North Adams, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
North Adams is a city in Berkshire County
, Massachusetts
, United States
. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,708 as of the 2010 census, making it the least populous city in the state. Best known as the home of the largest contemporary art
museum in the United States, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
, North Adams has in recent years become a center for tourism, culture and recreation.
(located at the present-day Price Choppers), thirty prisoners were taken to Quebec
and half died in captivity.
The town was separately incorporated from Adams
in 1878. The city is named in honor of Samuel Adams
, a leader in the American Revolution
, signer of the Declaration of Independence
, and governor of Massachusetts
.
For much of its existence, North Adams was a mill town
. Manufacturing began in the city before the Revolutionary War
, as its location at the confluence of the two branches of the Hoosic River
provided water power for diverse, small-scale industries. By the late 18th and early 19th centuries, businesses included wholesale shoe manufacturers
; a brick yard; a saw mill; cabinet-makers
; hat manufacturers; machine shops for the construction of mill machines; marble
works; wagon and sleigh-makers; and an ironworks
, which provided the pig iron
for armor plates on the Civil War
ship, the Monitor
. North Adams would be headquarters for construction of the Hoosac Tunnel
.
In 1860, the O. Arnold and Company was established with the latest equipment for printing cloth. Large government contracts to supply fabric for the Union Army
helped the business prosper. During the next four decades, Arnold Print Works became one of the world's leading manufacturers of printed textiles. It also became the largest employer in North Adams, with some 3,200 workers by 1905. Despite decades of success, however, falling cloth prices and the lingering effects of the Great Depression
forced Arnold Print Works to close its Marshall Street operation in 1942, consolidating at smaller facilities in Adams.
Later that year, the Sprague Electric Company bought the former print works site. Sprague physicists, chemists, electrical engineers, and skilled technicians were called upon by the U.S. government during World War II
to design and manufacture crucial components of some of its most advanced high-tech weapons systems, including the atomic bomb.
With state-of-the-art equipment, Sprague was a major research and development center, conducting studies on the nature of electricity
and semi-conducting materials. After the war, its products were used in the launch systems for Gemini moon missions, and by 1966 Sprague employed 4,137 workers in a community of 18,000, existing almost as a city within a city. From the post-war years to the mid-1980s, Sprague produced electrical components for the booming consumer electronics market, but competition from abroad led to declining sales and, in 1985, the company closed operations on Marshall Street.
director Thomas Krens
, who would later become Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
, was looking for space to exhibit large works of contemporary art that would not fit in conventional museum galleries. When Mayor John Barrett III (serving 1983-2009) suggested the vast Marshall Street complex as a possible exhibition site, the idea of creating a contemporary arts center in North Adams began to take shape.
The campaign to build political and community support for the proposed institution, which would serve as a platform for the creation and presentation of contemporary art, and develop links to the region's myriad cultural institutions, began in earnest. The Massachusetts legislature announced its support for the project in 1988. Subsequent economic upheaval in Massachusetts threatened the project, but broad-based support from the community and the private sector, which pledged more than $8 million, ensured that it continued to move forward.
The eventual proposal utilized the unparalleled scale and versatility of the complex's industrial spaces, while establishing a dialogue between the facility's past and the new life it would have as the country's largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts.
Since its opening MASS MoCA has provided the catalyst and anchor for a larger economic transformation in the region centered on cultural, recreational, and educational offerings. North Adams has become home for several new restaurants, contemporary art galleries and cultural organizations. In addition, once shuttered area factories and mills have been rehabilitated as live/work lofts for artists.
North Adams is located at 42°41′38"N 73°6′54"W (42.693899, -73.115096).
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 20.6 square miles (53.4 km²), of which, 20.4 square miles (52.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.63%) is water. North Adams is bordered by Clarksburg
to the north, Florida
to the east, Adams
to the south, and Williamstown
to the west.
