Home pages for towns in the Berkshires

Article updated Feb. 24, 2018 by Dave Read

How to get to the Berkshires

Here are inks for local and regional public transportation depots and stops, plus where to get Peter Pan bus and Amtrak train schedules and tickets: how to get to the Berkshires.

Lenox, MA is the hub of the Berkshires’ cultural industry. Dubbed “the inland Newport” in the 19th century, Lenox was the location of scores of mansions – the famous Berkshire cottages. With the passing of the Gilded Age, many of the estates were converted to other uses. The Highwood Estate now is part of Tanglewood, summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra; Canyon Ranch, perennially rated the #1 spa in the US, is located at the former Bellfontaine, and the nationally prominent Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health occupies the property where Andrew Carnegie’s last residence, Shadowbrook, stood (destroyed by fire in 1956). The popular Shakespeare & Co. is located near the site where Fanny Kemble built her home in the mid-1800s.

Shadowbrook, Stokes, Carnegie, Jesuits, Fire, Kripalu

Shadowbrook was built in 1893 for Anson Phelps Stokes, who hired Frederick Law Olmsted to design the 900 acre grounds. The estate was purchased in 1917 by Andrew Carnegie, who died there in 1919. The 100 room house burned in 1956.

In 1922, the New England Province of the Society of Jesus purchased the Shadowbrook estate, which the Jesuits used as a seminary. The entire structure burned to the ground in a tragic fire in 1956, in which four of the Jesuits died. The Society then built the current brick structure on the site, maintaining their operation of the property until 1970, when they could no longer support it. The building stood empty for many years (13) until the New Age Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health purchased it in 1983.

Lenox, Mass information and links:

• Lenox Town Hall: 6 Walker St.
• Phone: (413) 637-5506
• Town website: http://www.townoflenox.com/
• Population: 5,077
• Settled/Inc’d: 1736/1767
• Named for: Charles Lennox, Duke of Richmond
• Elevation: 1,210′
• Latitude: 42º21’23” N
• Longitude: 73º17’07” W
• Area: 21.2 mi²(land), 0.3 mi²(water)

2018 Tanglewood schedule

The 2018 Tanglewood schedulefeatures a season-long celebration of the centennial of Leonard’s Bernstein’s birth, culminating in the Aug. 25 Bernstein Centennial Celebration hosted by Audra McDonald, with Maestro Andris Nelsons, four guest conductors and soloists Yo-Yo Ma, Midori, and others.

Hotels near Tanglewood

Find hotels near Tanglewood with user reviews, check amenities, nearby attractions, availability and then book your room reservations at these lodging establishments through our partner, International Hotel Solutions (IHS), the leading provider of secure online hotel reservations.

Tanglewood tickets and box office information

Tickets for the 2018 Tanglewood season available through Tanglewood’s website, www.tanglewood.org, SymphonyCharge at 888-266-1200, and at the Symphony Hall Box Office at 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston MA.

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How to get to the Berkshires

Here are inks for local and regional public transportation depots and stops, plus where to get Peter Pan bus and Amtrak train schedules and tickets: how to get to the Berkshires.

Pittsfield, Mass. is the largest city in the Berkshires with a population of 42,931 in 2007, which is nearly a 25% decrease since 1960, when Pittsfield’s population peaked at 57,879. Pittsfield is the county seat of Berkshire County, which is a non-governmental entity. It was incorporated in 1761 and named for British politician William Pitt, who 3 years earlier became the namesake of Pittsburgh, PA.

Pittsfield, MA venues and attractions

Pittsfield, MA is the locale of these venues and attractions: Arrowhead – Herman Melville’s Home, Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire Athenaeum, Berkshire Community College, Berkshire Museum, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, Colonial Theatre, Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield State Forest.

Hotels in Pittsfield, MA

• Thaddeus Clapp House
• White Horse Inn B&B
• Crowne Plaza Hotel
• The Yankee Suites Extended Stay
• Berkshire Inn
• Travelodge Pittsfield
• Comfort Inn Pittsfield
  

Pittsfield and environs was inhabited by the Mahicans until Europeans began arriving in the early 1700s. In 1738, Col. Jacob Wendell of Boston bought 24,000 acres, known as the Pontoosuck, a Mohican word translating as “field or haven for winter deer,” and formed a land-speculation partnerhip with Philip Livingston of Albany, NY and John Stoddard of Northampton.

