North Adams, Massachusetts

Main	Births etc

North Adams, Massachusetts
—  City  —
The north side of Main Street in 2012
Official seal of North Adams, Massachusetts Seal
Motto: "We Hold the Western Gateway"
Location in Berkshire County and the state of Massachusetts.
<div style="position: absolute; top: %; left: 212.7%; height: 0; width: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> North Adams, Massachusetts Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Berkshire
Settled	1745
Incorporated	1878
Government
• Type	Mayor-council city
• Mayor	Tom Bernard
Area
• Total	20.6 sq mi (53.4 km2)
• Land	20.3 sq mi (52.7 km2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2)
Elevation	707 ft (215 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	13,708
• Estimate (2016)	13,064
• Density	660/sq mi (260/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	01247
Area code(s)	413
FIPS code	25-46225
GNIS feature ID	0607610
Website	northadams-ma.gov

North Adams is a city in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its population was 13,708 as of the 2010 census, making it the least populous city in the state. Best known as the home of the largest contemporary art museum in the United States, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams has in recent years become a center for tourism, culture and recreation.

History

Early history

Bird's eye view of North Adams in 1905

The Norad Mill in 2012

North Adams was first settled in 1745 during King George's War. During the war, Canadian and Native American forces laid siege to Fort Massachusetts (The Chimney made of stone remains located at the rear of the former Price Chopper Supermarket, which is behind the former Friendly's Restaurant). 30 prisoners were taken to Quebec; half died in captivity.

The town was incorporated separately from Adams in 1878, and reincorporated as a city in 1895. The city is named in honor of Samuel Adams, a leader in the American Revolution, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and governor of Massachusetts.

For much of its history, North Adams was a mill town. Manufacturing began in the city before the Revolutionary War, largely because the confluence of the Hoosic River's two branches provided water power for small-scale industry. By the late 1700s and early 1800s, businesses included wholesale shoe manufacturers; a brick yard; a saw mill; cabinet-makers; hat manufacturers; machine shops for the construction of mill machines; marble works; wagon and sleigh-makers; and an ironworks, which provided the pig iron for armor plates on the Civil War ship, the Monitor. The use of Chinese strikebreakers, from California to break the North Adams strike of shoe workers was a step in the movement of Chinese from the West coast to the East coast, resulting in East coast Chinatowns in the United States. North Adams was also the headquarters for building the Hoosac Tunnel.

In 1860, Oliver Arnold and Company was established with the latest equipment for printing cloth. Large government contracts to supply fabric for the Union Army helped the business prosper. During the next four decades, Arnold Print Works became one of the world's leading manufacturers of printed textiles. It also became the largest employer in North Adams, with some 3,200 workers by 1905. Despite decades of success, falling cloth prices and the lingering effects of the Great Depression forced the company to close its Marshall Street operation in 1942 and consolidated at smaller facilities in Adams.

Sprague Electric

Later that year, the Sprague Electric Company bought the former print works site. Sprague physicists, chemists, electrical engineers, and skilled technicians were called upon by the U.S. government during World War II to design and manufacture crucial components of advanced weapons systems, including the atomic bomb.

With state-of-the-art equipment, Sprague was a major research and development center, conducting studies on electricity and semi-conducting materials. After the war, its products were used in the launch systems for Gemini moon missions, and by 1966 Sprague employed 4,137 workers in a community of 18,000. From the post-war years to the mid-1980s, Sprague produced electrical components for the booming consumer electronics market, but competition from abroad led to declining sales and, in 1985, the company closed operations on Marshall Street. Its closure devastated the local economy. Unemployment rates rose and population declined.

MASS MoCA

The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), formerly the Arnold Print Works and a facility of Sprague Electronics

After Sprague closed, business and political leaders in North Adams sought ways to re-use the vast complex. Williams College Museum of Art director Thomas Krens, who would later become Director of the Guggenheim, was looking for space to exhibit large works of contemporary art that would not fit in conventional museum galleries. When mayor John Barrett III (serving 1984-2009) suggested the vast Marshall Street complex as a possible exhibition site, the idea of creating a contemporary arts center in North Adams began to take shape.

The campaign to build support for the proposed institution, which would serve as a platform for presenting contemporary art and developing links to the region's other cultural institutions, began in earnest. The Massachusetts legislature announced its support for the project in 1988. Subsequent economic upheaval threatened the project, but broad-based support from the community and the private sector, which pledged more than $8 million, ensured that it moved forward. The eventual proposal used the scale and versatility of the industrial spaces to link the facility's past and its new life as the country's largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts.

