National Register of Historic Places

Taconic and West Avenues Historic District

Great Barrington, Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Listed
June 10, 1998
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
98000680

About this property

The Taconic and West Avenues Historic District is a largely residential historic district south of the downtown area of Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The roughly 117-acre (47 ha) district includes 172 contributing elements, most of which are houses or related buildings. Two thirds of the buildings were built between 1890 and 1910, and most of the rest were constructed in a historically sympathetic way. The southwestern corner of the district is the intersection of Maple and West Avenues. Its western boundary is a high wooded ridge that roughly parallels Castle Street, and follows Main Street and Maple Avenue on its eastern and southern boundaries. The housing in the district was built by Great Barrington's wealthier residents, and feature large houses built in a variety of popular styles of the period. The district features Georgian, Early Republic, and Mid 19th-Century Revival architecture. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. Great Barrington was settled in the 18th century, and was the first county seat of Berkshire County. It developed around a major crossing of the Housatonic River, which also provided power for industry. Early development in this district occurred primarily along Main Street, where houses such as the Dwight–Henderson House were built, and Taconic Street, a major road leading northwest toward Alford. Development in the district was modest through much of the 19th century, only becoming more organized in the 1880s, when a number of cross streets were laid out for residential development.

Location

Great Barrington, Berkshire County, Massachusetts
42.19252, -73.36858

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTRELIGION
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 Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Rivers & Rail
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Nearby Historic Sites

Dwight-Henderson House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Mahaiwe Block
Industrial
0.3 mi
Clinton African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (Additional Documentation)
Industrial
0.4 mi
Society of the Congregational Church of Great Barrington
Industrial
0.4 mi
Searles Castle
Industrial
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Taconic and West Avenues Historic District listed on the National Register?

Taconic and West Avenues Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 10, 1998.

What type of historic resource is Taconic and West Avenues Historic District?

Taconic and West Avenues Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Taconic and West Avenues Historic District?

The period of significance for Taconic and West Avenues Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

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