North Adams | |
|---|---|
 Main Street | |
 Seal | |
| Nicknames: Tunnel City andSteeple City | |
| Motto: "We Hold the Western Gateway" | |
 Location inBerkshire County and the state ofMassachusetts. | |
  North Adams Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:42°42′N73°7′W / 42.700°N 73.117°W /42.700; -73.117 | |
| Country | United States |
| Commonwealth | Massachusetts |
| County | Berkshire |
| Settled | 1745 |
| Incorporated | 1878 (Town) |
| Incorporated | 1895 (City) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council city |
| • Mayor | Jennifer Macksey |
| Area | |
• Total | 20.61 sq mi (53.39 km2) |
| • Land | 20.35 sq mi (52.70 km2) |
| • Water | 0.27 sq mi (0.69 km2) |
| Elevation | 705 ft (215 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 12,961 |
| • Density | 637.0/sq mi (245.95/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP code | 01247 |
| Area code | 413[2] |
| FIPS code | 25-46225 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0607610 |
| Website | www |
North Adams is a city inBerkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of thePittsfield, MassachusettsMetropolitan Statistical Area. Its population was 12,961 as of the2020 census.[3] Best known as the home of the largestcontemporary art museum in the United States, theMassachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams has in recent years become a center for tourism, culture and recreation.
North Adams was first settled in 1745 duringKing George's War, when the most western of a line of defensive forts was built along the bank of theHoosic River, and occupied by Massachusetts militiamen and their families.[4] During the war,Canadian and Native American forces laidsiege to Fort Massachusetts and 30 prisoners were taken toQuebec; half died in captivity. In 1747Fort Massachusetts was rebuilt with improved defenses, but was never attacked again. In a period of peace following theTreaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, many of the soldiers who had been garrisoned at the fort turned to farming instead by opting to each take a 190-acre package of nearby land in lieu of back-pay in the nearby township of West Hoosac (now known asWilliamstown).
The North Adams Women's Club began raising funds in 1895 to reconstruct the fort as a memorial site. It was dedicated in 1933 and operated as a historical tourist site until the 1960s. The 1933 Fort's replica chimney is located at the rear of the Central Markets Supermarket that opened at the site in 1960 and closed in 2016 as a Price Chopper Supermarket.[5] The historic site was conveyed to the City of North Adams by the Golub family in 2017.[6]
The town was incorporated separately from Adams in 1878, and reincorporated as a city in 1895. The city is named in honor ofSamuel Adams, a leader in theAmerican Revolution, signer of theDeclaration of Independence, andgovernor of Massachusetts.[4]
For much of its history, North Adams was amill town.[7] Manufacturing began in the city before theRevolutionary War, largely because the confluence of the Hoosic River's two branches providedwater power for small-scale industry. By the late 1700s and early 1800s, businesses included wholesaleshoe manufacturers; abrick yard; asaw mill;cabinet-makers; hat manufacturers;machine shops for the construction of mill machines;marble works; wagon and sleigh-makers; and anironworks, which provided thepig iron forarmor plates on theCivil War ship, theMonitor.[8]
Expansion westwards started with the creation of three mill villages,Blackinton in 1821, Greylock in 1846[9] andBraytonville in 1832, located to take advantage of the Hoosac River's water power. The 1850 census marked the official shift of the town from agriculture to industry, since more factory workers than farmers now resided in the town.[10] In 1870 the use of Chinesestrikebreakers fromCalifornia to break theNorth Adams strike at the Sampson Shoe Factory (today part of the Mass MoCA complex) was an important step in the movement of Chinese from the west coast to the east coast, resulting in east coastChinatowns in the United States. On a national scale, the North Adams strike became known as the primary trigger to the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act by the U.S. Congress in 1882.[citation needed]
North Adams was also the headquarters for building theHoosac Tunnel starting in 1851 and completed in 1874, adding an east–west connection to Boston and Albany to the existing 1842 rail connection to New York. Prior to that time, inter-regional travel was limited to weekly stagecoaches from Albany and Greenfield.[10]
Downtown in 1860, Oliver Arnold and Company was established with the latest equipment for printing cloth. Large government contracts to supply fabric for theUnion Army helped the business prosper. During the next four decades, Arnold Print Works became one of the world's leading manufacturers of printedtextiles. 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 theGreat Depression forced the company to close its Marshall Street operation in 1942 and consolidate at smaller facilities in Adams.
Later that year, theSprague Electric Company bought the former print works site. Spraguephysicists,chemists,electrical engineers, and skilledtechnicians were called upon by the U.S. government duringWorld War II to design and manufacture crucial components of advanced weapons systems, including theatomic bomb.