North Adams is located in the valley created by the Hoosic River
, which has been walled and floored with concrete in portions to prevent floods. The city's Natural Bridge State Park
contains the only natural white marble bridge in North America. Formed by glacial melt by 11,000 BC, the arch and abandoned quarry have long attracted attention from hikers, including Nathaniel Hawthorne
in 1838, who wrote of it (among other local features) in his An American Notebook. To the east, the city is bordered by the western face of the Hoosac Range, with visibility on its West Summit extending throughout the tri-state area. To the southwest, the city has the northern end of Mount Greylock
State Reservation, ending at Mount Williams, which at 2951 feet (899.5 m) above sea level is the highest point in the city. The Appalachian Trail
passes through the western part of the city, crossing the summit of Mount Williams and briefly passing through Williamstown before heading north towards Vermont.
North Adams is the western terminus of the Mohawk Trail
, which ascends to the West Summit along a steep, curving road. While the trail ends here, Route 2, which the trail is coextensive with, continues westward into Williamstown and towards New York. Route 8 also passes through the city, passing from Adams, through the city and northward into Clarksburg. Route 8A, also known as 8A-U (for "upper"), runs parallel to Route 8 east of the main route, and is located entirely within city limits.
The city is the northern terminus of several lines of the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority, and also has regional service. The freight rail line which passes through the city extends through the Hoosac Tunnel towards the east. North Adams is also home to Harriman and West Airport, a small regional airport. The nearest interstate is Interstate 91
to the east, almost an hour away, and the nearest airport with national service is Albany International Airport
.
of 2010, there were 13,708 people, 5,652 households, and 3,156 families residing in the city. The city, which is the smallest in Massachusetts, ranks second (after Pittsfield) out of 32 cities and towns in Berkshire County by population. The population density
was 665.4 people per square mile (257.2/km²), ranking it 2nd in the county. There were 6,523 housing units at an average density of 316.7 per square mile (122.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.0% White, 1.8% African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.8% from other races
, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population.
There were 5,652 households out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were married couples
living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.2% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.74% under the age of 18, 16.9% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.75 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,020, and the median income for a family was $57,522. The per capita income
for the city was $19,857. About 9.0% of families and 22.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.
North Adams is governed by the mayor-council form of government under Mayor Richard Alcombright. The city has its own services, including police, fire and public works. The city is also home to North Adams Regional Hospital. The city's public library is the largest in northern Berkshire County, and also has access to the regional library networks.
On the state level, North Adams is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives
by the First Berkshire district, which covers northern Berkshire County, as well as portions of Franklin County. In the Massachusetts Senate
, the city is represented by the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes all of Berkshire County and western Hampshire and Franklin Counties. The city is patrolled by the Fourth (Cheshire) Station of Barracks "B" of the Massachusetts State Police
.
On the national level, North Adams is represented in the United States House of Representatives
as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district
, and has been represented by John Olver
of Amherst
since June 1991. Massachusetts is currently represented in the United States Senate
by senior Senator John Kerry
and junior Senator Scott Brown
.
, which also serves several neighboring towns. The city is also home to Charles H. McCann Technical High School
, as well as several private and parochial schools.
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
(MCLA) enrolls about 1,980 students. The most popular programs are English/Communications, Business, Education, History, Fine & Performing Arts, Psychology, and Sociology. Founded in 1894 as North Adams Normal School, in 1932 the Normal School became the State Teachers College of North Adams. In 1960, the college changed its name to North Adams State College and added professional degrees in Business Administration and Computer Science. In 1997, the name changed to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, reflective of specialty school status within the Massachusetts State College system. In recent years, MCLA has begun to develop more academic programming in the fields of fine arts and arts management, reflecting the region's growth as a center of arts and cultural affairs.
Beyond MCLA, the nearest state university is the University of Massachusetts Amherst
. The nearest private college is Williams College
, in neighboring Williamstown, Massachusetts
of the New England Collegiate Baseball League
(NECBL). The SteepleCats play at Joe Wolfe Field
in North Adams. The SteepleCats hold the NECBL record for highest single-game attendance. The record was made on July 4
, 2006, in a game against the Holyoke Giants
in front of 6,714 fans. Holyoke won the game 3-2.
