Sheffield is a
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
in
Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Berkshire County (pronounced ) is the Western Massachusetts, westernmost County (United States), county in the U.S. state, U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 129,026. Its la ...
, United States. It is part of the
Pittsfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,327 at the
2020 census.
Sheffield is home to
Berkshire School, a private
preparatory school. The former resort town includes the village of Ashley Falls, and is bordered by various other towns and villages, such as
Egremont and
Great Barrington. Its southern border is the Massachusetts-Connecticut state line.
History
The land was purchased on April 25, 1724, from Chief Konkapot and 20 other
Stockbridge Mahican
The Mohicans ( or ) are an Eastern Algonquian Native American tribe that historically spoke an Algonquian language. As part of the Eastern Algonquian family of tribes, they are related to the neighboring Lenape, whose indigenous territory was ...
Native Americans. Its price was 460
pounds, 3 barrels of
cider
Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the Fermented drink, fermented Apple juice, juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and Ireland. The United Kingdom has the world's highest ...
and 30 quarts of
rum
Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...
. The lower township of Housatonic (as Outhotonnook would be corrupted) was first settled by Matthew Noble of
Westfield, who arrived in 1725.
But
New York claimed the land west of the
Housatonic River
The Housatonic River ( ) is a river, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United ...
under the Westenhook Patent, dated July 11, 1705, and insisted that
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
cease encroachment. Indeed, one early settler was arrested and incarcerated at
Albany as a trespasser on Westenhook land. Nevertheless, Sheffield, Massachusetts, was officially incorporated on June 22, 1733, the first town incorporated in what is now Berkshire County. Its north
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
was set off and incorporated as
Great Barrington in 1761. Located on the fertile
floodplain
A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river. Floodplains stretch from the banks of a river channel to the base of the enclosing valley, and experience flooding during periods of high Discharge (hydrolog ...
of the Housatonic River valley, the principal industry was agriculture.
The Sheffield Resolves, or
Sheffield Declaration, was an early Colonial American petition against
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
rule and manifesto for
individual rights, drawn up as a series of resolves approved by the Town of Sheffield on January 12, 1773, and printed in ''The Massachusetts Spy, Or, Thomas's Boston Journal'' on February 18, 1773. Sheffield was also the site of the bloodiest (and last) battle on February 27, 1787, during
Shays' Rebellion
Shays's Rebellion was an armed uprising in Western Massachusetts and Worcester, Massachusetts, Worcester in response to a debt crisis among the citizenry and in opposition to the state government's increased efforts to collect taxes on both in ...
.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 2.33%, is water.
Sheffield is located along the southern border of the county and state, north of
Litchfield County, Connecticut
Litchfield County is a County (United States), county in northwestern Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 185,186. The county was named after Lichfield, in England. Litchfield Count ...
. The town is bordered on the north by
Great Barrington; on the east by
New Marlborough; on the south by
North Canaan and
Salisbury, Connecticut
Salisbury () is a New England town, town situated in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town is the northwesternmost in the state of Connecticut; the Connecticut-Massachusetts-New York tri-state marker is located at the northwest ...
; on the west by
Mount Washington; and on the northwest by
Egremont. Sheffield is south of
Pittsfield, west of
Springfield, and west of
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
. The extreme southern portion of Sheffield, on Route 41, is just under away from the northern edge of
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
.
The town is in the
Housatonic River
The Housatonic River ( ) is a river, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United ...
valley and several brooks as well as the
Konkapot River flow into the river within the town's borders, with several falls along these rivers, including Ashley Falls near the state border. To the northeast, the peak of East Mountain lies just over the Great Barrington border, and the mountain's south slope and part of its state forest lie within town borders. Several hills also dot the area south of this, along the New Marlborough town line. To the west, Mount Everett, part of the
Taconic Range, peaks in the town of Mount Washington and slopes eastward into the town. Part of the
Mount Everett State Reservation and
Mount Washington State Forest also crosses into town. The
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tra ...
crosses the northern third of town as it heads north from Mount Everett to East Mountain.
Sheffield lies along
U.S. Route 7, which divides the town roughly in half. The southernmost section of
Massachusetts Route 7A lies within the town, starting between the town center and Ashley Falls and extending over the Connecticut state border as an unnumbered road before reconnecting with the highway.
Massachusetts Route 41 also ends at the town's southern border, heading from Egremont along the western part of town to the state border, where it becomes
Connecticut Route 41. The nearest interstate,
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
(the
Massachusetts Turnpike) lies to the north, with the nearest entrance being in
Lee, north-northeast of town. The town also lies along the Housatonic Railroad line, which extends autumn service between New York and Great Barrington along a line of the
MTA. Otherwise,
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
service can be reached in Pittsfield, and bus service can be reached in Great Barrington. The nearest small airport can be found in Great Barrington, and the nearest national air service is at
Bradley International Airport
Bradley International Airport – historically known as Bradley Field – is a public international airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority, Con ...
in
Windsor Locks, Connecticut
Windsor Locks is a New England town, town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Capitol Planning Region. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, its population was ...
.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 3,257 people, 1,424 households, and 879 families residing in the town. By population, Sheffield ranked tenth out of the 32 cities and towns in Berkshire County, and 269th out of 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was , which ranks 17th in the county and 301st in the Commonwealth. There were 1,751 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.8%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.1%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.2%
Native American, 0.3%
Asian, 1.3% from
other races, and 1.3% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 3.2% of the population.
There were 1,424 households, out of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.9% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 35.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the town was $45,082, and the median income for a family was $50,944. Males had a median income of $36,016 versus $25,833 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $25,492. About 3.9% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over. (Data is not yet available for 2010.)
