Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
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 (01202 and 01203 are ZIP codes for Pittsfield post office boxes only). The population was 44,737 at the 2010 census. Although the population has declined in recent decades, Pittsfield remains the third largest municipality in Western Massachusetts
, behind only Springfield
and Chicopee
.
In 2005, Farmers Insurance ranked Pittsfield 20th in the United States as “Most Secure Place To Live” among small towns with fewer than 150,000 residents. In 2006, Forbes
ranked Pittsfield as number 61 in its list of Best Small Places for Business.
In 2008, Country Home Magazine ranked Pittsfield as #24 in a listing of "green cities" East of the Mississippi. In 2009, the City of Pittsfield was chosen to receive a 2009 Commonwealth Award, Massachusetts' highest award in the arts, humanities, and sciences. More recently, in 2010, the Financial Times
proclaimed Pittsfield the "Brooklyn of the Berkshires", in an article covering its recent renaissance.
(Muh-he-kann) Native American tribe, an Algonquian people, until the early 18th century.
In 1738, a wealthy Bostonian, Col. Jacob Wendell, bought 24000 acres (97.1 km²) of lands known originally as Pontoosuck, a Mohican Indian word meaning “a field or haven for winter deer,” as a speculative investment, which he planned to subdivide and resell to others who would settle here. He formed a partnership with Philip Livingston, a wealthy kinsman from Albany, and Col. John Stoddard of Northampton, who already had claim to 1000 acres (4 km²) here.
A group of young men came and began to clear the land in 1743, but threats of Indian raids associated with the conflict of the French and Indian War
soon forced them to leave, and the land remained unoccupied by whites for several more years.
Soon, many others arrived from Westfield, Massachusetts
, and a village began to grow, which was incorporated as Pontoosuck Plantation in 1753 by Solomon Deming, Simeon Crofoot, Stephen Crofoot, Charles Goodrich, Jacob Ensign, Samuel Taylor, and Elias Woodward. Mrs. Deming was both the first and the last of the original settlers, and she died in March, 1818 at the age of 92. Solomon Deming died in 1815 at the age of 96.
Pittsfield was officially incorporated in 1761. Royal Governor, Sir Francis Bernard named Pittsfield after British nobleman and politician
William Pitt
. By 1761 there were 200 residents and the plantation became the Township of Pittsfield.
By the end of the revolutionary war, Pittsfield had expanded to nearly 2,000 residents, including Colonel John Brown, who began accusing Benedict Arnold
as a traitor in 1776, several years before Arnold defected to the British. Brown wrote in his winter 1776-77 handbill "Money is this man's God, and to get enough of it he would sacrifice his country".
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, a subsidiary of the Riyadh-based Saudi Basic Industries Corporation) 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.
Currently General Dynamics
occupies many of the old GE buildings and its workforce is expanding. Much of General Dynamics' local success is based on the awarding of government contracts relating to its advanced information systems.
campaigning for Republican
congressmen
, the barouche
transporting President
Theodore Roosevelt
from downtown Pittsfield to the Pittsfield Country Club (see historic photos above) collided head-on with a trolley
. Roosevelt, Massachusetts Governor
Winthrop Murray Crane, secretary to the president George Bruce Cortelyou, and bodyguard
William Craig
were thrown into the street. Craig was killed; he was the first Secret Service
agent killed while on a presidential protection detail. Roosevelt, whose face and left shin were badly bruised, nearly came to blows with the trolley motorman, Euclid Madden. Madden was later charged with manslaughter
, to which he pleaded guilt
y. He was sentenced to six months in jail and a heavy fine.
In 2004, historian John Thorn discovered a reference to a 1791 by-law prohibiting anyone from playing "baseball" within 80 yards (73.2 m) of the new meeting house in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. A librarian found the actual by-law in the Berkshire Athenaeum library, and its age was verified by researchers at the Williamstown Art Conservation Center. If authentic and if actually referring to a recognizable version of the modern game, the 1791 document, would be, as of 2004, the earliest known reference to the game in America. See, Origins of baseball
. The document is available on the Pittsfield Library's web site.
The so-called Broken Window By-Law is the earliest known reference to “baseball” in North America. A finding that baseball
was invented in 1839 by Abner Doubleday
in Cooperstown
provided the rationale for baseball centennial celebrations in 1939, including the opening of a National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in that city. But few historians ever believed it and even the Hall's vice president, Jeff Idelson, has stated that “Baseball wasn't really born anywhere.”
In 1859, the first intercollegiate baseball game was played in Pittsfield, MA. Amherst defeated Williams College 73-32.
Professional baseball
was played in Pittsfield's Wahconah Park
from 1919 through 2003. Teams included the Pittsfield Electrics of the 1940s, the Pittsfield Red Sox from 1965-69 with such then A-league players and future greats as George Scott, Carlton Fisk, and Reggie Smith, the Pittsfield Senators (later Rangers) of the 1970s, and the 1985-88 AA Pittsfield Cubs (Chicago) featuring future greats Mark Grace and Rafael Palmeiro.
From 1989 to 2001, the Pittsfield Mets and Pittsfield Astros (2001 only) represented the city in the New York - Penn League
. The Astros have since moved to Troy, New York
and are now known as the Tri-City ValleyCats.
In 2005
, Wahconah Park became the home stadium of the Pittsfield Dukes, a summer collegiate baseball franchise of the New England Collegiate Baseball League
owned by Dan Duquette
, former Boston Red Sox
general manager. The Dukes had played the 2004 season
in Hinsdale, Massachusetts
as the Berkshire Dukes. In 2009
, the franchise changed its name to the Pittsfield American Defenders. The American Defenders name refers to both the United States Military and a line of baseball glove
s produced by Nocona Athletic Goods Company
. Duqette's ownership group also owns the American Defenders of New Hampshire
, members of the independent Can-Am League.
Ulysses Frank Grant
, born August 1, 1865 in Pittsfield, MA (died May 27, 1937), was an African American baseball player in the 19th century, who played in the International League and for various independent teams.
Mark Belanger
, eight-time Gold Glove winning shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, Turk Wendell
, relief pitcher for the New York Mets, and Tom Grieve
, outfielder for the Texas Rangers were all from Pittsfield.
Arienti, Stephen ‘Nails McGee,’ born July 4, 1880, died December 24, 1945. A Major League Baseball
player. He made his major league debut for the Brooklyn Superbas on May 15, 1900, and hit a home run
in his first at bat. Nails McGee was known for his temper, and developed a reputation as being one of baseball’s first hot heads. This resulted in his being hit with several bean balls, ultimately leading to a career ending concussion. Arienti died in his hometown of Pittsfield Mass, in 1945, and is buried in St. Joseph’s cemetery.
Pittsfield is located at 42°27′N 73°15′W (42.4522, -73.2515).
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 42.3 square miles (109.6 km²), of which, 40.7 square miles (105.4 km²) of it is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) of it (3.76%) is water. Pittsfield is bordered by Lanesborough
to the north, Dalton
to the east, Washington
to the southeast, Lenox
to the south, Richmond
to the southwest, and Hancock
to the west. Pittsfield is located 48 miles (77.2 km) northwest of Springfield
and 135 miles (217.3 km) west of Boston.
Most of the population occupies roughly one quarter of the city's land. Pittsfield lies at the confluence of the east and west branches of the Housatonic River
, which flows south from the city towards its mouth at Long Island Sound
, some 149 mi (239.8 km) distance. The eastern branch leads down from the hills, while the western branch is fed from Onota Lake and Pontoosuc Lake (which lies partly in Lanesborough). Like much of western Berkshire County, the city lies between the Berkshire Hills to the east, and the Taconic Range to the west. Sections of the Housatonic Valley Wildlife Management Area also dot the banks of the river.
The western portion of the city contains Pittsfield State Forest, an 11000 acres (44,515,460 m²) facility with hiking and cross-country skiing trails, camping, picnic areas, and a swimming beach.
Pittsfield is located at the crossroads of U.S. Route 7
and U.S. Route 20
which join together in the city. Route 8 passes through the northeast corner of town, with a portion of it combined with Route 9, the central east-west road through the western part of the state, whose western terminus is in the city at Route 7. Route 41 also begins in the southwest corner of town, heading south from Route 20. The nearest interstate, Interstate 90
(the Massachusetts Turnpike
) is located about 10 miles (16.1 km) south in Lee
.