North Adams also has many athletic complexes and recreational fields scattered throughout the city including the Noel Field Atheltic Complex, just south of the downtown, and the newly built Alcombright Field, in the city's west end.
Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Berkshire County is a non-governmental county located on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2010 census, the population was 131,219. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,708 as of the 2010 census, making it the least populous city in the state. Best known as the home of the largest contemporary art
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
museum in the United States, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, commonly referred to as MASS MoCA, is a museum in a converted factory building located in North Adams, Massachusetts, USA. It is one of the largest centers for contemporary visual art and performing arts in the country.MASS MoCA opened with 19...
, North Adams has in recent years become a center for tourism, culture and recreation.
History
North Adams was first settled in 1745 during King Georges War. During the war, the Canadiens and Indians laid siege to Fort MassachusettsSiege of Fort Massachusetts
The Siege of Fort Massachusetts was a successful siege of Fort Massachusetts by a mixed force of more than 1,000 French and Indians from New France. The fort, garrisoned by a disease-weakened militia force from the Province of Massachusetts Bay, surrendered after its supplies of ammunition and...
(located at the present-day Price Choppers), thirty prisoners were taken to Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and half died in captivity.
The town was separately incorporated from Adams
Adams, Massachusetts
Adams is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 8,485 at the 2010 census.-History:...
in 1878. The city is named in honor of Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams was an American statesman, political philosopher, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. As a politician in colonial Massachusetts, Adams was a leader of the movement that became the American Revolution, and was one of the architects of the principles of American...
, a leader in the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, signer of the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
, and governor of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
For much of its existence, North Adams was a mill town
Mill town
A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories .- United Kingdom:...
. Manufacturing began in the city before the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, as its location at the confluence of the two branches of the Hoosic River
Hoosic River
The Hoosic River, also known as the Hoosac, the Hoosick and the Hoosuck , is a tributary of the Hudson River in the northeastern United States. The different spellings are the result of varying transliterations of the river's original Algonquian name...
provided water power for diverse, small-scale industries. By the late 18th and early 19th centuries, businesses included wholesale shoe manufacturers
Shoemaking
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
; a brick yard; a saw mill; cabinet-makers
Cabinet making
Cabinet making is the practice of using various woodworking skills to create cabinets, shelving and furniture.Cabinet making involves techniques such as creating appropriate joints, dados, bevels, chamfers and shelving systems, the use of finishing tools such as routers to create decorative...
; hat manufacturers; machine shops for the construction of mill machines; marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
works; wagon and sleigh-makers; and an ironworks
Ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
, which provided the pig iron
Pig iron
Pig iron is the intermediate product of smelting iron ore with a high-carbon fuel such as coke, usually with limestone as a flux. Charcoal and anthracite have also been used as fuel...
for armor plates on the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
ship, the Monitor
USS Monitor
USS Monitor was the first ironclad warship commissioned by the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She is most famous for her participation in the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, the first-ever battle fought between two ironclads...
. North Adams would be headquarters for construction of the Hoosac Tunnel
Hoosac Tunnel
The Hoosac Tunnel is a 4.75-mile-long railroad tunnel in western Massachusetts which passes through the Hoosac Range, an extension of Vermont's Green Mountains. Work began in 1848 and was finally completed in 1875...
.
In 1860, the O. Arnold and Company was established with the latest equipment for printing cloth. Large government contracts to supply fabric for the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
helped the business prosper. During the next four decades, Arnold Print Works became one of the world's leading manufacturers of printed textiles. It also became the largest employer in North Adams, with some 3,200 workers by 1905. Despite decades of success, however, falling cloth prices and the lingering effects of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
forced Arnold Print Works to close its Marshall Street operation in 1942, consolidating at smaller facilities in Adams.
Later that year, the Sprague Electric Company bought the former print works site. Sprague physicists, chemists, electrical engineers, and skilled technicians were called upon by the U.S. government during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to design and manufacture crucial components of some of its most advanced high-tech weapons systems, including the atomic bomb.