Government
Sheffield employs the
open town meeting form of government, and is led by a
board of selectmen
The select board or board of selectmen is commonly the Executive (government), executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms. Three ...
and a town administrator. The town operates its own services, including police, fire and public works departments, as well as a senior center and animal control officers. The town library, the Bushnell-Sage Library, was founded in 1901 and is connected to the regional library system. The nearest hospital, Fairview Hospital, is located in neighboring Great Barrington.
On the state level, Sheffield is represented in the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into ...
by the Fourth Berkshire district, which covers southern Berkshire County, as well as the westernmost towns in Hampden County. In the
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 st ...
, the town is represented by the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes all of Berkshire County and western Hampshire and Franklin counties. The town is patrolled by the First (Lee) Station of Barracks "B" of the
Massachusetts State Police
The Massachusetts State Police (MSP) is an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, responsible for law enforcement and vehicle regulation across the state. As of 2024, it has 2,500 sworn troop ...
.
On the national level, Sheffield is represented in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
as part of
Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, and has been represented by
Richard Neal
Richard Edmund Neal (born February 14, 1949) is an American politician serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for since 1989. The district, numbered as the Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district, 2nd di ...
of
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, and its county seat. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ea ...
since 2013. Massachusetts is currently represented in the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
by senior Senator
Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Ann Warren (née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from the state of Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A mem ...
and junior Senator
Ed Markey
Edward John Markey (born July 11, 1946) is an American politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Massachusetts, a seat he has held since 2013. A member of ...
.
Education
Sheffield is part of the Mount Everett Regional School District along with
Alford,
Egremont,
Monterey
Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a population of 30,218 in the 2020 census.
The city was fou ...
,
Mount Washington, and
New Marlborough. Students in these five towns can attend South Egremont School for Pre-K, New Marlborough Central School for Pre-k-grade 3, and Undermountain Elementary School in Sheffield for Pre-K-grade 5.
Mount Everett Regional High School, also in Sheffield, is the middle school and high school serving grades 7–12. The school's athletics teams are known as the Eagles, and the school colors are blue and gold. The town is also home to the
Berkshire School, a private, co-educational boarding school serving grades nine through twelve. There are also other private schools in Great Barrington.
The nearest
community college
A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...
is the South County Center of
Berkshire Community College in Great Barrington. The nearest state college is
Westfield State University
Westfield State University (commonly known as Westfield State) is a public university in Westfield, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1839 by Horace Mann as the first public coeducational college in America.
History
In 1839, Horace Mann founded ...
. The nearest private college is
Bard College at Simon's Rock
Bard College at Simon's Rock (more commonly known as Simon's Rock) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It is part of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudso ...
in Great Barrington.
Sites of interest
*
Bartholomew's Cobble
*
Berkshire School
*
Colonel John Ashley House
*
Dewey Memorial Hall
*
Old Covered Bridge
*
Sheffield Historical Society & Museum
* Shays Rebellion Memorial Monument
* Our Lady of the Valley Church
Notable people
*
Ethan Allen
Ethan Allen ( – February 12, 1789) was an American farmer, writer, military officer and politician. He is best known as one of the founders of Vermont and for the capture of Fort Ticonderoga during the American Revolutionary War, and wa ...
, revolutionary
*
Andy Bachetti, racing driver
*
Daniel D. Barnard, US congressman
*
Frederick Augustus Porter Barnard
Frederick Augustus Porter Barnard (May 5, 1809 – April 27, 1889) was an American academic and educator who served as the 10th President of Columbia University. Born in Sheffield, Massachusetts, he graduated from Yale University in 1828 and serv ...
, scientist and educator
*
John G. Barnard, army engineering officer
*
Emma Curtiss Bascom, educator, suffragist and reformer
*
John C. Crosby, politician
*
Sidney Curtiss, politician
*
Charles Dewey, Justice of the
Indiana Supreme Court
*
Orville Dewey, minister
*
Grandison Fairchild, college founder
*
Elizabeth Freeman, enslaved woman known as "Mum Bett," who sued and won her freedom in 1781
*
John Z. Goodrich
John Zacheus Goodrich (September 27, 1804 – April 19, 1885) was an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the 24th lieutenant governor of Massachusetts. He was born in Sheffield, Massachuse ...
, politician
*
Sophia Curtiss Hoffman, philanthropist
*
Wanda Toscanini Horowitz, daughter of
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orche ...
and widow of
Vladimir Horowitz
Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (November 5, 1989) was a Russian and American pianist. Considered one of the greatest pianists of all time, he was known for his virtuoso technique, timbre, and the public excitement engendered by his playing.
Life ...
*
Stephen Jacob, Justice of the
Vermont Supreme Court
The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court.
The court ...
*
Ahmad Jamal
Ahmad Jamal (born Frederick Russell Jones; July 2, 1930 – April 16, 2023) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, and educator. For six decades, he was one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz. He was a NEA Jazz Ma ...
, jazz pianist
*
David Joyce, industrialist
*
Charles Kellogg, congressman
*
Nadia Milleron, aviation safety and consumer advocate and independent Congressional candidate
*
George Frederick Root, songwriter
*
Luella Dowd Smith (1847–1941), writer
References
History of Great Barrington & Sheffield, Massachusetts* Lillian E. Preiss, ''Sheffield, Frontier Town'', published by the Sheffield Bicentennial Committee at North Adams, Massachusetts 1976
External links
Town of Sheffield official website
{{authority control
Towns in Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Towns in Massachusetts