Everything about Lee Massachusetts totally explained
Lee is a
town in
Berkshire County,
Massachusetts,
United States. It is part of the
Pittsfield,
Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,985 which was determined in the
2000 census. Lee, which includes the villages of South and East Lee, is part of the
Berkshires resort area.
History
This was once territory of the
Mahican Indians. It was first settled as Dodgetown in 1760, then incorporated in 1777 as Lee. Formed from parts of
Great Barrington and
Washington, it was named after General
Charles Lee. In the autumn of 1786 during
Shay's Rebellion, about 250 followers of
Daniel Shays encountered state troops commanded by General
John Paterson near the village of East Lee. The
Shaysites paraded a fake
cannon crafted from a
yarn beam, and the troops fled.
Early industries included
agriculture and
lumbering, with
lime made in
kilns. Operated by
water power from the
Housatonic River, mills produced
textiles and
wire. But
papermaking became the principal business, with the first
paper mill, called the Eagle Mill, built in 1806 at South Lee by Samuel Church. The Columbia Mill was established in 1827, and would be the first to supply 100% groundwood
newsprint to
The New York Times. By 1857, there were 25 paper mills in Lee. The Smith Paper Company discovered how to manufacture paper solely from
wood pulp in 1867, and through the 1870s was the largest producer of paper in the country. Today, Lee has 3 large papermaking facilities owned by Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc., with another across the border in
Lenox. The plants produce
cigarette paper,
candy wrappers and other specialty paper. But Schweitzer-Mauduit announced in 2007 that the mills would close in 2008, putting nearly 170 people out of work.
The town was also famous for the quality of its
marble, with the first
quarry established in 1852. Almost 500,000 cubic feet of marble was excavated and shipped in 1867 on the
Housatonic Railroad. Buildings constructed of Lee marble include a wing of the
Capitol in
Washington and
St. Patrick's Cathedral in
New York City.
Lee's 19th-century prosperity left it with fine period architecture, including the town hall and library. South Lee has a
historic district listed on the
National Register. The former
mill town is now a popular tourist destination, noted both for its considerable
Victorian charm and number of
bed and breakfast establishments. Lee was a filming location for
Before and After (1996) and
The Cider House Rules (1999).
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.0
square miles (70.0
km²), of which, 26.4 square miles (68.4 km²) of it's land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (2.33%) is water. Lee is bordered by
Lenox to the northwest,
Washington to the northeast,
Becket to the east,
Tyringham in the southeast,
Great Barrington to the southwest, and
Stockbridge to the west. Lee is ten miles south of
Pittsfield, 42 miles west-northwest of
Springfield, and 125 miles west of
Boston.
Lee is located in the southern section of the
Berkshires, in a valley along the
Housatonic River. The town lies to the west of October Mountain State Forest, with two sections of the forest in Lee. In the southwest corner of town lies a portion of Beartown State Forest, where Burgoyne Pass crosses the northern end of the mountain. Hop Brook, a marshy brook which flows into Tyringham, flows into the Housatonic in the south, and other bodies of water include Laurel Lake to the north, and Goose Pond to the southeast. The
Appalachian Trail circumvents the eastern part of the town, passing through Tyringham, Becket and Washington.
Lee is located along
Interstate 90 (also known as the
Massachusetts Turnpike), and is home to Exit 2, the westernmost full exit on the turnpike (Exit 1, in West Stockbridge, is only a turnaround exit) as well as the first service area along the Pike. (The exit is also well-known because if a driver misses Exit 3 in Westfield, it requires a 60-mile round trip through Exit 2 to get back to Westfield.) Lee lies along
U.S. Route 20, the "old Mass Pike," which was the main route to New York State prior to the interstate. A small section of
U.S. Route 7 crosses through the northwest corner of town before meeting Route 20 in Lenox. Additionally,
Route 102's eastern terminus is located at Route 20 at the Exit 2 toll plaza.
Lee lies along the Housatonic Rail Road line, which travels between Pittsfield and Great Barrington. The town is also covered by the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) bus line, which travels between the same two communities. The nearest regional bus service can be reached in Great Barrington, and regional air service can be reached at
Pittsfield Municipal Airport. The nearest national air service can be reached at
Bradley International Airport in Connecticut.
Demographics
See also: Lee (CDP),
Massachusetts
As of the
census of 2000, there were 5,985 people, 2,442 households, and 1,606 families residing in the town. By population, Lee ranks seventh out of the 32 cities and towns in Berkshire County, and 227th out of 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The
population density was 226.7 people per square mile (87.5/km²), which ranks sixth in the county and 241st in the Commonwealth. There were 2,927 housing units at an average density of 110.9/sq mi (42.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.93%
White, 0.62%
Black or
African American, 0.15%
Native American, 0.95%
Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander, 0.74% from
other races, and 0.60% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 2.49% of the population.
There were 2,442 households out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were
married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,556, and the median income for a family was $49,630. Males had a median income of $35,565 versus $26,232 for females. The
per capita income for the town was $19,799. About 2.5% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Lee uses the
representative town meeting form of government, and is led by a
board of selectmen and a
town administrator. Lee has its own police, fire and public works departments, as well as a post office. The town's library is a member of the regional library networks.
On the state level, Lee 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. The town is home to the First Station of Barracks "B" of the
Massachusetts State Police.
On the national level, Lee 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 of 1991. Massachusetts is represented in the
United States Senate by senior Senator
Ted Kennedy and junior Senator
John Kerry.
Education
Lee operates its own school department, which also serves the town of Tyringham. Lee Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grades, and the Lee Middle and High School serves students from seventh through twelfth grades. Lee's athletics teams are nicknamed the Wildcats, and their colors are black and orange. Additionally, Lee is home to Saint Mary's School, a school which serves students through eighth grade. Other private schools can be found in Great Barrington and other surrounding towns.
The nearest
community college is the South County Center of
Berkshire Community College in Great Barrington. The nearest state college is
Westfield State College, and the nearest state university is the
University of Massachusetts Amherst. The nearest private college is
Bard College at Simon's Rock.
Sites of interest
Notable residents
Martha Coakley, attorney general
Edith Wharton, novelistFurther Information
Get more info on 'Lee Massachusetts'.
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