With state-of-the-art equipment, Sprague was a major research and development center, conducting studies on the nature of electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
and semi-conducting materials. After the war, its products were used in the launch systems for Gemini moon missions, and by 1966 Sprague employed 4,137 workers in a community of 18,000, existing almost as a city within a city. From the post-war years to the mid-1980s, Sprague produced electrical components for the booming consumer electronics market, but competition from abroad led to declining sales and, in 1985, the company closed operations on Marshall Street.
Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art & the "Renaissance"
The closure of Sprague Electric devastated the local economy. Unemployment rates rose and population declined. In 1986, just a year after the factory's closing, the business and political leaders of North Adams were seeking ways to creatively re-use the vast complex. Williams College Museum of ArtWilliams College Museum of Art
The Williams College Museum of Art is a teaching museum located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It is a department of Williams College. The museum's mission is to "advance learning through lively and innovative approaches to art for the students of Williams College and communities beyond the...
director Thomas Krens
Thomas Krens
Thomas Krens is the former director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in New York City, and currently the Guggenheim's Senior Advisor for International Affairs, overseeing the completion of the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Abu Dhabi...
, who would later become Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is a well-known museum located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. It is the permanent home to a renowned collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions...
, was looking for space to exhibit large works of contemporary art that would not fit in conventional museum galleries. When Mayor John Barrett III (serving 1983-2009) suggested the vast Marshall Street complex as a possible exhibition site, the idea of creating a contemporary arts center in North Adams began to take shape.
The campaign to build political and community support for the proposed institution, which would serve as a platform for the creation and presentation of contemporary art, and develop links to the region's myriad cultural institutions, began in earnest. The Massachusetts legislature announced its support for the project in 1988. Subsequent economic upheaval in Massachusetts threatened the project, but broad-based support from the community and the private sector, which pledged more than $8 million, ensured that it continued to move forward.
The eventual proposal utilized the unparalleled scale and versatility of the complex's industrial spaces, while establishing a dialogue between the facility's past and the new life it would have as the country's largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts.
Since its opening MASS MoCA has provided the catalyst and anchor for a larger economic transformation in the region centered on cultural, recreational, and educational offerings. North Adams has become home for several new restaurants, contemporary art galleries and cultural organizations. In addition, once shuttered area factories and mills have been rehabilitated as live/work lofts for artists.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 20.6 square miles (53.4 km²), of which, 20.4 square miles (52.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.63%) is water. North Adams is bordered by Clarksburg
Clarksburg, Massachusetts
Clarksburg is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area...
to the north, Florida
Florida, Massachusetts
Florida is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 676 at the 2000 census. It is home to the east portal of the Hoosac Tunnel, as well as Whitcomb Summit , the highest point of the Mohawk...
to the east, Adams
Adams, Massachusetts
Adams is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 8,485 at the 2010 census.-History:...
to the south, and Williamstown
Williamstown, Massachusetts
Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,754 at the 2010 census...
to the west.
North Adams is located in the valley created by the Hoosic River
Hoosic River
The Hoosic River, also known as the Hoosac, the Hoosick and the Hoosuck , is a tributary of the Hudson River in the northeastern United States. The different spellings are the result of varying transliterations of the river's original Algonquian name...
, which has been walled and floored with concrete in portions to prevent floods. The city's Natural Bridge State Park
Natural Bridge State Park (Massachusetts)
Natural Bridge State Park is a Massachusetts state park located in North Adams, Massachusetts, in the northwestern part of the state. It contains the only natural white marble arch/bridge in North America...
contains the only natural white marble bridge in North America. Formed by glacial melt by 11,000 BC, the arch and abandoned quarry have long attracted attention from hikers, including Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
in 1838, who wrote of it (among other local features) in his An American Notebook. To the east, the city is bordered by the western face of the Hoosac Range, with visibility on its West Summit extending throughout the tri-state area. To the southwest, the city has the northern end of Mount Greylock
Mount Greylock
Mount Greylock is the highest natural point in Massachusetts at . Its peak is located in the northwest corner of the state in the western part of the town of Adams in Berkshire County. Although geologically part of the Taconic Mountains, Mount Greylock is commonly associated with the abutting...