Since it opened, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) has been part of a larger economic transformation in the region based on cultural, recreational, and educational offerings. North Adams has become home for several new restaurants, contemporary art galleries, and cultural organizations. In addition, once-shuttered area factories and mills have been rehabilitated as lofts for artists to live and work in.

Geography

The Hoosic River runs through the city and was essential to its growth, providing power for the mills that were built along its banks as well as those of its branches.

According to the United States Census Bureau, North Adams has a total area of 53.4 square kilometres (20.6 sq mi), of which 52.7 square kilometres (20.3 sq mi) is land and 0.7 square kilometres (0.27 sq mi), or 1.31%, is water. North Adams is bordered by Clarksburg to the north, Florida to the east, Adams to the south, and Williamstown to the west.

North Adams is located in the valley created by the Hoosic River, which has been walled and floored with concrete in portions to prevent floods. The city's Natural Bridge State Park contains the only natural white marble bridge in North America. Formed by glacial melt by 11,000 BC, the arch and abandoned quarry have long attracted attention from hikers, including Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1838, who wrote of it (among other local features) in his An American Notebook. To the east, the city is bordered by the western face of the Hoosac Range, with visibility on its West Summit extending throughout the tri-state area. To the southwest, the city has the northern end of Mount Greylock State Reservation, ending at Mount Williams, which at 2,951 feet (899 m) above sea level is the highest point in the city. The Appalachian Trail passes through the western part of the city, crossing the summit of Mount Williams and briefly passing through Williamstown before heading north towards Vermont.

Transportation

Roads and highways

North Adams is the western terminus of the Mohawk Trail, which ascends to the West Summit along a steep, curving road. While the trail ends here, Massachusetts Route 2, which the trail is coextensive with, continues westward into Williamstown and towards New York. Route 8 also passes through the city, passing from Adams through the city and northward into Clarksburg. Route 8A, also known as 8A-U (for "upper"), runs parallel to Route 8 east of the main route, and is located entirely within city limits.

The nearest interstate highway is Interstate 91 to the east, almost an hour away. North Adams appears on that highway's signs at Exit 26, located in Greenfield.

Public transportation

The city is the northern terminus of several lines of the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) and also has regional service. Intercity bus service is provided in nearby Williamstown by Peter Pan Lines with connections to New York City, as well as towns and cities between. The freight rail line which passes through the city extends through the Hoosac Tunnel towards the east. The nearest commuter rail service to North Adams is the recently re-routed Amtrak Vermonter in Greenfield, Massachusetts, an hour to the east. Pittsfield, to the south, also has once-daily Amtrak service, the Lake Shore Limited, at its station. North Adams is home to Harriman-and-West Airport, a small regional airport. The nearest airport with national service is Albany International Airport.

Demographics

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1880	10,191	—
1890	16,074	+57.7%
1900	24,200	+50.6%
1910	22,019	−9.0%
1920	22,282	+1.2%
1930	21,621	−3.0%
1940	22,213	+2.7%
1950	21,567	−2.9%
1960	19,905	−7.7%
1970	19,195	−3.6%
1980	18,063	−5.9%
1990	16,797	−7.0%
2000	14,681	−12.6%
2010	13,708	−6.6%
2016	13,064	−4.7%
= population estimate. Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data. Source: U.S. Decennial Census

A house on East Main Street

As of the census of 2010, there were 13,708 people, 5,652 households, and 3,156 families residing in the city. The city, which is the smallest in Massachusetts, ranks second (after Pittsfield) out of 32 cities and towns in Berkshire County by population. The population density was 665.4 people per square mile (257.2/km²), ranking it 2nd in the county. There were 6,523 housing units at an average density of 316.7 per square mile (122.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.0% White, 1.8% African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.8% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population.

There were 5,652 households out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.2% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city, the population was spread out with 21.74% under the age of 18, 16.9% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.75 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,020, and the median income for a family was $57,522. The per capita income for the city was $19,857. About 9.0% of families and 22.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

North Adams is governed by the mayor-council form of government (List of mayors of North Adams, Massachusetts). The city has its own services, including police, fire and public works. The city's public library is the largest in northern Berkshire County, and has access to the regional library networks.