Pittsfield economic history summary

“While primarily an agricultural area, because of the many brooks that flowed into the Housatonic River, the landscape was dotted with mills that produced lumber, grist, paper and textiles. With the introduction of Merino sheep from Spain in 1807, the area became the center of woolen manufacturing in the United States, an industry that would dominate the community’s employment opportunities for almost a century.

“The town was a bustling metropolis by the late 19th century. In 1891, the City of Pittsfield was incorporated, and William Stanley, who had recently relocated his Electric Manufacturing Company to Pittsfield from Great Barrington, produced the first electric transformer. Stanley’s enterprise was the forerunner of the internationally known corporate giant, General Electric (GE). Thanks to the success of GE, Pittsfield’s population in 1930 had grown to more than 50,000. While GE Advanced Materials (now owned by SABIC-Innovative Plastics) continues to be one of the City’s largest employers, a workforce that once topped 13,000 was reduced to less than 700 with the demise and/or relocation of the transformer and aerospace portions of the General Electric empire.” Source – wikipedia.org

General Electric $200 million settlement for polluting the Housatonic River

On September 29, 1998 General Electric agreed to a $200 million settlement in principle of environmental claims resulting from pollution of the Housatonic River and other areas by chemical releases from GE’s plant in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. (The settlement was with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice .) The claims result from a long history of GE’s use and disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s) and other hazardous substances at the plant, which GE no longer uses for manufacturing. (PCBs, which have been linked to cancer, were commonly used in electrical devices and lubricants from the 1930s through the 1970s, when they were banned.)

The City of Pittsfield will benefit, too, from the settlement. GE has agreed to a “brownfield” redevelopment project on a portion of the defunct plant, including a multi-million dollar investment in Pittsfield, in conjunction with the new Pittsfield Economic Development Authority (“PEDA”). PEDA will commit up to $4 million of anticipated revenues from the redevelopment to further enhancement of natural resources.

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How to get to the Berkshires

Here are inks for local and regional public transportation depots and stops, plus where to get Peter Pan bus and Amtrak train schedules and tickets: how to get to the Berkshires.

The town of Stockbridge in the Berkshires is a popular destination for Berkshire county visitors because it is the location of Berkshire Theatre Festival, Norman Rockwell Museum, Tanglewood, Chesterwood, Berkshire Botanical Gardens, Naumkeag, Mission House, all important cultural venues, and The Red Lion Inn, which has been accommodating guests since the 18th century.

Stockbridge, MA hotels

The Red Lion Inn

The Stockbridge Country Inn

In 1734 a mission was established in the midst of the Mohican tribe by Rev. John Sergeant, (son-in-law of Ephraim Williams) who was soon succeeded by Jonathan Edwards; chartered as Indian Town in 1737, it was incorporated as Stockbridge by the Massachusetts General Court, which declared that the Mahican’s land never could be sold.

That promise didn’t last long, however, and one Mahican was forced to sell a 4,000 acre parcel to a group of seven men, including 5 ministers; the “Minister’s Grant” is known today as the towns of Lenox and Richmond.

Stockbridge, MA facts:

• Town Hall: 6 Main St.
• Phone: 413-298-4714
• Police Dept.: 413-298-4179
• 2008 population: 2,208
• Town website: TownofStockbridge.com

Stockbridge, MA cultural attractions:

• Berkshire Theatre Festival,
• Norman Rockwell Museum,
• Tanglewood,
• Chesterwood,
• Berkshire Botanical Garden,
• Naumkeag,
• Mission House.

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How to get to the Berkshires

Here are inks for local and regional public transportation depots and stops, plus where to get Peter Pan bus and Amtrak train schedules and tickets: how to get to the Berkshires.

Great Barrington, Mass maintains a small town charm and character while serving as the commercial hub of south Berkshire county. A unique array of fine restaurants anchors the town’s tourism industry today, while Gt. Barrington’s history includes events and persons of world stature. Great Barrington was the site of the first organized resistence to British rule in the colonies, was the birthplace of scholar and political leader W.E.B. DuBois (a founder of the NAACP), and, as the home of inventor William Stanley, was the first municipality with electric streetlights. Cultural center of Gt. Barrington is the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center.