State Reservation, ending at Mount Williams, which at 2951 feet (899.5 m) above sea level is the highest point in the city. The Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
passes through the western part of the city, crossing the summit of Mount Williams and briefly passing through Williamstown before heading north towards Vermont.
North Adams is the western terminus of the Mohawk Trail
Mohawk Trail
- External links :* *...
, which ascends to the West Summit along a steep, curving road. While the trail ends here, Route 2, which the trail is coextensive with, continues westward into Williamstown and towards New York. Route 8 also passes through the city, passing from Adams, through the city and northward into Clarksburg. Route 8A, also known as 8A-U (for "upper"), runs parallel to Route 8 east of the main route, and is located entirely within city limits.
The city is the northern terminus of several lines of the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority, and also has regional service. The freight rail line which passes through the city extends through the Hoosac Tunnel towards the east. North Adams is also home to Harriman and West Airport, a small regional airport. The nearest interstate is Interstate 91
Interstate 91
Interstate 91 is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It provides the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of New England...
to the east, almost an hour away, and the nearest airport with national service is Albany International Airport
Albany International Airport
Albany International Airport is a public use airport located six nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Albany, in Albany County, New York, United States. It is owned by the Albany County Airport Authority....
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2010, there were 13,708 people, 5,652 households, and 3,156 families residing in the city. The city, which is the smallest in Massachusetts, ranks second (after Pittsfield) out of 32 cities and towns in Berkshire County by population. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 665.4 people per square mile (257.2/km²), ranking it 2nd in the county. There were 6,523 housing units at an average density of 316.7 per square mile (122.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.0% White, 1.8% African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.8% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population.
There were 5,652 households out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.2% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.74% under the age of 18, 16.9% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.75 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,020, and the median income for a family was $57,522. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $19,857. About 9.0% of families and 22.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.
Government
On the state level, North Adams is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
by the First Berkshire district, which covers northern Berkshire County, as well as portions of Franklin County. In the Massachusetts Senate
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
, the city is represented by the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes all of Berkshire County and western Hampshire and Franklin Counties. The city is patrolled by the Fourth (Cheshire) Station of Barracks "B" of the Massachusetts State Police
Massachusetts State Police
The Massachusetts State Police is an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Executive Office of Public Safety and Security responsible for criminal law enforcement and traffic vehicle regulation across the state...
.
On the national level, North Adams is represented in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district
Massachusetts's 1st congressional district
Massachusetts's 1st congressional district is in western and central Massachusetts. The largest Massachusetts district in area, it covers about one-third of the state and is more rural than the rest. It has the state's highest point, Mount Greylock...
, and has been represented by John Olver
John Olver
John Walter Olver is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1991. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Early in his career, he was a chemistry professor and served in both chambers of the Massachusetts General Court....
of Amherst
Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,819, making it the largest community in Hampshire County . The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts...
since June 1991. Massachusetts is currently represented in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
by senior Senator John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
and junior Senator Scott Brown
Scott Brown
Scott Brown is a United States senator.Scott Brown may also refer to:-Sportsmen:*Scott Brown , American college football coach of Kentucky State...
.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 15, 2008 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Number of Voters | Percentage |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
3,168 | 34.99% |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
696 | 7.69% |
Unaffiliated | 5,091 | 56.22% |
Minor Parties | 100 | 1.10% | |
| Total | 9,055 | 100% | |||||||||||||
Education
North Adams operates its own public school system, with three elementary schools (Brayton Elementary School, Greylock Elementary School and Sullivan Elementary School),Conte Middle School, and Drury High SchoolDrury High School
Drury High SchoolDrury High School is a school located in North Adams, Massachusetts. It serves the towns of North Adams, Florida, Clarksburg, Monroe, Readsboro, Vermont, and Stamford, Vermont.-History:...
, which also serves several neighboring towns. The city is also home to Charles H. McCann Technical High School
Charles H. McCann Technical High School
Charles H. McCann Technical High School is a technical school located in North Adams, Massachusetts that serves grades 9-12. It serves the Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School District made up of the City of North Adams, and the towns of Adams, Williamstown, Clarksburg, Florida, Savoy, and...
