Berkshires250

Less than one year after the adoption of the Massachusetts State Constitution, a brave enslaved woman challenged the document’s proposed principles. Motivated by the promise of liberty, Elizabeth Freeman, born as “Mum Bett,” became the first African American woman to successfully file a lawsuit for freedom in the state of Massachusetts. 

In 1735, at the age of 25, Colonel John Ashley built the Ashley House – the oldest house still standing in Berkshire County. The Ashley House was the center of social, economic, and political life in Western Massachusetts in the 18th century. The famous Sheffield Resolves, a petition against British tyranny and a manifesto for individual rights, was drafted in the upstairs study of the house and published in 1773. Elizabeth Freeman, who was enslaved in the Ashley House, helped end slavery in Massachusetts.

The Berkshire Innovation Center serves as a catalyst to spark innovation and sustainable growth of technology-focused companies. Technology and innovation are part of the Berkshire’s industrious past, thriving present and limitless potential. 

Established in 1932, Bousquet Mountain is the Berkshires’ oldest existing ski area. Before it was a ski area, the property was a mink farm belonging to Clarence J. “Clare” Bousquet. Bousquet invented the rope tow gripper, which protected the arms and hands of the skiers using the lifts.

The famous and historic home of Herman Melville from 1850-1863. Here Melville wrote Moby Dick. Currently, the Berkshire County Historical Society operates Arrowhead as an historic house museum, giving tours of the home in which Herman Melville produced some of his greatest work. It also serves as the headquarters of BCHS, housing offices and a vast collection and archives.

The year 2024 marked the 250th anniversary of the Shakers’ arrival in America from their founding country of England; the year offers opportunities for reflection and celebration of the Shakers’ significant influence on American culture and design. On the National Historic Register, it is the most comprehensively interpreted Shaker site in the world and is the oldest working farm in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.

Modern dance pioneer Ted Shawn, bought the Jacob’s Pillow farm in 1931. Shawn had long harbored a dream of legitimizing dance in America as an honorable career for men, and in 1933, he recruited eight men for a new dance company. In 2003, Jacob’s Pillow is designated a National Historic Landmark—the first and only dance site to receive this honor. In 2011, Pillow became the first dance presenting organization to receive the National Medal of Arts. Currently, Jacob’s Pillow launches it’s 93rd summer festival and is America’s first and oldest dance school.