Long-distance ground transportation in Pittsfield is based at the Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center
which serves as the station for Amtrak
trains and Peter Pan
buses. The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority(BRTA), the transit provider for Pittsfield and vicinity, is based at the Intermodal Center and also uses it as a hub for most of its lines. Rail freight transportation is provided by CSX Transportation
and the Housatonic Railroad
.
The FBO
located at Pittsfield Municipal Airport
offers access to the region via private and chartered aircraft ranging from single engine piston to multi-engine jet. They also offer scenic rides and flight training. The nearest airport with national service is Albany International Airport
.
A historically rural area, the Housatonic River
attracted increased industrialization in the late 19th century. William Stanley, Jr.
founded the Stanley Electric Manufacturing Company in 1890 at Pittsfield. The company manufactured small transformers, electrical motors and appliances. In 1903, GE acquired Stanley Electric, and subsequently operated three major manufacturing operations in Pittsfield: transformer, ordnance, and plastics.
and its floodplain were contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl
s (PCBs) and other hazardous substances released from the General Electric Company (GE) facility located in Pittsfield. The contaminated area, known as the General Electric/Housatonic River Site, includes the GE manufacturing facility; the Housatonic River, its riverbanks and floodplains from Pittsfield to Long Island Sound, and former river oxbows that have been filled; Allendale School; Silver Lake; and other areas contaminated as a result of GE’s operations in Pittsfield.
(EPA) established the General Electric/Housatonic River Site. Initial cleanup work began in 1996 when EPA issued a unilateral order to GE that required the removal of highly contaminated sediments and bank soils. EPA added the site to the Superfund
list in September 1997.
The year 1999 was a milestone for Pittsfield, when negotiations between EPA, the state, General Electric and the City resulted in a settlement agreement – valued at over $250 million – to clean up Pittsfield and the Housatonic River. The settlement was memorialized in a Consent Decree that was entered in federal court the following year, making it a binding legal agreement.
of 2000, there were 45,793 people, 19,704 households, and 11,822 families residing in the city. Pittsfield is the largest city by population in Berkshire County, and ranks 27th out of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density
was 1,124.3 people per square mile (434.1/km²), making it the most densely populated community in county and 92nd overall in the Commonwealth. There were 21,366 housing units at an average density of 524.6 per square mile (202.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.58% White, 3.66% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.77% from other races
, and 1.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.04% of the population.
There were 19,704 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples
living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,655, and the median income for a family was $46,228. Males had a median income of $35,538 versus $26,341 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $20,549. About 8.9% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
Pittsfield employs the mayor-council form of government. The current mayor is Daniel Bianchi, who was elected in 2011. The city is fully functioning, with all the major public services, including Berkshire Medical Center and the region's only VA medical clinic
. The city's library, the Berkshire Athenaeum
, is one of the largest in western Massachusetts, and is connected to the regional library system. Pittsfield is also the county seat
of Berkshire County, and as such has many state facilities for the county. In 2011, the City of Pittsfield will receive designs of flags for Pittsfield from citizens on March 1, 2011.
On the state level, Pittsfield has three representatives to the Massachusetts House of Representatives
: the Second Berkshire, which serves most of central Berkshire County as well as portions of Hampshire County
and Franklin County
, represented by Paul Mark; the Third Berkshire, which covers most of the city proper and is represented by Tricia Farley-Bouvier; and the Fourth Berkshire, which covers southern Berkshire County as well as Chester
and is represented by William Pignatelli, Blandford
and Tolland
in Hampden 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 and is represented by Ben Downing. The city is patrolled by the Fourth (Cheshire) Station of Barracks "B" of the Massachusetts State Police
.
On the national level, Pittsfield 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
[D] and junior Senator Scott Brown
[R].
Pittsfield operates a public school system which currently has over 6,000 students. There are eight elementary schools (Allendale, Robert T. Capeless, Crosby, Egremont, Morningside, Silvio O. Conte, Stearns and Williams), two middle schools (Theodore Herberg and John T. Reid), and two high schools (Pittsfield High School and Taconic High School). The high schools both offer internal vocational programs. Students also come to the high schools from neighboring Richmond. Additionally, there are two parochial schools (Saint Mark's for elementary and middle school students, and St. Joseph Central High School
for high school students) and one private school, Miss Hall's School
, as well as an alternative school.
Pittsfield is the home to the main campus of Berkshire Community College
and Mildred Elley
's Pittsfield, MA Campus. The nearest state colleges are Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
in North Adams and Westfield State University, and the nearest state university is the University of Massachusetts Amherst
. The nearest private colleges are Williams College
in Williamstown and Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington.
Downtown Pittsfield is home to the gilded-age Colonial Theatre
, the Berkshire Museum
, the Beacon Cinema (multi-plex), the Barrington Stage Company
, Berkshire Athenaeum
, Wahconah Park
and Hebert Arboretum
. In recent years, the city has undergone a transformation with significant investment in the historic downtown, including a variety of new restaurants (French, Japanese, Sushi, Mexican, American, etc.), condominium and other residential developments and cultural attractions.
The Colonial Theatre
, dating from 1903, was named by Hillary Clinton as a National Historic Treasure in 1998. The community invested more than $22 million to refurbish the 100-year old Colonial Theatre, one of the only theaters of its kind from the Vaudeville age and has been described as the "one of the finest acoustical theaters in the world."
Barrington Stage Company, the Tony Award-winning producer of 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee invested millions into its newly-renovated stage in downtown Pittsfield, along with the development of other stages within the downtown for smaller performances. Barrington Stage's renowned head of its Musical Theatre Lab, William Finn
, told the Boston Globe that he is determined to make Pittsfield the "epicenter of the musical theater universe."
The Berkshire Museum
, the oldest and most diverse museum in the Berkshires, recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation that incorporated a state-of-the-art air control system that will allow it to attract world-class exhibits, which will make the institution an even greater draw.
Many of the Berkshires' oldest homes, dating to the mid-18th century, can be found in Pittsfield, as well as many historic neighborhoods dating from the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Several small multi-generational farms can still be found in Pittsfield, though suburban sprawl and land development have recently claimed some of this land.
Additional Cultural Attractions:
Pittsfield has several country clubs, including the Pontoosuc Lake Country Club. Pittsfield is home to two lakes, Onota and Pontoosuc, both popular for swimming, boating, and fishing. The Berkshire Rowing and Sculling Society, is also located on Onota Lake.
Pittsfield is home to Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, 264 acre (107 ha) of woods, fields, and wetlands maintained by the Massachusetts Audubon Society
. Bousquet Ski Area and Summer Resort entertains visitors and residents year-round with skiing, water slides, go-karts, and other fun activities.
Pittsfield State Forest, a 65 acres (263,045.9 m²) park provides residents and tourist with hiking and cross-country skiing trails, camping, picnic areas, and a swimming beach. The highest body of water in Massachusetts, Berry Pond, is located at the top of the Pittsfield State Forest.
The Berkshire Bike Path Council is presently working with the City of Pittsfield and local residents to extend the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, a popular 10.8 miles (17.4 km) paved trail located just North of Pittsfield through Pittsfield to Great Barrington
, south of Pittsfield and Lenox.
television market and is the community of license for two stations in that market, My Network TV affiliate WNYA
, and a low power TV station, W28DA, which rebroadcasts WNYT on channel 13 from a location on South Mountain in the city. Springfield
stations also serve the market with three (WWLP
-NBC
, WSHM-LD-CBS
, WGBY-PBS
) on cable. WGGB has never been carried on the cable system in Pittsfield, but is viewable over the air
in some sections. Also carried on cable, but not necessarily serving Pittsfield, is Boston's WCVB (ABC
).
Cable television subscribers of Time Warner Cable
(TWC) in the City of Pittsfield receive Public, educational, and government access
(PEG) Channels, provided by Pittsfield Community Television (PCTV), on channels 16, 17 and 18:
Pittsfield Community Television is a not-for-profit, 501 (c)(3) organization and a member of the Alliance for Community Media. Programming on PCTV is available 24 hours per day, year-long, and is available online at www.pittsfieldtv.org.
Signals from North Adams, Massachusetts
, Great Barrington, Massachusetts
, Albany, New York
and Springfield, Massachusetts
also reach Pittsfield as well. In some areas signals from cities well outside of Pittsfield, such as Hartford, Connecticut
and Boston
will come in, depending on location.
