STOCKBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

'Stockbridge' is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,276 at the 2000 census.
Stockbridge has a long and varied past from 1734, with the last of the Mahican tribe (relocated to Wisconsin), and as former home to several notables, including painter Norman Rockwell, singer Arlo Guthrie (with Stockbridge song/film "Alice's Restaurant"), musician James Taylor, and Skylab/Shuttle astronaut Story Musgrave, M.D.
"Story Musgrave Biography -- Academy of Achievement" (background),
Academy of Achievement, 2005-02-05, ''Achievement.org'' webpage:
[www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/mus0bio-1 AB-Musbio].

Stockbridge is also the location of the Austen Riggs Center, a notable psychiatric treatment center famous for its association with Erik H. Erikson, and the site of Chesterwood, home and studio of sculptor Daniel Chester French.

Contents

History

Geography

Demographics

Government

Education

Points of interest

Notable residents

References in popular culture

Trivia

References

External links

History

Stockbridge was first settled in 1734 and was officially incorporated in 1739.
The town was the location of the Mahican/Stockbridge Indians (later relocated to Wisconsin), who were forced to leave dispite their assistance to the American cause during the French and Indian War, Revolutionary War and other occasions.
Stockbridge was also the home to Elizabeth Freeman, late in her life. The former slave who was one of the petitioners in the lawsuit that had slavery declared unconstitutional in Massachusetts, Freeman worked in the household of the Massachusetts statesman Judge Theodore Sedgwick. She is buried in Stockbridge's downtown cemetery.
Famed 19th century literary figure, Catharine Maria Sedgwick, was born in Stockbridge in 1789. She is the author of six novels including her most famous, ''Hope Leslie'' (1827).
The painter Norman Rockwell lived and made most of his famous works in Stockbridge. The Norman Rockwell Museum is located in Stockbridge.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 61.4 km² (23.7 mi²). 59.4 km² (22.9 mi²) of it is land and 2.0 km² (0.8 mi²) of it (3.25%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 2,276 people, 991 households, and 567 families residing in the town. The population density was 38.3/km² (99.2/mi²). There were 1,571 housing units at an average density of 26.4/km² (68.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.92% White, 1.23% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.97% from other races, and 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.90% of the population.
There were 991 households out of which 18.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.67.
In the town the population was spread out with 15.2% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 33.5% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $48,571, and the median income for a family was $59,556. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $27,969 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,499. About 1.7% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Stockbridge is governed by Open town meeting, held annually on the third Monday in May, and by an elected three-member Board of Selectmen. ^[1]

Education

Points of interest

★ Berkshire Botanical Garden

★ The Congregational Church Bell Tower, also know as the Chilren's Chimes.

★ Merwin House

★ Mission House

★ Naumkeag, home of attorney Joseph Choate; designated as a National Historic Landmark by U.S. Department of the Interior in April 2007.

★ Norman Rockwell Museum which contains on its grounds ''Linwood'' the manor house of attorney Charles E. Butler; partner of (below) Choate and Southmayd

★ The Red Lion Inn, a still-operating 18th century colonial inn

★ Southmayd Farm, formerly the residence of Charles and Carole Schulze^[2]

★ Austen Riggs Center, an open psychiatric hospital and Freudian teaching institute

★ Tanglewood, a music venue and the summer home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Notable residents

Despite its small size, Stockbridge has been home to 6 members of Congress:

★ Ezekiel Bacon - Congressman, 1807-1813

★ John Bacon - Congressman, 1801-1803

★ Barnabas Bidwell - Congressman, 1805-1807

★ Henry W. Dwight - Congressman, 1821-1831

★ Theodore Sedgwick - Congressman, 1789-1796, 1799-1801; Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1799-1801; U.S. Senator, 1796-1799; President ''pro tempore'' of the U.S. Senate, 1798

★ Allen T. Treadway - Congressman, 1913-1945
Other residents:

★ Joseph Choate - U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom

★ Jonathan Edwards - Theologian

★ Cyrus West Field - Financier for the company that successfully first laid the transatlantic telegraph cable.

★ Daniel Chester French – Sculptor, lived at the estate known as Chesterwood

★ William Gibson – Playwright

★ Arlo Guthrie - Made the town famous in his song Alice's Restaurant.

★ Owen Johnson - Writer

★ Story Musgrave, M.D. - Skylab/Shuttle astronaut, with boyhood home at Linwood Farm.

★ William J. Obanhein - "Officer Obie." (mentioned in Arlo Guthrie's song, Alice's Restaurant.)

★ Norman Rockwell - Artist

★ Gene Shalit - Writer, Film critic

★ James Taylor - Musician

★ Ephraim Williams - Benefactor of Williams College

★ Erik Erikson - Psychologist and author, consultant to the Austen Riggs Center, across the street from Erikson's home.

References in popular culture

★ Inspired by the river during his honeymoon, the American classical music composer Charles Ives wrote ''The Housatonic at Stockbridge'' as part of his composition ''Three Places in New England''.

★ Mentioned in the James Taylor song "Sweet Baby James." ("The first of December was covered with snow, and so was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston").

★ Stockbridge was the location of Alice's Restaurant in the song by the same name by Arlo Guthrie.

Trivia

★ The highest sale price for any private residence in Stockbridge was for Southmayd Farm, former home of 19th century attorney Charles Southmayd. The sale was closed in March 2007 for a recorded price of $6,900,000. This is also a record for any private residence in Berkshire County. While a place of unhappiness for Southmayd, he wrote once that he hoped it would burn down, the 1870 country estate on 80-acres was restored in the late 20th Century by Charles and Carole Schulze and featured in both 'House & Garden' (October, 2004) and 'Forbes' magazines.

References

1. See http://www.townofstockbridge.com/Public_Documents/StockbridgeMA_WebDocs/government
2. forbes.com

External links

★ The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts

★ Forbes June 2005 "Southmayd Farm - House of the Week"

★ Berkshire Eagle newspaper Apr 6, 2007 "Estate draws record $6.9M"

★ Press release US Department of Interior April 4, 2007 "Interior Secretary Kempthorne Designates 12 National Historic Landmarks"