On the state level, North Adams is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by the First Berkshire district, which covers northern Berkshire County, and is represented by former mayor John Barrett III of North Adams (elected in a special election in November, 2017). In the Massachusetts Senate, the city is represented Sen. Adam Hinds (the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes all of Berkshire County and western Hampshire and Franklin counties). The city is patrolled by the Fourth (Cheshire) Station of Barracks "B" of the Massachusetts State Police.

On the national level, North Adams is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, and is represented by Richard Neal of Springfield. Massachusetts is currently represented in the United States Senate by senior Senator Elizabeth Warren and junior Senator Ed Markey.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of November 8, 2016
Party		Number of Voters	Percentage
	Democratic	3,097	33.76%
	Republican	635	6.92%
	Unaffiliated	5,307	57.87%
	Minor Parties	92	1.00%
Total		9,171	100%

Education

North Adams operates its own public school system, with three elementary schools (Brayton Elementary School, Greylock Elementary School and Colegrove Park Elementary School) and Drury High School, which also serves several neighboring towns. The city is also home to Charles H. McCann Technical High School, as well as several private and parochial schools.

North Adams Public Schools Enrollment
School	2000-2001	2001-2002	2002-2003	2003-2004	2004-2005	2005-2006	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009	2009-2010	2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013	2013-2014	2014-2015	2015-2016	2016-2017
Drury High School (8-12)	613	651	608	625	622	583	593	544	499	616	578	552	518	495	459	446	439
Conte Middle School (6-8, Closed)	526	499	509	511	475	417	352	323	318	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Brayton Elementary (PK-7)	499	471	466	429	400	342	356	364	336	458	467	510	511	532	520	397	389
Sullivan/Colegrove Park Elementary (K-7)	320	316	311	286	269	256	253	224	214	270	265	244	260	276	284	326	336
Greylock Elementary (K-7)	237	213	230	226	231	221	235	229	225	268	247	248	236	225	233	294	302
Total:	2,195	2,150	2,124	2,077	1,997	1,819	1,789	1,684	1,592	1,612	1,557	1,554	1,525	1,528	1,496	1,463	1,466
Avg. students per grade:	156.79	153.57	151.71	148.36	142.64	129.93	127.79	120.29	113.71	115.14	111.21	111.00	108.93	109.14	106.86	104.50	104.71

Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School District Enrollment
School	2000-2001	2001-2002	2002-2003	2003-2004	2004-2005	2005-2006	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009	2009-2010	2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013	2013-2014	2014-2015	2015-2016	2016-2017
Charles H. McCann Technical High School (9-12)	440	427	427	440	468	491	516	511	500	500	474	470	488	505	500	481	484
Avg. students per grade:	110	106.75	106.75	110	117	122.75	129	127.75	125	125	118.5	117.5	122	126.25	125	120.25	121

Former schools

• Johnson School (Closed 1994, Grades PK-5)
• Silvio O. Conte Middle School (Closed June 2009, Grades 6-8)
• Sullivan Elementary School (Closed December 2015, Grades K-7)

Higher education

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) enrolls about 1,980 students. The most popular programs are English/Communications, Business, Education, History, Fine & Performing Arts, Psychology, and Sociology. Founded in 1894 as North Adams Normal School, in 1932 the Normal School became the State Teachers College of North Adams. In 1960, the college changed its name to North Adams State College and added professional degrees in Business Administration and Education. In 1997, the name changed to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, reflective of specialty school status within the Massachusetts State College system. In recent years, MCLA has begun to develop more academic programming in the fields of fine arts and arts management, reflecting the region's growth as a center of arts and cultural affairs.

Beyond MCLA, the nearest state university is the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The nearest private college is Williams College, in neighboring Williamstown.

Culture

Some of the windows of the Greylock (Cariddi) Mill are being used as an art gallery.

North Adams Public Library is located in the Church Street-Caddy Hill Historic District.

The Boardman apartment buildings were built in 1899 in the Colonial Revival style.

The Johnson School in 2012

The Hathaway Tenement was built in 1850.

The Eclipse Mill was converted into lofts for artists to live and work in.

Arts

Due to North Adams being the location of MASS MoCA, there are numerous art galleries spread throughout the city, and a few of the old mills have been converted to lofts for artists to live and work in. A new, Frank Gehry-designed Extreme Model Railroad and Contemporary Architecture Museum is proposed to be built in North Adams.