One of Pittsfield's oldest radio stations, WBEC-FM 105.5, was sold and relocated to Mount Tom
in Holyoke, Massachusetts
, where it became a Springfield
radio station (technically licensed to Easthampton
). It relays Boston's WEEI
. The move changed over two decades of programming on the Pittsfield dial which moved WBEC-FM as a TOP40 station on 105.5 down to 95.9, WUPE (as oldies) up to 100.1 in North Adams, replacing the Beautiful/EZ format on 100.1 known as WMNB. Recently WBEC 95.9 changed from a HOT AC to an Adult Contemporary format, which was on 95.9 prior to the changes, as "Lite 95.9 WUPE", a mostly satellite driven format.
: Ballina, County Mayo
, Ireland
Cava de' Tirreni
, Italy
Cheongju
, South Korea
Malpaisillo, Nicaragua
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 the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code
Telephone numbering plan
A telephone numbering plan is a type of numbering scheme used in telecommunications to allocate telephone numbers to subscribers and to route telephone calls in a telephone network. A closed numbering plan, such as found in North America, imposes a fixed total length to numbers...
is 413. Its ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 01201 (01202 and 01203 are ZIP codes for Pittsfield post office boxes only). The population was 44,737 at the 2010 census. Although the population has declined in recent decades, Pittsfield remains the third largest municipality in Western Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the U.S. state of Massachusetts which contains the Berkshires, the Pioneer Valley, and some or all of the Swift River Valley. The region is always considered to include Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties, and the...
, behind only Springfield
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
and Chicopee
Chicopee, Massachusetts
Chicopee is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States of America. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 55,298, making it the second largest city in...
.
In 2005, Farmers Insurance ranked Pittsfield 20th in the United States as “Most Secure Place To Live” among small towns with fewer than 150,000 residents. In 2006, Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
ranked Pittsfield as number 61 in its list of Best Small Places for Business.
In 2008, Country Home Magazine ranked Pittsfield as #24 in a listing of "green cities" East of the Mississippi. In 2009, the City of Pittsfield was chosen to receive a 2009 Commonwealth Award, Massachusetts' highest award in the arts, humanities, and sciences. More recently, in 2010, the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
proclaimed Pittsfield the "Brooklyn of the Berkshires", in an article covering its recent renaissance.
History
Pittsfield and the surrounding area was originally inhabited by the MohicanMohican
-Native Americans:* Mahican , a Native American tribe who lived in and around the Hudson Valley* Mohegan, a functional confederation of several branches of Native Americans during the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century...
(Muh-he-kann) Native American tribe, an Algonquian people, until the early 18th century.
In 1738, a wealthy Bostonian, Col. Jacob Wendell, bought 24000 acres (97.1 km²) of lands known originally as Pontoosuck, a Mohican Indian word meaning “a field or haven for winter deer,” as a speculative investment, which he planned to subdivide and resell to others who would settle here. He formed a partnership with Philip Livingston, a wealthy kinsman from Albany, and Col. John Stoddard of Northampton, who already had claim to 1000 acres (4 km²) here.
A group of young men came and began to clear the land in 1743, but threats of Indian raids associated with the conflict of the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
soon forced them to leave, and the land remained unoccupied by whites for several more years.
Soon, many others arrived from Westfield, Massachusetts
Westfield, Massachusetts
Westfield is a city in Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 41,094 at the 2010 census. The ZIP Code is 01085 for homes and businesses, 01086 for Westfield State...
, and a village began to grow, which was incorporated as Pontoosuck Plantation in 1753 by Solomon Deming, Simeon Crofoot, Stephen Crofoot, Charles Goodrich, Jacob Ensign, Samuel Taylor, and Elias Woodward. Mrs. Deming was both the first and the last of the original settlers, and she died in March, 1818 at the age of 92. Solomon Deming died in 1815 at the age of 96.
Pittsfield was officially incorporated in 1761. Royal Governor, Sir Francis Bernard named Pittsfield after British nobleman and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
William Pitt
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
. By 1761 there were 200 residents and the plantation became the Township of Pittsfield.
By the end of the revolutionary war, Pittsfield had expanded to nearly 2,000 residents, including Colonel John Brown, who began accusing Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
as a traitor in 1776, several years before Arnold defected to the British. Brown wrote in his winter 1776-77 handbill "Money is this man's God, and to get enough of it he would sacrifice his country".
While primarily an agricultural area, because of the many brooks that flowed into the Housatonic River
Housatonic River
The Housatonic River is a river, approximately long, in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. It flows south to southeast, and drains about of southwestern New England into Long Island Sound...
, 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.
Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,104 at the 2010 census. Both a summer resort and home to Ski Butternut, Great Barrington includes the villages of Van...
, produced the first electric transformer. Stanley’s enterprise was the forerunner of the internationally known corporate giant, General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
(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
SABIC
SABIC is a diversified manufacturing company, active in chemicals and intermediates, industrial polymers, fertilizers and metals. It is the largest public company in Saudi Arabia as listed in Tadawul, but the Saudi government still owns 70% of its shares...
-Innovative Plastics, a subsidiary of the Riyadh-based Saudi Basic Industries Corporation) 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.
Currently General Dynamics
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
occupies many of the old GE buildings and its workforce is expanding. Much of General Dynamics' local success is based on the awarding of government contracts relating to its advanced information systems.
1902 Presidential visit
On September 3, 1902 at 10:15 AM, during a two-week tour through New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
campaigning for 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...
congressmen
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, the barouche
Barouche
A barouche was a fashionable type of horse-drawn carriage in the 19th century. Developed from the calash of the 18th century, it was a four-wheeled, shallow vehicle with two double seats inside, arranged vis-à-vis, so that the sitters on the front seat faced those on the back seat...
transporting President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
from downtown Pittsfield to the Pittsfield Country Club (see historic photos above) collided head-on with a trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
. Roosevelt, Massachusetts Governor
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
Winthrop Murray Crane, secretary to the president George Bruce Cortelyou, and bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
William Craig
William Craig (Secret Service)
William Craig was the first agent of the United States Secret Service killed in the line of duty.-Biography:He was born in Scotland in November 1855. He was fair-haired, blue-eyed and stood 6 foot 4 and weighed 260 pounds. He spent 12 years in the British military and was honorably discharged and...
were thrown into the street. Craig was killed; he was the first Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
agent killed while on a presidential protection detail. Roosevelt, whose face and left shin were badly bruised, nearly came to blows with the trolley motorman, Euclid Madden. Madden was later charged with manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
, to which he pleaded guilt
Guilt
Guilt is the state of being responsible for the commission of an offense. It is also a cognitive or an emotional experience that occurs when a person realizes or believes—accurately or not—that he or she has violated a moral standard, and bears significant responsibility for that...
y. He was sentenced to six months in jail and a heavy fine.
Baseball in Pittsfield
Origins of baseball
The question of the origins of baseball has been the subject of debate and controversy for more than a century. Baseball and the other modern bat, ball and running games, cricket and rounders, were developed from earlier folk games....
. The document is available on the Pittsfield Library's web site.
The so-called Broken Window By-Law is the earliest known reference to “baseball” in North America. A finding that baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
was invented in 1839 by Abner Doubleday
Abner Doubleday
Abner Doubleday was a career United States Army officer and Union general in the American Civil War. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a pivotal role in the early fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg was his finest hour, but his...
in Cooperstown
Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...
provided the rationale for baseball centennial celebrations in 1939, including the opening of a National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in that city. But few historians ever believed it and even the Hall's vice president, Jeff Idelson, has stated that “Baseball wasn't really born anywhere.”
In 1859, the first intercollegiate baseball game was played in Pittsfield, MA. Amherst defeated Williams College 73-32.
Professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
was played in Pittsfield's Wahconah Park
Wahconah Park
Wahconah Park is a city-owned baseball park located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts and nestled in a working class neighborhood. One of the last remaining ballparks in the United States with a wooden grandstand, it was constructed in 1919 and seats 4,500. The stadium is now currently home to the, yet...
from 1919 through 2003. Teams included the Pittsfield Electrics of the 1940s, the Pittsfield Red Sox from 1965-69 with such then A-league players and future greats as George Scott, Carlton Fisk, and Reggie Smith, the Pittsfield Senators (later Rangers) of the 1970s, and the 1985-88 AA Pittsfield Cubs (Chicago) featuring future greats Mark Grace and Rafael Palmeiro.
From 1989 to 2001, the Pittsfield Mets and Pittsfield Astros (2001 only) represented the city in the New York - Penn League
New York - Penn League
The New York – Penn League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the northeastern United States. It is classified as a "Short-Season A" league; its season starts in June, after major-league teams have signed their amateur draft picks to professional contracts, and ends in early...
