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When you think of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, you probably don't think of the Great Depression.
But when you think of the crumbling chimneys on Ventfort Hall, the 19th-century mansion that's been home to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for more than a century, you probably also think of the Roaring Twenties.
And that's exactly what happened to the building in Pittsfield, which was hit hard by the Great Depression, the Boston Globe reports.
According to the Berkshire Eagle, four of the six brick chimneys on the mansion's west side were knocked to the ground by falling masonry in the early 1900s.
They were later removed, but not before causing thousands of dollars in damage.
Now, thanks to a fundraising effort, four of the six brick chimneys will be up and running in time for the college's 100th anniversary in 2023, the Globe reports.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Ventfort Hall's executive director tells the Globe.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing to be able to do."
According to the Eagle, Ventfort Hall was built on the site of the original Thomas Jefferson home, which was destroyed in a plane crash during the Great Depression Read the Entire Article
Selected Grant News Headlines
A customized collection of grant news from foundations and the federal government from around the Web.
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Foundation: Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation
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Social Entrepreneurs to Get Free WiFi Access
iPass, a telecommunications provider, will give free internet access to 100 non-government organizations (NGOs) for a year as they work in dangerous countries to help its poor and underserved populations.