Sports

The city is home to the North Adams SteepleCats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL). The SteepleCats play at Joe Wolfe Field in North Adams. The SteepleCats hold the NECBL record for highest single-game attendance. The record was made on July 4, 2006, in a game against the Holyoke Giants in front of 6,714 fans. Holyoke won the game 3-2.

North Adams' first professional sports franchise was the Berkshire Battalion, an expansion team of the Federal Hockey League, which played a single season in 2014-15. Troubled by an embezzlement charge against its coach and general manager, who had also been manager of the municipal skating ring, and fractious lease negotiations with the city, the team relocated after its single season to Dayton, Ohio.

There are many athletic complexes and recreational fields throughout the city, including the Noel Field Athletic Complex, just south of the downtown, and the recently constructed Alcombright Athletic Complex, in the city's west end.

Sites and events of interest

• Houghton Mansion
• Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
• Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
• Natural Bridge State Park
• North Adams Chamber of Commerce website
• North Adams Museum of History and Science—North Adams Historical Society
• Western Gateway Heritage State Park

Events

• Fall Foliage Festival
• Solid Sound Festival

National Register of Historic Places

• Armstrong House
• Beaver Mill
• Blackinton Historic District
• The Boardman
• Charles Browne House
• Church Street-Caddy Hill Historic District           
• H. W. Clark Biscuit Company
• Crowley House
• Freeman's Grove Historic District
• Freight Yard Historic District

• Hathaway Tenement
• Hillside Cemetery
• Hoosac Tunnel
• Johnson Manufacturing Company
• Johnson School
• Monument Square-Eagle Street Historic District
• Norad Mill
• Wells House
• Windsor Print Works

Notable people

• Caleb Atwater (1778–1867), archeologist, politician
• Paul Babeau (born 1969), sheriff, politician
• Andrea Barrett (born 1954), novelist
• Jonah Bayliss (born 1980) MLB relief pitcher
• Daniel E. Bosley (born 1953), state representative
• Grover C. Bowman (1884–1959), educator, president of North Adams State Teachers College
• Gailanne Cariddi (1953-2017), state representatives
• Jack Chesbro (1874–1931), Hall of Fame pitcher
• Martha Coakley (born 1953), Massachusetts attorney general
• Jeremiah Colegrove (1758–1836), early leading citizen
• John M. Darby (1804-1877), botanist, chemist
• Will Durant (1885–1981), philosopher, historian
• Paul Farmer (born 1959), physician, anthropologist
• Joseph F. Finnegan (1904–1964), labor mediator
• Van Hansis (born 1981), actor
• John Henry Haynes, (1849–1910) archaeologist and photographer
• Peter Laird (born 1954), comic book artist
• Amy Lee, saxophonist
• Allan Rockwell McCann (1896–1978), vice admiral, USN
• Frank J. Matrango (1926-1996), Massachusetts state legislator
• Martin Melcher (1915–1968), film producer and husband of Doris Day
• Francis Millard (1914–1958), U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist Wrestler
• Thomas Ward Osborn (1833–1898), U.S. Senator, Col. in Civil War
• Harrison Potter (1891–1984), classical pianist
• John Henry Schwarz, theoretical physicist
• Hiram Sibley (1807–1888), industrialist, philanthropist
• Frank J. Sprague (1857–1934), electrical engineer, inventor
• Jane Swift (born 1965), Massachusetts governor
• Oswald Tower (1883–1968), basketball official
• Frank Vincent (1937–2017), actor
• Ashley B. Wright (1841–1897), U.S. representative

See also

• List of mill towns in Massachusetts

References

Notes

Sources

• History of Monument Square
• History of North Adams, Massachusetts (1749-1885)
• History of North Adams Public Library
• History of Sprague Electric/MASS MoCA site

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

North Adams, Massachusetts

• City of North Adams official website
• Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
• North Adams Public Library
• Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
• MCLA Berkshire Cultural Resource Center
• North Adams Transcript (newspaper)not working; merger with Berkshire Eagle
• Northern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce
• American Notes -- Nathaniel Hawthorne travelogue (1838)
• North Adams SteepleCats
• Articles about North Adams and photos of the city by author and historian Joe Manning
• North Adams Neighborhoods History (pdf)
• North Adams History, Old Newspaper Articles, Genealogy

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