. The Astros have since moved to Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
and are now known as the Tri-City ValleyCats.
In 2005
2005 NECBL season
The 2005 NECBL season was the twelfth season of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. The league reduced its membership from thirteen teams to twelve teams with the league's West Warwick, Rhode Island franchise, the Riverpoint Royals, dropping out of the league...
, Wahconah Park became the home stadium of the Pittsfield Dukes, a summer collegiate baseball franchise 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...
owned by Dan Duquette
Dan Duquette
Daniel F. Duquette is the Executive Vice-President of Baseball Operations for the Baltimore Orioles. He was the General Manager of the Montreal Expos from September through January and for the Boston Red Sox from through March...
, former Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
general manager. The Dukes had played the 2004 season
2004 NECBL season
The 2004 NECBL season was the 11th season in the history of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. The league's Middletown, Connecticut franchise, the Middletown Giants, moved to Holyoke, Massachusetts and became the Holyoke Giants...
in Hinsdale, Massachusetts
Hinsdale, Massachusetts
Hinsdale is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area...
as the Berkshire Dukes. In 2009
2009 NECBL season
The 2009 NECBL season is the sixteenth season of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, a wood bat collegiate summer baseball league. The league's Torrington, Connecticut franchise, the Torrington Twisters, moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts and became the New Bedford Bay Sox...
, the franchise changed its name to the Pittsfield American Defenders. The American Defenders name refers to both the United States Military and a line of baseball glove
Baseball glove
A baseball glove or mitt is a large leather glove that baseball players on the defending team are allowed to wear to assist them in catching and fielding balls hit by a batter, or thrown by a teammate.-History:...
s produced by Nocona Athletic Goods Company
Nocona Athletic Goods Company
Nocona Athletic Goods Company was founded in 1926 by the Storey family in Nocona, Texas. In 1934, The Nokona baseball glove was trademarked...
. Duqette's ownership group also owns the American Defenders of New Hampshire
American Defenders of New Hampshire
The Pittsfield Colonials were a baseball team in the independent Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts...
, members of the independent Can-Am League.
Ulysses Frank Grant
Frank Grant
* , Personal profiles at Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. – identical to Riley -External links:* – unknown content, URL confirmed 2010-04-16...
, born August 1, 1865 in Pittsfield, MA (died May 27, 1937), was an African American baseball player in the 19th century, who played in the International League and for various independent teams.
Mark Belanger
Mark Henry Belanger was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who played almost his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles...
, eight-time Gold Glove winning shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, Turk Wendell
Turk Wendell
Steven John "Turk" Wendell is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher from to ....
, relief pitcher for the New York Mets, and Tom Grieve
Tom Grieve
Thomas Alan Grieve was a Major League Baseball player from 1970-1979 for the Washington Senators, Texas Rangers, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals...
, outfielder for the Texas Rangers were all from Pittsfield.
Arienti, Stephen ‘Nails McGee,’ born July 4, 1880, died December 24, 1945. A Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. He made his major league debut for the Brooklyn Superbas on May 15, 1900, and hit a home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
in his first at bat. Nails McGee was known for his temper, and developed a reputation as being one of baseball’s first hot heads. This resulted in his being hit with several bean balls, ultimately leading to a career ending concussion. Arienti died in his hometown of Pittsfield Mass, in 1945, and is buried in St. Joseph’s cemetery.
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 42.3 square miles (109.6 km²), of which, 40.7 square miles (105.4 km²) of it is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) of it (3.76%) is water. Pittsfield is bordered by Lanesborough
Lanesborough, Massachusetts
Lanesborough is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,990 at the 2000 census.-History:...
to the north, Dalton
Dalton, Massachusetts
Dalton is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Dalton is the transition town between the urban and rural pieces of Berkshire County, Massachusetts. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,892 at the 2000 census.- History...
to the east, Washington
Washington, Massachusetts
Washington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 538 at the 2010 census.- History :...
to the southeast, Lenox
Lenox, Massachusetts
Lenox is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Set in Western Massachusetts, it is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,077 at the 2000 census. Where the town has a border with Stockbridge is the site of Tanglewood, summer...
to the south, Richmond
Richmond, Massachusetts
Richmond is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,475 at the 2010 census.-History:...
to the southwest, and Hancock
Hancock, Massachusetts
Hancock is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 717 at the 2010 census.- History :...
to the west. Pittsfield is located 48 miles (77.2 km) northwest of Springfield
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
and 135 miles (217.3 km) west of Boston.
Most of the population occupies roughly one quarter of the city's land. Pittsfield lies at the confluence of the east and west branches of the Housatonic River
Housatonic River
The Housatonic River is a river, approximately long, in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. It flows south to southeast, and drains about of southwestern New England into Long Island Sound...
, which flows south from the city towards its mouth at Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
, some 149 mi (239.8 km) distance. The eastern branch leads down from the hills, while the western branch is fed from Onota Lake and Pontoosuc Lake (which lies partly in Lanesborough). Like much of western Berkshire County, the city lies between the Berkshire Hills to the east, and the Taconic Range to the west. Sections of the Housatonic Valley Wildlife Management Area also dot the banks of the river.
The western portion of the city contains Pittsfield State Forest, an 11000 acres (44,515,460 m²) facility with hiking and cross-country skiing trails, camping, picnic areas, and a swimming beach.
Pittsfield is located at the crossroads of U.S. Route 7
U.S. Route 7
U.S. Route 7 is a north–south United States highway in western New England that runs for from Norwalk, Connecticut, to Highgate, Vermont. The highway's southern terminus is at Interstate 95 in Norwalk, Connecticut...
and U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning , it is the longest road in the United States, and the route sparsely parallels Interstate 90...
which join together in the city. Route 8 passes through the northeast corner of town, with a portion of it combined with Route 9, the central east-west road through the western part of the state, whose western terminus is in the city at Route 7. Route 41 also begins in the southwest corner of town, heading south from Route 20. The nearest interstate, Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
(the Massachusetts Turnpike
Massachusetts Turnpike
The Massachusetts Turnpike is the easternmost stretch of Interstate 90. The Turnpike begins at the western border of Massachusetts in West Stockbridge connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway...
) is located about 10 miles (16.1 km) south in Lee
Lee, Massachusetts
Lee is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, metropolitan statistical area. The population was 5,943 which was determined in the 2010 census. Lee, which includes the villages of South and East Lee, is part of the Berkshires resort...
.
Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center
The Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center is a long-distance ground travel terminal serving the Pittsfield, Massachusetts area and surrounding areas. Named after Joseph Scelsi, a longtime State Representative who represented Pittsfield, the center opened in 2004 adjacent to the site of...
which serves as the station for Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
trains and Peter Pan
Peter Pan Bus Lines
Peter Pan Bus Lines is a long-distance bus carrier headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. It operates in the northeastern United States. Over four million passengers per year travel on Peter Pan's bus routes....
buses. The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority(BRTA), the transit provider for Pittsfield and vicinity, is based at the Intermodal Center and also uses it as a hub for most of its lines. Rail freight transportation is provided by CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
and the Housatonic Railroad
Housatonic Railroad
The Housatonic Railroad is a Class III railroad operating in southwestern New England. It was chartered in 1983 to operate a short section of ex-New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in northwestern Connecticut, and has since expanded north and south, as well as west into New York State.The...
.
The FBO
Fixed base operator
A Fixed-base operator or commonly abbreviated FBO is a term developed in the United States after the passage of the Air Commerce Act of 1926...
located at Pittsfield Municipal Airport
Pittsfield Municipal Airport
Pittsfield Municipal Airport, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is a public airport owned and operated by the city of Pittsfield. It has two runways, averages 133 flights per day, and has approximately 57 aircraft based on its field....
offers access to the region via private and chartered aircraft ranging from single engine piston to multi-engine jet. They also offer scenic rides and flight training. 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....
.
Background and historical overview
Housatonic River
The Housatonic River is a river, approximately long, in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. It flows south to southeast, and drains about of southwestern New England into Long Island Sound...
attracted increased industrialization in the late 19th century. William Stanley, Jr.
William Stanley, Jr.
William Stanley, Jr. was an American physicist born in Brooklyn, New York. In his career, he obtained 129 patents covering a variety of electric devices.-Biography:...
founded the Stanley Electric Manufacturing Company in 1890 at Pittsfield. The company manufactured small transformers, electrical motors and appliances. In 1903, GE acquired Stanley Electric, and subsequently operated three major manufacturing operations in Pittsfield: transformer, ordnance, and plastics.