Hotels in Great Barrington, MA

• Windflower Inn
• Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites
• Days Inn Great Barrington
• Great Barrington MA Travelodge
• Comfort Inn & Suites
• Thornewood Inn
• Stonegate Mansion
• The Inn at Sweet Water Farm

Great Barrington, Mass facts:

• Town Hall: 334 Main St.
• Phone: (413) 528-3140
• Population: 7,527
• Settled/Inc’d: 1726/1761
• Named for: Viscount Barrington
• Elevation: 710′

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How to get to the Berkshires

Here are inks for local and regional public transportation depots and stops, plus where to get Peter Pan bus and Amtrak train schedules and tickets: how to get to the Berkshires.

The Berkshires town of Williamstown is the location of Williams College, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Williamstown is the fourth-largest town in Berkshire County; 2000 census data lists population of 8,424 and median household income of $51,875. The town, which borders Vermont and New York, was incorporated in 1765 as Williamstown after Ephraim Williams, who was killed in the French and Indian War. He bequeathed a significant sum to the town on the condition that it were named after him and started a free school. In 1791, the school opened, becoming Williams College in 1793.

Hotels in Williamstown, MA

• 1896 House Brookside & Pondside – 910 Cold Spring Road
• 1896 House Country Inn – Rt 7
• House On Main Street – 1120 Main Street
• Orchards Hotel – 222 Adams Road
• Williamstown Motel – 295 Main Street
• Howard Johnson Williamstown -213 Main Street
• The Villager Motel – 953 Simonds Road

In the late 1930s and 1940s, E. Parmelee Prentice and his wife Alta, the daughter of John D. Rockefeller, created Mount Hope Farm. With a mansion designed by James Gamble Rogers, it was one of the outstanding experimental farms in the country. Today, it belongs to Williams College.

Williamstown, MA at-a-glance:

• Town Hall: 31 North St.
• Phone: (413) 458-3500
• Population: 8,424
• Settled/Inc’d: 1749
• Named for: Ephraim Williams
• Elevation: 603′
• Town website: williamstown.net/

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How to get to the Berkshires

Here are inks for local and regional public transportation depots and stops, plus where to get Peter Pan bus and Amtrak train schedules and tickets: how to get to the Berkshires.

Lee, Mass was settled in 1760, as Dodgetown, then incorporated in 1777 as Lee. Formed from parts of Great Barrington and Washington, it was named after General Charles Lee. Since the opening of the Prime Outlets shopping center near the Massachusetts Turnpike Exit 2, with 60 stores that cater to the tastes of people who own second homes in the Berkshires, the town has seen an attractive revitalization of its own Main st. shopping district. There has also been an increase in arts and entertainment programming in town at The Spectrum Playhouse, the former St. George’s Church at 20 Franklin St.

Hotels in Lee, MA

• Americas Best Value Inn Lee
• Super 8 Lee
• Pilgrim Inn
• Chambery Inn
• 1800 Devonfield Inn

Lee, Mass facts:

The town was also famous for the quality of its marble, with the first quarry established in 1852. Almost 500,000 cubic feet of marble was excavated and shipped in 1867 on the Housatonic Railroad. Buildings constructed of Lee marble include a wing of the United States Capitol building and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.

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How to get to the Berkshires

Here are inks for local and regional public transportation depots and stops, plus where to get Peter Pan bus and Amtrak train schedules and tickets: how to get to the Berkshires.

The Berkshires town of Richmond retains its rustic charm through progressive zoning bylaws and a newly-enacted local wetland bylaw. Richmond Pond (Mass. DFW pdf) is a 226 acre raised natural pond with a town beach and state boat ramp. Primarily residential, with many part-time residents from Boston and NYC, Richmond has just a few small businesses and several orchards and farms. Part-time residents include Gov. Deval Patrick. (Photo credit:Wikipedia User:Faolin42)

Hotels in Richmond, MA

• Inn At Richmond
• A B&B in the Berkshires

Richmond, MA facts:

• Town Hall: 1531 State Rd.
• Phone: (413) 698-3315
• Population: 1,604
• Settled/Inc’d: 1760
• Named for: Charles Lennox, Duke of Richmond
• Elevation: 1,107′
• Demographic data: state.ma.us

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How to get to the Berkshires

Here are inks for local and regional public transportation depots and stops, plus where to get Peter Pan bus and Amtrak train schedules and tickets: how to get to the Berkshires.

