North Adams, Massachusetts

North Adams, Massachusetts
City
Bird's eye view of North Adams, 1905
Location in Berkshire County in Massachusetts
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Berkshire
Settled	1737
Incorporated	1878
Government
• Type	Mayor-council city
Area
• Total	20.6 sq mi (53.3 km2)
• Land	20.4 sq mi (52.9 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation	707 ft (215 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	14,681
• Density	718.3/sq mi (277.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code	01247
Area code	413
FIPS code	25-46225
GNIS feature ID	0607610
Website	www.northadams-ma.gov

North Adams is a city in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,681 at the 2000 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

Main Street in 1906

North Adams was first settled in 1737 and, separating from Adams, was officially incorporated in 1878. The city is named in honor of Samuel Adams, a leader in the American Revolution, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and governor of Massachusetts.

For much of its existence, North Adams was a mill town. Manufacturing began in the city before the Revolutionary War, as its location at the confluence of the two branches of the Hoosic River provided water power for diverse, small-scale industries. By the late 18th and early 19th centuries, businesses included wholesale shoe manufacturers; a brick yard; a saw mill; cabinet-makers; hat manufacturers; machine shops for the construction of mill machines; marble works; wagon and sleigh-makers; and an ironworks, which provided the pig iron for armor plates on the Civil War ship, the Monitor. North Adams would be headquarters for construction of the Hoosac Tunnel.

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

Waterhouse & Howard Mill in c. 1908

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

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

Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art & the "Renaissance"

The closure of Sprague Electric devastated the local economy. Unemployment rates rose and population declined. In 1986, just a year after the factory's closing, the business and political leaders of North Adams were seeking ways to creatively re-use the vast complex. Williams College Museum of Art director Thomas Krens, who would later become Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, was looking for space to exhibit large works of contemporary art that would not fit in conventional museum galleries. When Mayor John Barrett III (serving 1983-2009) suggested the vast Marshall Street complex as a possible exhibition site, the idea of creating a contemporary arts center in North Adams began to take shape.

The campaign to build political and community support for the proposed institution, which would serve as a platform for the creation and presentation of contemporary art, and develop links to the region's myriad cultural institutions, began in earnest. The Massachusetts legislature announced its support for the project in 1988. Subsequent economic upheaval in Massachusetts threatened the project, but broad-based support from the community and the private sector, which pledged more than $8 million, ensured that it continued to move forward.

The eventual proposal utilized the unparalleled scale and versatility of the complex's industrial spaces, while establishing a dialogue between the facility's past and the new life it would have as the country's largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts.

Since its opening Mass MoCA has provided the catalyst and anchor for a larger economic transformation in the region centered on cultural, recreational, and educational offerings. North Adams has become home for several new restaurants, contemporary art galleries and cultural organizations. In addition, once shuttered area factories and mills have been rehabilitated as live/work lofts for artists.

Geography

North Adams and the surrounding mountains.

North Adams is located at 42°41′38″N 73°6′54″W (42.693899, -73.115096).Template:GR

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.6 square miles (53.3 km²), of which, 20.4 square miles (52.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.63%) is water. North Adams is bordered by Clarksburg to the north, Florida to the east, Adams to the south, and Williamstown to the west.

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

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

The city is the northern terminus of several lines of the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority, and also has regional service. The freight rail line which passes through the city extends through the Hoosac Tunnel towards the east. North Adams is also home to Harriman and West Airport, a small regional airport. The nearest interstate is Interstate 91 to the east, almost an hour away, and the nearest airport with national service is Albany International Airport.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	24,200		—
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%
2008 (est.)	13,711

The Richmond Hotel in c. 1912

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 14,681 people, 6,311 households, and 3,635 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, and 127th out of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was 718.3 people per square mile (277.3/km²), ranking it 2nd in the county and 140th overall. There were 7,088 housing units at an average density of 346.8/sq mi (133.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.99% White, 1.67% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.80% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.80% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.03% of the population.

There were 6,311 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% 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 2.87.

Beaver Dam in c. 1912

In the city the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,601, and the median income for a family was $37,635. Males had a median income of $30,292 versus $23,012 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,381. About 13.5% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.1% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Hillside Cemetery on West Main Street in North Adams.