Environmental Issues
During the mid-20th century, the Housatonic RiverHousatonic River
The Housatonic River is a river, approximately long, in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. It flows south to southeast, and drains about of southwestern New England into Long Island Sound...
and its floodplain were contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl
Polychlorinated biphenyl
Polychlorinated biphenyls are a class of organic compounds with 2 to 10 chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl, which is a molecule composed of two benzene rings. The chemical formula for PCBs is C12H10-xClx...
s (PCBs) and other hazardous substances released from the General Electric Company (GE) facility located in Pittsfield. The contaminated area, known as the General Electric/Housatonic River Site, includes the GE manufacturing facility; the Housatonic River, its riverbanks and floodplains from Pittsfield to Long Island Sound, and former river oxbows that have been filled; Allendale School; Silver Lake; and other areas contaminated as a result of GE’s operations in Pittsfield.
Consent decree and cleanup
Starting in 1991, legal proceedings by the United States Environmental Protection AgencyUnited States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
(EPA) established the General Electric/Housatonic River Site. Initial cleanup work began in 1996 when EPA issued a unilateral order to GE that required the removal of highly contaminated sediments and bank soils. EPA added the site to the Superfund
Superfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
list in September 1997.
The year 1999 was a milestone for Pittsfield, when negotiations between EPA, the state, General Electric and the City resulted in a settlement agreement – valued at over $250 million – to clean up Pittsfield and the Housatonic River. The settlement was memorialized in a Consent Decree that was entered in federal court the following year, making it a binding legal agreement.
Groundwater and long-term monitoring
In the years since the settlement was reached, the EPA, state agencies, the City and GE accomplished one of the largest and most complex cleanups in the country. Clean up work on the first previously PCB-laden ½ mile of the Housatonic River, adjacent to the GE facility was completed in September 2002. $90 million was spent cleaning up the 1½ Mile Reach between Lyman Street and Fred Garner Park, which was completed in June 2007. Biological and sediment samples showed reductions of approximately 99% of PCB concentrations compared to conditions before remediation. GE removed contaminated soil and restored 27 residential properties abutting the river. To date, more than 115000 cubic yards (87,923.8 m³) of PCB-contaminated sediment, bank, and floodplain soil have been removed from the river, and residential property.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 2000, there were 45,793 people, 19,704 households, and 11,822 families residing in the city. Pittsfield is the largest city by population in Berkshire County, and ranks 27th out of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. 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 1,124.3 people per square mile (434.1/km²), making it the most densely populated community in county and 92nd overall in the Commonwealth. There were 21,366 housing units at an average density of 524.6 per square mile (202.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.58% White, 3.66% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.77% 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 1.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.04% of the population.
There were 19,704 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% 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, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,655, and the median income for a family was $46,228. Males had a median income of $35,538 versus $26,341 for females. 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 $20,549. About 8.9% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Veterans Health Administration
The Veterans Health Administration is the component of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs led by the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health that implements the medical assistance program of the VA through the administration and operation of numerous VA outpatient clinics,...
. The city's library, the Berkshire Athenaeum
Berkshire Athenaeum
The Berkshire Athenaeum is a public library based on a previously private athenaeum, and now located at 1 Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield, Massachusetts in the Berkshires, USA. Like many New England libraries, the Berkshire Athenaeum started as a private organization.A private Public Library...
, is one of the largest in western Massachusetts, and is connected to the regional library system. Pittsfield is also the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Berkshire County, and as such has many state facilities for the county. In 2011, the City of Pittsfield will receive designs of flags for Pittsfield from citizens on March 1, 2011.
On the state level, Pittsfield has three representatives to 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...
: the Second Berkshire, which serves most of central Berkshire County as well as portions of Hampshire County
Hampshire County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 152,251 people, 55,991 households, and 33,818 families residing in the county. The population density was 288 people per square mile . There were 58,644 housing units at an average density of 111 per square mile...
and Franklin County
Franklin County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 71,535 people, 29,466 households, and 18,416 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 31,939 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
, represented by Paul Mark; the Third Berkshire, which covers most of the city proper and is represented by Tricia Farley-Bouvier; and the Fourth Berkshire, which covers southern Berkshire County as well as Chester
Chester, Massachusetts
Chester is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, situated in the western part of the state. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts metropolitan statistical area. The town includes the Chester Factory Village Historic District. The total population was 1,337 in the 2010...
and is represented by William Pignatelli, Blandford
Blandford, Massachusetts
Blandford is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,233 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the home of the Blandford Ski Area.- History :...
and Tolland
Tolland, Massachusetts
Tolland is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 485 at the 2010 census, making it the smallest town in Hampden County by population. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. Tolland formerly had a popular "Black Fly Day"...
in Hampden County
Hampden County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2004, there were 461,228 people, 175,288 households, and 115,690 families residing in the county. The population density was 738 people per square mile . There were 185,876 housing units at an average density of 301 per square mile...
. 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 and is represented by Ben Downing. 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, Pittsfield 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...
[D] 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...
[R].
| 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... |
13,468 | 44.77% |
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... |
3,173 | 10.55% |
Unaffiliated | 13,168 | 43.78% |
Minor Parties | 271 | 0.90% | |
| Total | 30,080 | 100% | |||||||||||||
Education
St. Joseph Central High School (Pittsfield, Massachusetts)
Saint Joseph Central High School is a private, college preparatory, Roman Catholic high school in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Saint Joseph offers a co-educational intensive college preparatory curriculum to students in grades 9 through 12. SJCHS has a strong international student community, but...
for high school students) and one private school, Miss Hall's School
Miss Hall's School
Miss Hall's School, located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is a highly selective independent school for girls aged 14–18. It was one of the first girls' boarding schools established in New England....
, as well as an alternative school.
Pittsfield is the home to the main campus of Berkshire Community College
Berkshire Community College
Berkshire Community College is a two-year community college in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It offers associate degrees as well as a transfer program for students to earn credits for transfer to other colleges...
and Mildred Elley
Mildred Elley
Mildred Elley is a private two-year college with campuses in Albany, New York and Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1917 by Augusta Mildred Elley, a local woman who was educated at a college in New York City, the school initially educated women for secretarial positions...
's Pittsfield, MA Campus. The nearest state colleges are 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...
in North Adams and Westfield State University, and 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 colleges are 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 Williamstown and Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington.
Culture
Pittsfield is the geographic and commercial hub of the Berkshires—a historic area that includes Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and author Edith Wharton's estate The Mount. Many buildings in Pittsfield are National Register of Historic Places listings in Berkshire County, Massachusetts.Downtown Pittsfield is home to the gilded-age Colonial Theatre
Colonial Theater (Pittsfield, Massachusetts)
The Colonial Theatre is located at 111 South Street, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts. Built in 1903, the theater was host to many theater greats including George M...
, the Berkshire Museum
Berkshire Museum
The Berkshire Museum is a museum of natural history, art and ancient civilization that is located in Pittsfield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States....
, the Beacon Cinema (multi-plex), the Barrington Stage Company
Barrington Stage Company
Barrington Stage Company is a regional theatre company in The Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. It was co-founded in 1995 by Artistic Director, Julianne Boyd, and Managing Director, Susan Sperber, in Sheffield, Massachusetts...
, Berkshire Athenaeum
Berkshire Athenaeum
The Berkshire Athenaeum is a public library based on a previously private athenaeum, and now located at 1 Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield, Massachusetts in the Berkshires, USA. Like many New England libraries, the Berkshire Athenaeum started as a private organization.A private Public Library...
, Wahconah Park
Wahconah Park
Wahconah Park is a city-owned baseball park located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts and nestled in a working class neighborhood. One of the last remaining ballparks in the United States with a wooden grandstand, it was constructed in 1919 and seats 4,500. The stadium is now currently home to the, yet...
and Hebert Arboretum
Hebert Arboretum
The Hebert Arboretum is a new arboretum located at Springside Park in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, USA. The Arboretum displays a diverse collection of trees and other plants in formal landscapes in a natural setting....
. In recent years, the city has undergone a transformation with significant investment in the historic downtown, including a variety of new restaurants (French, Japanese, Sushi, Mexican, American, etc.), condominium and other residential developments and cultural attractions.
Colonial Theater (Pittsfield, Massachusetts)
The Colonial Theatre is located at 111 South Street, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts. Built in 1903, the theater was host to many theater greats including George M...
