| Sheffield, Massachusetts | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Berkshire |
| Settled | 1725 |
| Incorporated | 1733 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Open town meeting |
| Area | |
| - Total | 48.5 sq mi (125.7 km²) |
| - Land | 48.2 sq mi (124.7 km²) |
| - Water | 0.4 sq mi (1.0 km²) |
| Elevation | 675 ft (206 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 3,335 |
| - Density | 69.3/sq mi (26.8/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 01257 |
| Area code(s) | 413 |
| FIPS code | 25-61065 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0619428 |
| Website: http://www.sheffieldma.gov/ | |
Sheffield is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,335 at the 2000 census. Sheffield is home to the Berkshire School, a private preparatory school. The resort town includes the village of Ashley Falls.
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History
Originally called Outhotonnook, meaning "over the mountain," the land was purchased on April 25, 1724 from Chief Konkapot and 20 other Stockbridge Mahican Indians. Its price was 460 pounds, 3 barrels of cider and 30 quarts of rum. 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 concurrently claimed west of the Housatonic River under the Westenhook Patent, dated July 11, 1705, and insisted that Massachusetts 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, with its north parish set off and incorporated as Great Barrington in 1761. Located on the fertile floodplain of the Housatonic River valley, the principal industry was agriculture. The Sheffield Resolves, or Sheffield Declaration, was an early Colonial American petition against British 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 battle on February 27, 1787, during Shays' Rebellion.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 48.5 square miles (125.7 km²), of which, 48.2 square miles (124.7 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it (0.80%) is water. Situated between the Berkshires to the east and the Taconic Range to the west, Sheffield is drained by the Housatonic River. Sheffield is bordered on the north by Great Barrington, on the east by New Marlborough, on the south by North Canaan, Connecticut and Salisbury, Connecticut, on the west by Mount Washington, Massachusetts, and on the northwest by Egremont.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 3,335 people, 1,369 households, and 911 families residing in the town. The population density was 69.3 people per square mile (26.7/km²). There were 1,634 housing units at an average density of 33.9/sq mi (13.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.36% White, 1.05% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.54% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.32% of the population. There were 1,369 households out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males. 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 for the town was $25,492. About 3.9% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
Sites of interest
- Bartholomew's Cobble
- Colonel John Ashley House
- Dewey Memorial Hall
- Sheffield Historical Society & Museum
Notable residents
- Ethan Allen, revolutionary
- Frederick Augustus Porter Barnard, scientist & educator
- John G. Barnard, army engineering officer
- John C. Crosby, politician
- Orville Dewey, minister
- Grandison Fairchild, college founder
- John Z. Goodrich, politician
- David Joyce, industrialist
- Charles Kellogg, congressman
- George Frederick Root, songwriter
References
- History of Great Barrington & Sheffield, Massachusetts
- Lillian E. Preiss, Sheffield, Frontier Town, published by the Sheffield Bicentennial Committee at North Adams, Massachusetts 1976
