National Register of Historic Places

Freight Yard Historic District

North Adams, Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Listed
June 12, 1972
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
72000131

About this property

Western Gateway Heritage State Park was a history-focused Massachusetts state park in the city of North Adams managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Exhibits at the park, which was located in a former railyard, told the story of the creation of the Hoosac Tunnel. The freight yard was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 as the Freight Yard Historic District. The city of North Adams was relatively isolated in the early 19th century, separated from the rest of Massachusetts to the east by Hoosac Mountain, and on the west by the Taconic Mountains. With the advent of the railroad in the late 1820s, proposals were developed for rail connections to other parts of Massachusetts and eastern New York. In 1846, the first rail connection was made, with Pittsfield to the south. The Troy and Greenfield Railroad was chartered in 1848 to develop a rail line that would connect Troy, New York, to Greenfield, Massachusetts, via North Adams and a tunnel through Hoosac Mountain. Work on the Hoosac Tunnel began in the 1850s, but it would not be completed until the 1870s; its construction alone provided an employment boom to North Adams. Rail service between North Adams and Troy was inaugurated in 1859, with this rail yard as its eastern terminus. Between 1859 and the opening of the tunnel in 1875, this rail yard served as a freight and passenger depot. The focus of activity moved around the turn of the century across the Hoosic River to the Union Depot, while this rail yard continued to serve as a freight-handling and storage area. Portions of the railroad properties were subjected to urban renewal in the second half of the 20th century. In the 1980s, preservations restored the surviving properties and adapted some of them for use as a state park and museum. The park saw its grand opening celebrations during the summer of 1986. National Register of Historic Places listings in Berkshire County, Massachusetts Western Gateway Heritage State Park Department of Conservation and Recreation Western Gateway Heritage State Park Prepared in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), Office of Transportation Planning, and the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.

Location

North Adams, Berkshire County, Massachusetts
42.68847, -73.11447

Categories

COMMERCE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
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Spotlight
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Nearby Historic Sites

H.W. Clark Biscuit Company
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Boardman, The
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Normal School Historic District
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0.6 mi
Church Street Historic District
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0.7 mi
Church Street-Cady Hill Historic District (Boundary Increase)
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0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Freight Yard Historic District listed on the National Register?

Freight Yard Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 12, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Freight Yard Historic District?

Freight Yard Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Freight Yard Historic District?

The period of significance for Freight Yard Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Freight Yard Historic District?

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