, dating from 1903, was named by Hillary Clinton as a National Historic Treasure in 1998. The community invested more than $22 million to refurbish the 100-year old Colonial Theatre, one of the only theaters of its kind from the Vaudeville age and has been described as the "one of the finest acoustical theaters in the world."
Barrington Stage Company, the Tony Award-winning producer of 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee invested millions into its newly-renovated stage in downtown Pittsfield, along with the development of other stages within the downtown for smaller performances. Barrington Stage's renowned head of its Musical Theatre Lab, William Finn
William Finn
William Alan Finn is an American composer and lyricist of musicals. His musical Falsettos received the 1992 Tony Awards for Best Music and Lyrics and for Best Book.-Biography:...
, told the Boston Globe that he is determined to make Pittsfield the "epicenter of the musical theater universe."
The Berkshire Museum
Berkshire Museum
The Berkshire Museum is a museum of natural history, art and ancient civilization that is located in Pittsfield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States....
, the oldest and most diverse museum in the Berkshires, recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation that incorporated a state-of-the-art air control system that will allow it to attract world-class exhibits, which will make the institution an even greater draw.
Many of the Berkshires' oldest homes, dating to the mid-18th century, can be found in Pittsfield, as well as many historic neighborhoods dating from the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Several small multi-generational farms can still be found in Pittsfield, though suburban sprawl and land development have recently claimed some of this land.
Additional Cultural Attractions:
- ArrowheadArrowhead (Herman Melville)Arrowhead , also known as Herman Melville House, was the home of American author Herman Melville during his most productive years from 1850-1863...
, home of author Herman MelvilleHerman MelvilleHerman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. He is best known for his novel Moby-Dick and the posthumous novella Billy Budd....
(1850–1863). It was here that Melville wrote Moby Dick. - Silvio O. Conte National Archives and Records Administration.
Recreation
Pittsfield is home to Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, 264 acre (107 ha) of woods, fields, and wetlands maintained by the Massachusetts Audubon Society
Massachusetts Audubon Society
The Massachusetts Audubon Society, founded in 1896 by Harriet Hemenway and headquartered in Lincoln, Massachusetts, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to "Protecting the nature of Massachusetts." Mass Audubon is independent of the National Audubon Society, and in fact was founded...
. Bousquet Ski Area and Summer Resort entertains visitors and residents year-round with skiing, water slides, go-karts, and other fun activities.
Pittsfield State Forest, a 65 acres (263,045.9 m²) park provides residents and tourist with hiking and cross-country skiing trails, camping, picnic areas, and a swimming beach. The highest body of water in Massachusetts, Berry Pond, is located at the top of the Pittsfield State Forest.
The Berkshire Bike Path Council is presently working with the City of Pittsfield and local residents to extend the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, a popular 10.8 miles (17.4 km) paved trail located just North of Pittsfield through Pittsfield to Great Barrington
Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,104 at the 2010 census. Both a summer resort and home to Ski Butternut, Great Barrington includes the villages of Van...
, south of Pittsfield and Lenox.
Newspapers
- The Berkshire EagleThe Berkshire EagleThe Berkshire Eagle is a daily newspaper published in Pittsfield, Massachusetts and covering all of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, as well as four New York communities near Pittsfield...
, the main daily newspaper for the Pittsfield area - The Pittsfield Gazette, a weekly newspaper devoted to local news, viewpoints, investigative journalism, and city politics
- The Advocate, a weekly newspaper devoted to the Berkshires and nearby Bennington County
- Hill Country Observer, a monthly newspaper covering an eight-county region of western Massachusetts, southern Vermont and eastern New York
- Berkshire Record, a weekly newspaper
Television
Pittsfield is located in the AlbanyAlbany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
television market and is the community of license for two stations in that market, My Network TV affiliate WNYA
WNYA
WNYA is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for the Capital District of New York State and Western New England. Licensed to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, WNYA broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter northwest of New Salem, New York, along with a...
, and a low power TV station, W28DA, which rebroadcasts WNYT on channel 13 from a location on South Mountain in the city. Springfield
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
stations also serve the market with three (WWLP
WWLP
WWLP is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts that is licensed to Springfield. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 11 from a transmitter on Provin Mountain in the Feeding Hills section of Agawam. The station can also be seen...
-NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, WSHM-LD-CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, WGBY-PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
) on cable. WGGB has never been carried on the cable system in Pittsfield, but is viewable over the air
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
in some sections. Also carried on cable, but not necessarily serving Pittsfield, is Boston's WCVB (ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
).
Cable television subscribers of Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
(TWC) in the City of Pittsfield receive Public, educational, and government access
Public, educational, and government access
Public, educational, and government access television, refers to three different cable television specialty channels...
(PEG) Channels, provided by Pittsfield Community Television (PCTV), on channels 16, 17 and 18:
- Access Pittsfield, channel 16, Public-access televisionPublic-access televisionPublic-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
- Pittsfield ETV, channel 17, Education-access television
- Citylink, channel 18, Government-access television (GATV)
Pittsfield Community Television is a not-for-profit, 501 (c)(3) organization and a member of the Alliance for Community Media. Programming on PCTV is available 24 hours per day, year-long, and is available online at www.pittsfieldtv.org.
Radio
Pittsfield is home to the following radio stations:- 1110 kHz WUPE (OldiesOldiesOldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
, simulcast of WUPE-FM - 1340 kHz WBRKWBRK (AM)WBRK is a radio station licensed to serve Pittsfield, Massachusetts. WBRK was the Berkshires 1st radio station taking to the air in 1938 in studios located on "Bank Row" in downtown Pittsfield. As with many stations of that era, the spacious studios allowed for live performances by the big bands...
(Adult StandardsAdult standardsAdult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
) - 1420 kHz WBECWBEC (AM)WBEC is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, USA. The station is currently owned by Vox Communications Group LLC and features programing from ABC Radio, Fox News Radio and Westwood One....
(TalkTalk TalkTalk Talk were an English musical group, active from 1981 to 1991. The group had a string of international hit singles including "Today", "Talk Talk", "It's My Life", "Such a Shame", "Dum Dum Girl", "Life's What You Make It" and "Living in Another World"....
) - 89.7 MHz WTBR-FMWTBR-FMWTBR-FM is a high school radio station broadcasting an Active Rock music format. Licensed to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, USA, the station serves the Pittsfield area from Taconic High School...
(Rock) - 95.9 MHz WBEC-FMWBEC-FMWBEC-FM is a radio station in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The station broadcasts hot adult contemporary formatted music. Its transmitter is located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. From 1977-2006, the station was known as WUPE-FM...
(ACAdult contemporary musicAdult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
, Tower on Bosquet Mountain) - 101.7 MHz WBRK-FMWBRK-FMWBRK-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Hot Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, USA. The station is currently owned by Wbrk, Inc. and features programing from ABC Radio.-History:...
(ACAdult contemporary musicAdult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
) - 104.3 MHz WRRS-LPWRRS-LPWRRS-LP is a radio station licensed to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, USA. The station serves the Pittsfield area and is currently owned by Talking Information Center, Inc....
(Radio Reading Service) - 106.1 MHz W291CH (Simulcast of WFCRWFCR- WNNZ :WFCR provides a full-time NPR news/talk programming feed on WNNZ, 640 kHz, licensed to Westfield, Massachusetts, which was owned by Clear Channel Communications. WNNZ's grade B signal reaches into the Capital District of New York State....
, Western Massachusetts NPR affiliate out of Amherst)
Signals from North Adams, Massachusetts
North Adams, Massachusetts
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...
, Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,104 at the 2010 census. Both a summer resort and home to Ski Butternut, Great Barrington includes the villages of Van...
, Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
and Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
also reach Pittsfield as well. In some areas signals from cities well outside of Pittsfield, such as Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
will come in, depending on location.
One of Pittsfield's oldest radio stations, WBEC-FM 105.5, was sold and relocated to Mount Tom
Mount Tom (Massachusetts)
Mount Tom, , is a steep, rugged traprock mountain peak on the west bank of the Connecticut River 4.5 miles northwest of downtown Holyoke, Massachusetts. The mountain is the southernmost and highest peak of the Mount Tom Range and the highest traprock peak of the long Metacomet Ridge...
in Holyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range of mountains. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 39,880...
, where it became a Springfield
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
radio station (technically licensed to Easthampton
Easthampton, Massachusetts
Easthampton is the second largest city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The town is on the southeastern edge of an area called the Pioneer Valley near the five colleges in the college towns of Northampton and Amherst, MA...
