West Stockbridge was first settled in 1766 and was officially incorporated in 1774. The town grew out of Stockbridge, formerly known as Indiantown, and was originally called Queensborough. The area was part of the disputed border between Massachusetts and New York, which eventually left the town in its current state. The town grew as five separate villages (West Center, West Stockbridge, Freedleyville, Rockdale and Williamsville), with West Stockbridge growing the largest because of the railroad, which hauled iron ore and marble. The town had an ironworks in Williamsville, founded by Colonel Elijah Williams, and the furnace smokestack is the only part which remains of the works.[2]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.7 square miles (48.4 km2), of which 18.5 square miles (47.8 km2) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km2), or 1.23%, is water.[3]
West Stockbridge is situated along the Williams River, a marshy tributary of the Housatonic River. To the northeast, West Stockbridge Mountain lies along the Stockbridge town line. To the southwest, Tom Ball Mountain rises above the Alford town line, and Harvey Mountain rises on the state border. Maple Hill rises in the center of town, and is covered by a wildlife management area.
Interstate 90, the Massachusetts Turnpike, crosses into the state in West Stockbridge. Exit 1 , which solely consists of a western exit and eastern entrance, is located near the center of town, near the southern junction of Route 41 and Route 102, which begins on the state border in the village of State Line.
An abandoned rail line crosses through town, adjoining the active line in State Line and heading southward through town towards Great Barrington. The nearest regional transportation services can all be reached in Pittsfield, including bus, Amtrak and air service. The nearest national air service is at Albany International Airport in New York.
As of the census[15] of 2000, there were 1,416 people, 601 households, and 406 families residing in the town. By population, West Stockbridge ranks 18th out of the 32 cities and towns in Berkshire County, and 310th out of 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was 76.6 inhabitants per square mile (29.6/km2), which rank 15th in the county and 299th in the Commonwealth. There were 769 housing units at an average density of 41.6 per square mile (16.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.09% White, 0.28% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.85% of the population.
There were 601 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 31.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $120,000, and the median income for a family was $100,000. Males had a median income of $95,000 versus $79,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $90,000. About 1.8% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Shaker Mill, located along the Williams River
West Stockbridge employs the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a Select Board and a Town Administrator. The town has its own services, including police, fire and public works, as well as a post office. The town operates a library four days a week, which is connected to the regional library systems.
On the state level, West Stockbridge is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by the Fourth Berkshire district, which covers southern Berkshire County, as well as the westernmost towns in Hampden County. In the Massachusetts Senate, the town is represented by the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes all of Berkshire County and western Hampshire and Franklin counties.[16] The town is patrolled by the First (Lee) Station of Barracks "B" of the Massachusetts State Police.[17]
West Stockbridge is a member of the Berkshire Hills Regional School District, along with Stockbridge and Great Barrington, which hosts all the district's schools. All students in the district attend the Muddy Brook Regional School from pre-kindergarten through fourth grades. Middle school students attend Monument Valley Regional Middle School, and high school students attend Monument Mountain Regional High School. Prior to creation of the regional district, high school students in West Stockbridge attended the former Williams High School in Stockbridge.[19] There are private schools located in the nearby towns of Great Barrington and Lenox which are also open to students from the town.
^"1950 Census of Population"(PDF). Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, Pages 21-10 and 21-11, Massachusetts Table 6. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1930 to 1950. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
^"1920 Census of Population"(PDF). Bureau of the Census. Number of Inhabitants, by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions. Pages 21-5 through 21-7. Massachusetts Table 2. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1920, 1910, and 1920. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
^"1890 Census of the Population"(PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. Pages 179 through 182. Massachusetts Table 5. Population of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1880 and 1890. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
^"1870 Census of the Population"(PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
^"1860 Census"(PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1864. Pages 220 through 226. State of Massachusetts Table No. 3. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
^"1850 Census"(PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1854. Pages 338 through 393. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
