton said that the Society has set a target of April 2012 to have the facility open to the public. "We would love to mark Samuel Harrison's birthday on April 15 by opening then," he said.

The longtime home to renowned African-American equal rights advocate Reverend Samuel Harrison (1818-1900), is a National Register of Historic Places landmark, a National Parks Service "Save America's Treasures" Preservation project, and a Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation project.

About The Samuel Harrison Society, Inc.

The SHS was organized in October 2004 and recognized by the IRS as a tax exempt 501(c) 3 non-profit organization on October 31, 2005. The Samuel Harrison homestead is listed on both the Massachusetts and National Register of Historic Places. The Society's Board of Trustees comprises eleven members include: President Churchill Cotton; Blayne Whitfield, the great-great-grandson of Samuel Harrison; and Ruth E. Hill, the great-granddaughter of Samuel Harrison and the previous owner of the house before conveying it to the Samuel Harrison Society, Inc. on April 17, 2006. Tax deductible donations may be made on line at www.samuelharrison.org or mailed to the Samuel Harrison Society at P.O. Box 378, Pittsfield, MA 01202.

About Greylock

Greylock Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, attends school, worships or regularly conducts business in Berkshire County. Greylock Federal is wholly owned by its more than 70,000 members and offers full-service branches in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, Lee, Adams, North Adams, Williamstown and Lanesborough. More information is available online at www.greylock.org.

Greylock's family of businesses includes:

• Greylock Insurance Agency with seven locations county-wide, handles commercial and personal lines including auto, homeowner's, life, disability, long-term care insurance, all forms of bonding, and 24/7 claims service.
• Greylock Investment Group with offices in Pittsfield offers access to a full array of services including financial planning, retirement planning, investment management, mutual funds, annuities and portfolio management.
• Greylock Marketing Group in Pittsfield is a full-service advertising agency dedicated to helping other credit unions, businesses and not-for-profit organizations meet their communications and marketing objectives.
• Greylock's Employee Benefits Services offers comprehensive consultation and brokerage services for group medical, dental, life and disability insurance.

SOURCE Greylock Federal Credit Union