). It relays Boston's WEEI
WEEI
WEEI is a sports radio station in Boston, Massachusetts, that broadcasts on 850 kHz from a transmitter in Needham, Massachusetts, and is owned by Entercom Communications. The station is one of the top-rated sports talk radio stations in the nation. Studios are located in Brighton, Massachusetts...
. The move changed over two decades of programming on the Pittsfield dial which moved WBEC-FM as a TOP40 station on 105.5 down to 95.9, WUPE (as oldies) up to 100.1 in North Adams, replacing the Beautiful/EZ format on 100.1 known as WMNB. Recently WBEC 95.9 changed from a HOT AC to an Adult Contemporary format, which was on 95.9 prior to the changes, as "Lite 95.9 WUPE", a mostly satellite driven format.
Business
Pittsfield is home to several businesses, including:- SABICSABICSABIC is a diversified manufacturing company, active in chemicals and intermediates, industrial polymers, fertilizers and metals. It is the largest public company in Saudi Arabia as listed in Tadawul, but the Saudi government still owns 70% of its shares...
-Innovative Plastics (formerly known as General ElectricGeneral ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
(Plastics/Advanced Materials Division) and now a subsidiary of the Riyadh-based Saudi Basic Industries Corporation). - Chemex Corporation.
- General Systems.
- Blue-Q - A design and gift manufacturer owned by two Pittsfield natives.
- Laurin Publishing, publisher of an international photonics-industry directory, as well as several related periodicals.
- Thaddeus Clapp House, a historic bed and breakfast inn.
- General Dynamics Advanced Information SystemsGeneral Dynamics Advanced Information SystemsGeneral Dynamics Advanced Information Systems is a business unit of General Dynamics Corporation with over 8,000 employees in over 100 locations. Historically General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems has served customers within the U.S...
. - Interprint Incorporated - Located on the Pittsfield, Richmond line.
- New England Acupuncture and Herb Clinic.
- The Moscow BalletMoscow Ballet (United States)The Moscow Ballet is an American owned ballet company with dancers based in Moscow and the Ukraine that has produced ballet tours in the United States during the holiday season since 1993. Stanislav Vlasov, a former principal artist of the Bolshoi Ballet, was the company's first artistic director...
, national touring dance company and producer of the Great Russian Nutcracker. - Berkshire Gas, provides natural gas services to more than 36,000 customers in western Massachusetts.
Notable residents
- Thomas AllenThomas Allen (Massachusetts)Thomas Allen was a railroad builder and later a member of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri....
, railroad builder and member of the United States CongressUnited States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.... - William AllenWilliam Allen (biographer)William Allen was a biographer, scholar and academic.-Biography:He was born at Pittsfield, Massachusetts in 1784. He graduated from Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1802 and after a few years of work became assistant librarian at Harvard. He became Pastor of Pittsfield 1810; and...
, compiler of the first work of general biography published in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... - Elizabeth BanksElizabeth BanksElizabeth Maresal Mitchell , known professionally as Elizabeth Banks, is an American actress. Banks had her film debut in the low-budget independent film Surrender Dorothy...
, actress who performed in the films SeabiscuitSeabiscuit (film)Seabiscuit is a 2003 American biographical film based on the best-selling non-fiction book Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand...
, Spider-ManSpider-Man (film)Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film, the first in the Spider-Man film series based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp...
, The 40-Year-Old VirginThe 40-Year-Old VirginThe 40-Year-Old Virgin is a 2005 American buddy comedy film about a middle-aged man's journey to finally have sex. The film was written and directed by Judd Apatow and co-written by its lead star, Steve Carell, though the film itself features a great deal of improvised dialogue...
, and W.W. (film)W. is a 2008 American film based on the life and presidency of George W. Bush. It was produced and directed by Oliver Stone, written by Stanley Weiser, and stars Josh Brolin as Bush, with a cast that includes Ellen Burstyn, Elizabeth Banks, James Cromwell, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Scott... - William Francis BartlettWilliam Francis BartlettWilliam Francis Bartlett was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and, later, an executive in the iron industry....
- Civil War general - Mark BelangerMark BelangerMark Henry Belanger was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who played almost his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles...
, Gold GloveRawlings Gold Glove AwardThe Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
shortstopShortstopShortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
for the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league... - Michael BoroniecMichael BoroniecMichael Boroniec is an American sculptor who resides and works in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.- Work :...
, sculptor and painter - Henry Shaw BriggsHenry Shaw BriggsHenry Shaw Briggs was brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.During the war, Briggs served as a captain with the 8th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. He was the colonel and first commander of the 10th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry...
, brigadier generalBrigadier general (United States)A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe 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... - Colonel John Brown, Revolutionary War patriot, first to accuse Benedict Arnold
- Silvio O. ConteSilvio O. ConteSilvio Ottavio Conte was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for 16 terms, from January 3, 1959, until his death.-Birth:...
, congressman - Elizabeth Sprague CoolidgeElizabeth Sprague CoolidgeElizabeth Sprague Coolidge aka Liz Coolidge , born Elizabeth Penn Sprague, was an American pianist and patron of music, especially of chamber music....
, U.S. philanthropist and music patron, founded the Berkshire Music Festival at South Mountain in 1918 - Art DitmarArt DitmarArthur John Ditmar is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Athletics and the New York Yankees . He batted and threw right-handed.A finesse control pitcher, Ditmar divided his career between the Athletics and Yankees...
, 1950s pitcher for Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions... - Cy FerryCy FerryAlfred Joseph "Cy" Ferry was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for two seasons. He pitched in three games for the Detroit Tigers during the 1904 Detroit Tigers season and in one game for the Cleveland Naps during the 1905 Cleveland Naps season.-External links:...
, major league baseball player for the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
and Cleveland NapsCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
in the early years of the American League - Jack FerryJack FerryJohn Francis Ferry was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates.-External links:...
, major league baseball player for the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in the 1910s - Marshall FieldMarshall FieldMarshall Field was founder of Marshall Field and Company, the Chicago-based department stores.-Life and career:...
, founded ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's Marshall Field'sMarshall Field'sMarshall Field & Company was a department store in Chicago, Illinois that grew to become a major chain before being acquired by Macy's Inc...
department stores, took his first job in 1853 as a clerk in a Pittsfield. The white terra-cotta Pittsfield Building in downtown ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
is so named because of Field's connection to Pittsfield. - Daniel FoxDaniel FoxDr. Daniel W. Fox was a polymer chemist who is often regarded as the father of LEXAN. LEXAN is the flagship product of GE Plastics and is used in everything from CDs and DVDs to car bumpers and Nalgene products. Though Dr...
, shares credit for the invention of LEXANLexanLexan is a registered trademark for SABIC Innovative Plastics' brand of polycarbonate resin thermoplastic. Polycarbonate polymer is produced by reacting bisphenol A with carbonyl dichloride, also known as phosgene. Lexan is the brand name for polycarbonate sheet and resin in a wide range of grades...
plastic - Frank GrantFrank Grant* , Personal profiles at Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. – identical to Riley -External links:* – unknown content, URL confirmed 2010-04-16...
, famous 19th century African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
baseball player - Nancy GravesNancy GravesNancy Graves was an American sculptor, painter, printmaker, and sometime-filmmaker known for her focus on natural phenomena like camels or maps of the moon...
, sculptor and painter - Tom GrieveTom GrieveThomas Alan Grieve was a Major League Baseball player from 1970-1979 for the Washington Senators, Texas Rangers, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals...
, former player, General Manager, & present-day television broadcaster for the Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have... - Samuel HarrisonSamuel HarrisonSamuel Bealey Harrison was Joint Premier of the Province of Canada for Canada East from 1841 to 1842 with William Henry Draper PM for Canada West...
, Chaplain for the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry54th Massachusetts Volunteer InfantryThe 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that saw extensive service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was one of the first official black units in the United States during the Civil War...
, one of the first African-American units in the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe 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...
. The Samuel Harrison HouseSamuel Harrison HouseSamuel Harrison House is a historic house at 82 Third Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.The house was built in 1850 by the Rev. Samuel Harrison of Pittsfield and added to the National Historic Register in 2006. Rev. Samuel Harrison was a 19th century African American born into slavery in 1818. ...
was placed on the list of National Historic Places in 2006. - Oliver Wendell HolmesOliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. was an American physician, professor, lecturer, and author. Regarded by his peers as one of the best writers of the 19th century, he is considered a member of the Fireside Poets. His most famous prose works are the "Breakfast-Table" series, which began with The Autocrat...