, as well as several private and parochial schools.
| North Adams Public Schools Enrollment | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 estimate | 2010 estimate |
| Drury High School | 610 | 645 | 608 | 625 | 622 | 583 | 593 | 544 | 620(incld. 8th) | 625(incld. 8th) |
| Conte Middle School | 526 | 499 | 509 | 511 | 475 | 417 | 352 | 323 | N/A | N/A |
| Brayton Elementary | 499 | 471 | 466 | 429 | 400 | 342 | 356 | 364 | 468(incld. 6th+7th) | 480(incld. 6th+7th) |
| Sullivan Elementary | 320 | 316 | 311 | 286 | 269 | 256 | 253 | 224 | 275(incld. 6th+7th) | 270(incld. 6th+7th) |
| Greylock Elementary | 237 | 213 | 230 | 226 | 231 | 221 | 235 | 229 | 265(incld. 6th+7th) | 266(incld. 6th+7th) |
| Total: | 2,192 | 2,144 | 2,124 | 2,077 | 1,997 | 1,819 | 1,789 | 1,684 | 1,628 | 1,641 |
| Avg. students per grade: | 156.57 | 153.14 | 151.71 | 148.36 | 142.64 | 129.93 | 127.79 | 120.29 | 116.29 | 117.21 |
| Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School District Enrollment | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Charles H. McCann Technical High School | 440 | 427 | 427 | 440 | 468 | 491 | 516 | 511 | 510 | 491 |
| Avg. students per grade: | 110 | 106.75 | 106.75 | 110 | 117 | 122.75 | 129 | 127.75 | 127.5 | 122.75 |
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is a public, residential, liberal arts college that offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. Located in North Adams, Massachusetts, it is part of the state university system of Massachusetts. It is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts...
(MCLA) enrolls about 1,980 students. The most popular programs are English/Communications, Business, Education, History, Fine & Performing Arts, Psychology, and Sociology. Founded in 1894 as North Adams Normal School, in 1932 the Normal School became the State Teachers College of North Adams. In 1960, the college changed its name to North Adams State College and added professional degrees in Business Administration and Computer Science. In 1997, the name changed to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, reflective of specialty school status within the Massachusetts State College system. In recent years, MCLA has begun to develop more academic programming in the fields of fine arts and arts management, reflecting the region's growth as a center of arts and cultural affairs.
Beyond MCLA, the nearest state university is the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
. The nearest private college is Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
, in neighboring Williamstown, Massachusetts
Williamstown, Massachusetts
Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,754 at the 2010 census...
Sports
The city is home to the North Adams SteepleCatsNorth Adams SteepleCats
The North Adams SteepleCats are a collegiate summer baseball team based in North Adams, Massachusetts, United States. The team, a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, plays its home games at Joe Wolfe Field in North Adams....
of the New England Collegiate Baseball League
New England Collegiate Baseball League
The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a 12-team collegiate summer baseball league founded in 1993 and sanctioned by the NCAA and Major League Baseball. Each NECBL team plays an eight-week, 42-game schedule during June and July, with a playoff in early August...
(NECBL). The SteepleCats play at Joe Wolfe Field
Joe Wolfe Field
Joe Wolfe Field is a baseball field in North Adams, Massachusetts, USA. The field is home to the North Adams SteepleCats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league based in New England. The park was built in 1986, with the SteepleCats first utilizing the...
in North Adams. The SteepleCats hold the NECBL record for highest single-game attendance. The record was made on July 4
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
, 2006, in a game against the Holyoke Giants
North Shore Navigators
The North Shore Navigators are a wooden-bat, collegiate summer baseball team based in Lynn, Massachusetts, playing in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. The team plays home games at Fraser Field in Lynn...
in front of 6,714 fans. Holyoke won the game 3-2.
North Adams also has many athletic complexes and recreational fields scattered throughout the city including the Noel Field Atheltic Complex, just south of the downtown, and the newly built Alcombright Field, in the city's west end.