With state-of-the-art equipment, Sprague was a major research and development center, conducting studies onelectricity andsemi-conducting materials. After the war, its products were used in the launch systems for NASA'sGemini 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.[11]
After Sprague closed, business and political leaders in North Adams sought ways to re-use the vast complex.Williams College Museum of Art directorThomas Krens, who would later become Director of theGuggenheim, was looking for space to exhibit large works of contemporary art that would not fit in conventional museum galleries. When mayorJohn 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, theMassachusetts 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.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, North Adams has a total area of 20.6 square miles (53.4 km2), of which 20.3 square miles (52.7 km2) is land and 0.27 square miles (0.7 km2), or 1.31%, is water.[12] North Adams is bordered byClarksburg to the north,Florida to the east,Adams to the south, andWilliamstown to the west.
North Adams is located in the valley created by theHoosic River, which has been walled and floored with concrete in portions to prevent floods. The city'sNatural Bridge State Park contains the only natural white marble bridge in North America. Formed by glacial melt by 11,000BCE, the arch and abandoned quarry have long attracted attention from hikers, includingNathaniel Hawthorne in 1838, who wrote of it (among other local features) in hisAn American Notebook. To the east, the city is bordered by the western face of theHoosac Range, with visibility on its West Summit extending throughout the tri-state area. To the southwest, the city has the northern end ofMount Greylock State Reservation, ending atMount Williams, which at 2,951 feet (899 m) above sea level is the highest point in the city. TheAppalachian Trail passes through the western part of the city, crossing the summit of Mount Williams and briefly passing through Williamstown before heading north towards Vermont.
North Adams has ahumid continental climate (Dfb). Winters can be harsh, with temperatures dropping to 0 °F (−18 °C) or colder nine times per year. Summers are warm and pleasant, with temperatures at or above 90 °F (32 °C) four times per year. The record high is 96 °F (36 °C), recorded on July 8, 1988, and the record low is −20 °F (−29 °C), recorded on January 24, 2011 and February 6, 2015. On average, 153 days see measurable precipitation per year.
| Climate data for North Adams, MA (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1987–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 68 (20) | 76 (24) | 87 (31) | 90 (32) | 92 (33) | 93 (34) | 96 (36) | 94 (34) | 92 (33) | 84 (29) | 77 (25) | 70 (21) | 96 (36) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 32.4 (0.2) | 35.3 (1.8) | 43.6 (6.4) | 56.9 (13.8) | 68.6 (20.3) | 76.4 (24.7) | 80.9 (27.2) | 79.0 (26.1) | 72.1 (22.3) | 60.0 (15.6) | 48.4 (9.1) | 37.6 (3.1) | 57.6 (14.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 23.3 (−4.8) | 25.4 (−3.7) | 33.5 (0.8) | 45.2 (7.3) | 56.2 (13.4) | 64.7 (18.2) | 69.3 (20.7) | 67.5 (19.7) | 60.5 (15.8) | 49.2 (9.6) | 39.1 (3.9) | 29.5 (−1.4) | 46.9 (8.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 14.3 (−9.8) | 15.5 (−9.2) | 23.5 (−4.7) | 33.5 (0.8) | 43.9 (6.6) | 53.0 (11.7) | 57.7 (14.3) | 56.1 (13.4) | 48.8 (9.3) | 38.4 (3.6) | 29.7 (−1.3) | 21.5 (−5.8) | 36.3 (2.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −20 (−29) | −20 (−29) | −14 (−26) | 0 (−18) | 23 (−5) | 33 (1) | 43 (6) | 38 (3) | 28 (−2) | 18 (−8) | 1 (−17) | −12 (−24) | −20 (−29) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.52 (64) | 1.97 (50) | 3.08 (78) | 3.12 (79) | 3.73 (95) | 4.41 (112) | 4.13 (105) | 4.47 (114) | 4.22 (107) | 4.28 (109) | 3.25 (83) | 3.12 (79) | 42.30 (1,074) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 11 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 153 |
| Source:NOAA[13][14] | |||||||||||||
| 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% |
| 2020 | 12,961 | −5.4% |
| 2022* | 12,777 | −1.4% |
| * = population estimate. Source:United States Census records andPopulation Estimates Program data.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Source: U.S. Decennial Census[22] | ||
As of thecensus[23] 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 inhabitants per square mile (256.9/km2), ranking it 2nd in the county. There were 6,523 housing units at an average density of 316.7 per square mile (122.3/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% fromother races, and 2.8% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino 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% weremarried 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 $90,000. Theper capita income for the city was $19,857. About 9.0% of families and 22.3% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 11.0% of those age 20 or over.
_Mill_North_Adams_west_building.jpg)
Due to North Adams being the location ofMASS 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-designedExtreme Model Railroad and Contemporary Architecture Museum is proposed to be built in North Adams.[24][25]
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The city is home to theNorth Adams SteepleCats of theNew England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL). The SteepleCats play atJoe Wolfe Field in North Adams. The SteepleCats hold the NECBL record for highest single-game attendance. The record was made onJuly 4, 2006, in a game against theHolyoke Giants in front of 6,714 fans.[28] Holyoke won the game 3–2.[29]
North Adams' first professional sports franchise was theBerkshire Battalion, an expansion team of theFederal Hockey League, which played a single season in 2014–2015. 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 toDayton, 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.