The Berkshires town of Lanesborough is situated just north of Pittsfield, between Pontoosuc Lake and Mount Greylock State Reservation. It is a suburban area with two small commercial centers along Rt. 7 and the Berkshire Mall on Rt. 8. The popular 19th century humorist Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) was born in Lanesborough. (Photo credit:Wikipedia User:ToddC4176)

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“Originally Richfield and later New Framingham, the town adopted its present name…(in)1765. Tradition has it that a Mr. Lane of England promised the community a bell if they would take his name, but the bell was never produced. It is also possible that the name may be connected with James Lane, Viscount Lanesborough in the Irish Peerage, or with the town of Lanesbouough in Ireland upon the Shannon River, or derive from the ‘fact that its six miles square adjoining south on Indian Town (Stockbridge) on the Housatonic River’ lay along a winding lane. The name may even have been a tribute to the beautiful Countess of Lanesborough, court favorite, and friend of the Royal Governor of Massachusetts.” {The Berkshire Hills, by Federal Writers’ Project, © 1939, Berkshire Hills Conference, Inc.}

Lanesborough, MA facts:

• Town Hall: 83 N. Main St.
• Phone: (413) 442-1167
• Population: 5,989
• Settled/Inc’d: 1753/1765
• Named for: see note above
• Elevation: 1,210′
• Demographic data: state.ma.us

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How to get to the Berkshires

Here are inks for local and regional public transportation depots and stops, plus where to get Peter Pan bus and Amtrak train schedules and tickets: how to get to the Berkshires.

The Berkshires town of Hinsdale is a small, quiet hilltown with a population of over 1,900 that increases considerably in the summer months. Settled in the 1760s, Hinsdale was incorporated in 1804. Its early history saw farms and saw mills as the primary sources of occupation. In the late 1800s, textile mills flourished, and the community found itself able to install a reservoir and public water an sewer systems. In the early 1900s, the mills departed, and the railroad became the main industry. By the mid-1900s, this industry departed, as well. The Town is now primarily a bedroom community to the city of Pittsfield. (Photo credit:Wikipedia User:ToddC4176)

The Town encompasses approximately 21.7 square miles. It is home to two lakes, Lake Ashmere and Plunkett Lake, and to a section of Muddy Pond, the headwaters of the East Branch of the Housatonic River. Hinsdale also is home to the 14,500 acre Hinsdale Flats Watershed Resource Area, which is an Area of Critical Environmental Concern. The Appalachian Trail, a national scenic trail, passes through Hinsdale, and encompasses 440 acres. There are over 1500 acres of state-owned open space within the Town’s borders, as well.

Hinsdale, MA facts:

• Town Hall: 95 Maple St.
• Phone: (413) 655-2245
• Population: 1,872
• Settled/Inc’d: 1763/1804
• Named for: Rev. Theodore Hinsdale
• Elevation: 1,431′
• Demographic data: state.ma.us/cc/hinsdale.html

“I was raised in Hinsdale in the 50’s and the 60’s. I’ve got a lot of good memories about Hinsdale. I lived above the drug store when Benard Collins was the Pharmacist. I would love some old and new photos. Thank you, Joseph Rock (djrock4@attbi.com).”

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The Berkshires town of Windsor is a residential communities comprised of a few small farms and a hilltop general store that has been owned by the same family for several generations. Notchview Reservation, at over three thousand acres the largest of the 91 properties of The Trustees of Reservations, presents extensive terrain for cross-country skiing – twenty (more or less) miles of trails, most groomed, some tracked only by skiers who precede you; open field touring; unplowed town roads (beware of snowmobiles); and endless bushwhacking, the true cross-country.

Windsor, MA facts:

• Town Hall: 1927 Route 9
• Phone: (413) 684-3811
• Population: 875
• Settled/Inc’d: 1767
• Named for: Do you know?
• Elevation: 1,944′
• Demographic data:: state.ma.us/

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