Sites and events of interest
- Fall Foliage Festival
- The Berkshire Hills Internship Program
- Hoosac TunnelHoosac TunnelThe Hoosac Tunnel is a 4.75-mile-long railroad tunnel in western Massachusetts which passes through the Hoosac Range, an extension of Vermont's Green Mountains. Work began in 1848 and was finally completed in 1875...
- Massachusetts College of Liberal ArtsMassachusetts College of Liberal ArtsThe Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is a public, residential, liberal arts college that offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. Located in North Adams, Massachusetts, it is part of the state university system of Massachusetts. It is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts...
- MCLA Gallery 51
- DownStreet Art > http://www.downstreetart.org/
- Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary ArtMassachusetts Museum of Contemporary ArtThe Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, commonly referred to as MASS MoCA, is a museum in a converted factory building located in North Adams, Massachusetts, USA. It is one of the largest centers for contemporary visual art and performing arts in the country.MASS MoCA opened with 19...
- Natural Bridge State ParkNatural Bridge State Park (Massachusetts)Natural Bridge State Park is a Massachusetts state park located in North Adams, Massachusetts, in the northwestern part of the state. It contains the only natural white marble arch/bridge in North America...
- North Adams Museum of History & Science -- North Adams Historical Society
- Western Gateway Heritage State Park
- Congregation Beth IsraelCongregation Beth Israel (North Adams, Massachusetts)Congregation Beth Israel is a Jewish congregation located at 53 Lois Street in North Adams, Massachusetts. The congregation was founded in the early 1890s as House of Israel by Eastern European Jews recently immigrated to the United States...
- Solid Sound Festival
- Develop North Adams
Notable residents
- Martha CoakleyMartha CoakleyMartha Mary Coakley is the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Prior to serving as Attorney General, she was District Attorney of Middlesex County, Massachusetts from 1999 to 2007....
, Massachusetts attorney general - Caitlin KittredgeCaitlin KittredgeCaitlin Kittredge is an American novelist of dark fantasy and urban fantasy noir living in Olympia, Washington. She is known for her Nocturne City series of adult novels, and for The Iron Codex, a series of young-adult books....
, author - Caleb AtwaterCaleb AtwaterCaleb Atwater was an American archaeologist, historian, and politician whose career is associated with the state of Ohio.-Early years:...
, archeologist, politician - Andrea BarrettAndrea BarrettAndrea Barrett is an American novelist, and short story writer. Her Ship Fever collection of novella and short stories won the National Book Award in 1996...
, novelist - Daniel E. BosleyDaniel E. BosleyDaniel E. Bosley is a former member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the current president of the North Adams SteepleCats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. -Education:...
, state representative - Jack ChesbroJack ChesbroJohn Dwight Chesbro was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates , New York Highlanders , and Boston Red Sox . His 41 wins during the 1904 season remains an MLB record for the modern era...
(1874–1931), Hall of Fame pitcher - Jeremiah ColegroveJeremiah ColegroveJeremiah Colegrove was born to William Colegrove in Scituate, Rhode Island. A man of giant stature, both physically and in the community, he was a prominent farmer and manufacturer in New England...
(1758–1836), early leading citizen - Howard CruseHoward CruseHoward Cruse is an American alternative cartoonist known for the exploration of gay themes in his comics.Cruse was raised in Springville, Alabama, the son of a preacher and a homemaker. His earliest published cartoons were in The Baptist Student when he was in high school. His work later appeared...
, cartoonist - John M. DarbyJohn M. DarbyJohn M. Darby was an American botanist, chemist, and academic. He created the first systematic catalogue of flora in the southeastern United States.-Biography:...
, botanist, chemist - Will DurantWill DurantWilliam James Durant was a prolific American writer, historian, and philosopher. He is best known for The Story of Civilization, 11 volumes written in collaboration with his wife Ariel Durant and published between 1935 and 1975...
, philosopher, historian - Paul FarmerPaul FarmerDr. Paul Edward Farmer is an American anthropologist and physician. He is currently the Kolokotrones University Professor at Harvard University, formerly the Presley Professor of Medical Anthropology in the Department of Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician and Chief...