North Adams is governed by themayor-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 theMassachusetts 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 theMassachusetts Senate, the city is represented by Sen. Paul Mark (the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes all of Berkshire County and western Hampshire and Franklin counties).[30] North Adams is located in the EighthMassachusetts Governor's Council district and is represented by city resident Tara Jacobs.[31] The city is patrolled by the Fourth (Cheshire) Station of Barracks "B" of theMassachusetts State Police.[32]
On the national level, North Adams is represented in theUnited States House of Representatives as part ofMassachusetts's 1st congressional district, and is represented byRichard Neal ofSpringfield. Massachusetts is currently represented in theUnited States Senate by senior SenatorElizabeth Warren and junior SenatorEd Markey.
| Year | Democratic | Republican | Third parties | Total Votes | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 71.07%4,216 | 26.97%1,600 | 1.96%116 | 5,932 | 44.10% |
| 2016 | 64.23%3,730 | 27.04%1,570 | 8.73%507 | 5,807 | 37.20% |
| 2012 | 77.30%4,465 | 19.94%1,152 | 2.75%159 | 5,776 | 57.36% |
| 2008 | 76.66%4,519 | 20.41%1,203 | 2.93%173 | 5,895 | 56.25% |
| 2004 | 74.89%4,452 | 24.26%1,442 | 0.86%51 | 5,945 | 50.63% |
| 2000 | 67.66%3,714 | 25.34%1,391 | 7.00%384 | 5,489 | 42.32% |
| 1996 | 69.60%3,910 | 17.60%989 | 12.80%719 | 5,618 | 51.99% |
| 1992 | 58.62%3,733 | 19.72%1,256 | 21.66%1,379 | 6,368 | 36.97% |
| 1988 | 68.15%4,355 | 31.08%1,986 | 0.77%49 | 6,390 | 37.07% |
| 1984 | 52.94%3,613 | 46.53%3,176 | 0.53%36 | 6,825 | 6.40% |
| 1980 | 50.41%3,836 | 34.45%2,621 | 15.14%1,152 | 7,609 | 15.97% |
| 1976 | 66.09%5,248 | 32.35%2,569 | 1.56%124 | 7,941 | 33.74% |
| 1972 | 57.65%4,715 | 41.75%3,415 | 0.60%49 | 8,179 | 15.89% |
| 1968 | 69.39%5,958 | 27.98%2,402 | 2.63%226 | 8,586 | 41.42% |
| 1964 | 80.35%7,304 | 19.42%1,765 | 0.23%21 | 9,090 | 60.94% |
| 1960 | 70.63%6,883 | 29.26%2,851 | 0.11%11 | 9,745 | 41.38% |
| 1956 | 44.10%4,425 | 55.73%5,593 | 0.17%17 | 10,035 | 11.64% |
| 1952 | 50.38%5,502 | 49.48%5,404 | 0.15%16 | 10,922 | 0.90% |
| 1948 | 61.40%6,269 | 37.86%3,865 | 0.74%76 | 10,210 | 23.55% |
| 1944 | 59.18%5,613 | 40.69%3,859 | 0.14%13 | 9,485 | 18.49% |
| 1940 | 61.88%6,486 | 37.64%3,945 | 0.49%51 | 10,482 | 24.24% |
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of November 8, 2016[34] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Number of Voters | Percentage | |||
| Democratic | 3,097 | 33.76% | |||
| Republican | 635 | 6.92% | |||
| Unaffiliated | 5,307 | 57.87% | |||
| Libertarian | 92 | 1.00% | |||
| Total | 9,171 | 100% | |||
North Adams operates its own public school system, with three elementary schools (Brayton Elementary School, Greylock Elementary School and Colegrove Park Elementary School) andDrury High School, which also serves several neighboring towns. The city is also home toCharles H. McCann Technical High School, as well as several private and parochial schools.
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) enrolls about 1,980 students. 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.[citation needed]
North Adams is the western terminus of theMohawk 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 towardsNew 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 isInterstate 91 to the east, almost an hour away. North Adams appears on that highway's signs at Exit 26, located inGreenfield.
The city is the northern terminus of several lines of theBerkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) and also has regional service. Intercity bus service is provided in nearby Williamstown byPeter Pan Lines with connections toNew York City, as well as towns and cities between. North Adams is home toHarriman-and-West Airport, a small regional airport. The nearest airport with national service isAlbany International Airport. The freight rail line which passes through the city extends through theHoosac Tunnel towards the east. The nearest passenger rail service to North Adams is the recently re-routedAmtrakVermonter inGreenfield, Massachusetts, an hour to the east.Pittsfield, to the south, also has once-daily Amtrak service, theLake Shore Limited, at its station. There is a proposal known as "Northern Tier Passenger Rail" in the early stages of planning which would extend MBTA's Fitchburg Line westward through Greenfield and terminate at North Adams. This would be the first passenger rail in the town since service ended in the 1950s.[35]
Tremosine sul Garda, ItalyNotes
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