, poet, summered in Pittsfield. His mother's family owned 26000 acre (10,522 ha) in Pittsfield - Sean HurleySean HurleySean Hurley was an Irish Sinologist who spent the years 1905 to 1915 in China. He was the first known Irishman to hold a Chinese passport.-China:...
, former Bassist Vertical HorizonVertical HorizonVertical Horizon is an American alternative rock band formed at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1991. The band is best known for a string of hits in 1999 and early 2000s, including "You're a God", "Everything You Want", and "Best I Ever Had ". Their most recent album, Burning the...
, graduate of Pittsfield High School - Hung HuynhHung HuynhHung Huynh is a Vietnamese-American chef, and in 2007 was the winner of the third season of Top Chef, the reality cooking competition show on Bravo....
, season three winner of the reality television show Top ChefTop ChefTop Chef is an American reality competition show that airs on the cable television network Bravo, in which chefs compete against each other in culinary challenges. They are judged by a panel of professional chefs and other notables from the food and wine industry with one or more contestants...
, graduate of Pittsfield High School - Donald Kaufman, Co-founder of KB Toys and Antique Toy collector.
- Gary H. Kitmacher, NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
manager, Mir Orbital StationMirMir was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, at first by the Soviet Union and then by Russia. Assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996, Mir was the first modular space station and had a greater mass than that of any previous spacecraft, holding the record for the...
integration, designer, International Space StationInternational Space StationThe International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
and lunar base, author, Pittsfield High School graduate - Henry Wadsworth LongfellowHenry Wadsworth LongfellowHenry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
, poet, educator, linguist owned a home on East Street now site of Pittsfield High School (see photos above) - Jay McInerneyJay McInerneyJohn Barrett McInerney Jr. is an American writer. His novels include Bright Lights, Big City; Ransom; Story of My Life; Brightness Falls; and The Last of the Savages...
, author of Bright Lights, Big City (1984) on which the popular film is based - Herman MelvilleHerman MelvilleHerman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. He is best known for his novel Moby-Dick and the posthumous novella Billy Budd....
, author, resided at ArrowheadArrowheadAn arrowhead is a tip, usually sharpened, added to an arrow to make it more deadly or to fulfill some special purpose. Historically arrowheads were made of stone and of organic materials; as human civilization progressed other materials were used...
in Pittsfield, MA where he wrote his most famous novel, Moby Dick. Herman Melville lived in Pittsfield from 1850 to 1863, during which time he wrote Moby-DickMoby-DickMoby-Dick; or, The Whale, was written by American author Herman Melville and first published in 1851. It is considered by some to be a Great American Novel and a treasure of world literature. The story tells the adventures of wandering sailor Ishmael, and his voyage on the whaleship Pequod,...
, Pierre: or, The AmbiguitiesPierre: or, The AmbiguitiesPierre: or, The Ambiguities is a novel written by Herman Melville, and published in 1852 by Harper & Brothers.The publication of Pierre was a critical and financial disaster for Melville. It was universally condemned for both its morals and its style...
, The Confidence-Man: His MasqueradeThe Confidence-ManThe Confidence-Man: His Masquerade was the last major novel by Herman Melville, the American writer and author of Moby-Dick. Published on April 1, 1857 , The Confidence-Man was Melville's tenth major work in eleven years...
, and The Piazza TalesThe Piazza TalesThe Piazza Tales is a collection of short stories by Herman Melville, which he published with Dix & Edwards in 1856 in the United States. A British edition followed shortly afterward. Except for the title story, "The Piazza," all of the stories had appeared in Putnam's Monthly over the years...
. His home, Arrowhead, is maintained as a museum by the Berkshire Historical Society, and visitors can see the peaks of Mount GreylockMount GreylockMount 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...
through the study-window, peaks which reminded Melville of a whale's back. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote "On the hither side of Pittsfield sits Herman Melville, shaping out the gigantic conception of his 'White Whale,' while the gigantic shape of Graylock[sic] looms upon him from his study-window." - William MillerWilliam Miller (preacher)William Miller was an American Baptist preacher who is credited with beginning the mid-nineteenth century North American religious movement now known as Adventism. Among his direct spiritual heirs are several major religious denominations, including Seventh-day Adventists and Advent Christians...
, famous 19th century preacher - Elaine Cancilla OrbachElaine Cancilla OrbachElaine Cancilla Orbach was an American stage and musical theatre actress and dancer.-Career:Orbach, known professionally as Elaine Cancilla, appeared on Broadway and Off Broadway in productions including: Fiorello!, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Here's Love, Flora the Red...
, Broadway Actress, Actor Jerry Orbach's Widow - Adrian PasdarAdrian PasdarAdrian Kayvan Pasdar is an American actor, voice artist, and film director. He is known for playing Jim Profit on the TV series Profit, for his roles in Near Dark, Carlito's Way, Mysterious Ways and as Nathan Petrelli on Heroes. Additionally, he directed the feature film Cement...
, actor - Chad ParontoChad ParontoChad Michael Paronto is an American Baseball player. Paronto attended the University of Massachusetts before being drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the eighth round of the amateur draft. Paronto's best pitches include a 90-94 mph fastball and a heavy sinker which he uses mainly with men...
, Houston AstrosHouston AstrosThe Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
relief pitcher - Brian Piccolo, Chicago BearsChicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
halfback, subject of movie Brian's SongBrian's SongBrian's Song is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the details of the life of Brian Piccolo , a Wake Forest University football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro, told through his friendship with Chicago Bears running back teammate and Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale... - William Stanley, Jr.William Stanley, Jr.William Stanley, Jr. was an American physicist born in Brooklyn, New York. In his career, he obtained 129 patents covering a variety of electric devices.-Biography:...
, invented the first alternating current electrical transformer - Howie StorieHowie StorieHoward Edward Storie [Sponge] was a backup catcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Boston Red Sox. Listed at 5' 10", 175 lb., Storie batted and threw right-handed...
, catcher for the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
during the early 1930s - James Walter ThompsonJames Walter ThompsonJames Walter Thompson was the namesake of the JWT advertising agency and a pioneer of many advertising techniques. He was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts....
, 19th century advertising pioneer - Elkanah WatsonElkanah WatsonElkanah Watson was a visionary traveller and writer, agriculturist and canal promoter. He was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts and died at Port Kent, New York. During the American Revolutionary War he carried dispatches to Benjamin Franklin in France...
, author and agriculturist, in 1810 held the first county fair in the country in Pittsfield - Jack WelchJack WelchJohn Francis "Jack" Welch, Jr. is an American chemical engineer, business executive, and author. He was Chairman and CEO of General Electric between 1981 and 2001...
, former CEO of General Electric - Robin WilliamsRobin WilliamsRobin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
, actor who maintains a summer home in Pittsfield - Stephanie WilsonStephanie WilsonStephanie Diana Wilson is an American engineer and a NASA astronaut. She flew on her first mission in space on board the Space Shuttle mission STS-121, and is the second African American woman to go into space, after Mae Jemison.-Education:In middle school, Wilson interviewed an Astronomy professor...
, astronaut
Sister cities
Pittsfield has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities InternationalSister Cities International
Sister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between United States and international communities. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world...
: Ballina, County Mayo
Ballina, County Mayo
Ballina is a large town in north County Mayo in Ireland. It lies at the mouth of the River Moy near Killala Bay, in the Moy valley and Parish of Kilmoremoy, with the Ox Mountain range to the east and the Nephin Beg mountains to the west...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Cava de' Tirreni
Cava de' Tirreni
Cava de’ Tirreni is a city and comune in the region of Campania, Italy, in the province of Salerno, 10 km northwest of the town of Salerno...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Cheongju
Cheongju
Cheongju is the capital city of Chungcheongbuk-do , South Korea. The city is divided into two wards , Heungdeok-gu and Sangdang-gu .-History:...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
Malpaisillo, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
Historic Photo Gallery
Many of the following scenes can still be seen today:- Public Domain Postcards
External links
- City of Pittsfield, Massachusetts Official Website
- Berkshire Historical Society
- Pittsfield stakes its claim in baseball history, By Adam Gorlick, Associated Press, May 11, 2004, retrieved on 2009-10-16.
- Environmental Protection Agency: GE/Housatonic River Site in New England
- History of Pittsfield 1800-1876
- Pittsfield History, Old Newspaper Articles, Genealogy