, physician, anthropologist - Joseph F. FinneganJoseph F. FinneganJoseph Francis Finnegan was an American labor mediator who was appointed by President of the United States Dwight D...
(1904–1964), labor mediator - Van HansisVan HansisVan Hansis is an American actor. Hansis, who uses the name Van professionally, starred on the long-running CBS soap opera As the World Turns as Luke Snyder, the son of one of the show's signature supercouples, Holden and Lily Snyder ,...
, actor - Peter LairdPeter LairdPeter Alan Laird is an American comic book writer and artist. He is best known for co-creating Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with writer and artist Kevin Eastman.-Early life and career:...
, comic book artist - Amy Lee, saxophonist
- Martin MelcherMartin MelcherMartin Melcher was an American film producer. With the exception of one movie, all of his projects were starring vehicles for his wife, actress Doris Day....
, film producer and husband of Doris DayDoris DayDoris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,... - Harrison PotterHarrison PotterHarrison Potter was an American pianist and educator.Potter was born in North Adams, Massachusetts and studied piano with Felix Fox, and, in Paris, Isidor Philipp. Early in his career, Potter taught for a time at Boston's Fox-Buonamici Piano School. He also served as assistant conductor of the...
(1891–1984), classical pianist - Allan Rockwell McCannAllan Rockwell McCannVice Admiral Allan Rockwell McCann, was a United States Navy officer who served in World War I and World War II.-Education to World War I:...
, vice admiral - Hiram SibleyHiram SibleyHiram Sibley , was an industrialist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.Sibley was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, and later resided in Rochester, New York. He became interested in the work of Samuel Morse involving the telegraph.In 1840, he joined with Morse and Ezra Cornell to create a...
, industrialist, philanthropist - Frank J. SpragueFrank J. SpragueFrank Julian Sprague was an American naval officer and inventor who contributed to the development of the electric motor, electric railways, and electric elevators...
electrical engineer, inventor - Jane Swift, governor
- Oswald TowerOswald TowerOswald Tower was an American basketball administrator and instructor at Phillips Academy Andover [1910-49]. He served on the National Basketball Rules Committee from 1910 to 1960, was an editor of the Official Basketball Guide and an official rules interpreter from 1915 to 1960...
, basketball official - Frank VincentFrank VincentFrank Vincent is an American actor, musician, author and entrepreneur. He is a favorite performer of director Martin Scorsese, having played important roles in three of Scorsese's most acclaimed films: Raging Bull , Goodfellas and Casino . He often plays a gangster and works both in features and...
, actor - Ashley B. WrightAshley B. WrightAshley Bascom Wright was an American politician. He was the chairman of the Committee on Mileage in the fifty-fourth and fifty-fifth congresses....
, U.S. congressman - John Henry Schwarz, theoretical physicist
- Jonah BaylissJonah BaylissJonah James Bayliss is an American professional baseball relief pitcher in the Tampa Bay Rays organization...
, baseball player - John Henry HaynesJohn Henry HaynesJohn Henry Haynes was an American traveller, archaeologist, and photographer, best known for his archaeological work at the first two American archaeological excavations in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia at Nippur and Assos...
, (1849-1910) archaeologist and photographer
Sources
- History of Monument Square
- History of North Adams, Massachusetts (1749-1885)
- History of North Adams Public Library
- History of Sprague Electric/MASS MoCA site
External links
- City of North Adams, Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
- Contemporary Artists Center, North Adams - CAC relocated in Troy, NY > link http://www.cactroy.org/
- Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
- Berkshire Cultural Resource Center
- North Adams Transcript (newspaper)
- Chamber of Commerce (newspaper)
- American Notes -- Nathaniel Hawthorne travelogue (1838)
- North Adams Public Library
- Drury Drama Team
- Congregation Beth Israel
- North Adams SteepleCats
- McCann Technical High School
- Articles about North Adams and photos of the city by author and historian Joe Manning
- North Adams Neighborhoods History (pdf)
- North Adams History, Old Newspaper Articles, Genealogy