North Adams is governed by the mayor-council form of government under newly elected Mayor Richard Alcombright. The city has its own services, including police, fire and public works. The city is also home to North Adams Regional Hospital. The city's public library is the largest in northern Berkshire County, and also has access to the regional library networks.

On the state level, North Adams is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by the First Berkshire district, which covers northern Berkshire County, as well as portions of Franklin County. In the Massachusetts Senate, the city is represented by the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes all of Berkshire County and western Hampshire and Franklin Counties. The city is patrolled by the Fourth (Cheshire) Station of Barracks "B" of the Massachusetts State Police.

On the national level, North Adams is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, and has been represented by John Olver of Amherst since June 1991. Massachusetts is currently represented in the United States Senate by senior Senator John Kerry and senator Scott Brown.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 15, 2008
Party		Number of Voters	Percentage	Democratic	3,168	34.99%	Republican	696	7.69%	Unaffiliated	5,091	56.22%	Minor Parties	100	1.10%
Total		9,055	100%

Education

Public Library and Monument Square in 1907

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

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) enrolls about 1,850 students. The most popular programs are English/Communications, Business, Education, History, Fine & Performing Arts, Psychology, and Sociology. Founded in 1894 as North Adams Normal School, in 1932 the Normal School became the State Teachers College of North Adams. In 1960, the college changed its name to North Adams State College and added professional degrees in Business Administration and Computer Science. In 1997, the name changed to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, reflective of specialty school status within the Massachusetts State College system. In recent years, MCLA has begun to develop more academic programming in the fields of fine arts and arts management, reflecting the region's growth as a center of arts and cultural affairs.

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

Culture

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.

Sites and events of interest

• Fall Foliage Festival
• The Berkshire Hills Internship Program
• Hoosac Tunnel
• Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
• MCLA Gallery 51
• Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
• Natural Bridge State Park
• North Adams Museum of History & Science -- North Adams Historical Society
• Western Gateway Heritage State Park
• Congregation Beth Israel

Notable residents

Natural Bridge in 1911

• Martha Coakley, Massachusetts attorney general
• Caitlin Kittredge, author
• Caleb Atwater, archeologist, politician
• Andrea Barrett, novelist
• Daniel Bosley, state representative
• Grover Chester Bowman (1884–1959), educator, MCLA president
• Jack Chesbro (1874–1931), Hall of Fame pitcher
• Jeremiah Colegrove (1758–1836), city founder
• Howard Cruse, cartoonist
• John M. Darby, botanist, chemist
• William James Durant, philosopher, historian
• Paul Farmer, physician, anthropologist
• Joseph F. Finnegan (1904–1964), labor mediator
• Van Hansis, actor, As the World Turns
• Peter Laird, comic book artist
• Amy Lee, saxophonist
• Martin Melcher, film producer and husband of Doris Day
• Harrison Potter (1891–1984), classical pianist
• Allan Rockwell McCann, vice admiral
• Hiram Sibley, industrialist, philanthropist
• Frank J. Sprague electrical engineer, inventor
• Jane Swift, governor
• Oswald Tower, basketball official
• Frank Vincent, actor
• Ashley B. Wright, U.S. congressman
• Nick Zammuto and Paul de Jong of The Books
• John Henry Schwarz, theoretical physicist
• Jonah Bayliss, baseball player
• Peter Moulton, famous optician
• Jana Christy, children's book illustrator
• Jarvis Rockwell, artist and son of Norman Rockwell
• Richard Ziter, Medical Doctor, Classical Pianist

Sources

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

External links

• City of North Adams, Massachusetts
• Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
• Contemporary Artists Center, North Adams
• Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
• North Adams Transcript (newspaper)
• Chamber of Commerce (newspaper)
• American Notes -- Nathaniel Hawthorne travelogue (1838)
• North Adams Public Library
• Drury Drama Team
• Congregation Beth Israel
• North Adams SteepleCats
• McCann Technical High School
• Articles about North Adams and photos of the city by author and historian Joe Manning
• North Adams Neighborhoods History (pdf)