Becket, Massachusetts

North Becket Village Historic District is a historic district encompassing the historic village of North Becket in the Berkshire hill town of Becket, Massachusetts. The village developed rapidly as the main economic and civic center of the town in a 20-year period beginning in 1841 with the arrival of the Western Railroad, and retains many fine examples of Greek Revival architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

The Clark–Eames House is a historic house located at 230 Middlefield Road in Washington, Massachusetts. Probably built around 1790, it is one of the town's few surviving 18th-century houses. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Lower Historic District is a historic district on Washington Mountain Road in Washington, Massachusetts. The district encompasses four homesteads built between 1765 and 1803, including the town's oldest house. The houses are clustered along a stretch of Washington Mountain Road near the town line with Becket, and represent one of its first places of settlement. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

The South Center School House is a historic one-room school house on Washington Mountain Road in Washington, Massachusetts. Built in 1880, it is the town's only surviving district school building. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Saint Andrew's Chapel is a historic chapel on Washington Mountain Road in Washington, Massachusetts. Built in 1899, the stone Gothic Revival structure is the rural community's finest example of late 19th-century architecture. It was built as a gift of George Crane, and was built next to his estate, Bucksteep Manor. The chapel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

The Upper Historic District is a historic district encompassing the historic center of Washington, Massachusetts. Centered on the junction of Washington Mountain Road and Branch Road, the town center flourished from the town's establishment in the 1750s until the center of the town's business moved closer to the newly lain railroad in the 1830s. The district includes the old town hall, cemetery, common, and pound, as well as a number of residences. A meeting house (church) and schoolhouse once stood in the area, but the 1792 church was destroyed by lightning in 1859, and the schoolhouse is no longer extant. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

Middlefield is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 385 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The Middlefield Center Historic District encompasses the historic village center of Middlefield, Massachusetts. It is centered on the junction of Skyline Trail, the main north-south road, with Bell and Town Hill Roads. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.

Jacob's Pillow is a dance center, school and performance space located in Becket, Massachusetts, in the Berkshires. The organization is known for a Summer dance festival. The facility also includes a professional school and extensive archives as well as year-round community programs. The facility itself was listed as a National Historic Landmark District in 2003.

Sherwood Forest is an area within the town of Becket, Massachusetts. Originally established as a vacation community in the 1960s, the Sherwood Forest Road Maintenance District was established in 1982 with the approval of the Massachusetts State Senate and signed into existence by Governor of Massachusetts Edward J. King. The Sherwood Forest Lake District was established in 2010 to take over maintenance of the community's three lakes and their associated dams. Through agreement between the town and Sherwood Forest Enterprises, the real estate development company that created the area, the town of Becket is not responsible for things such as asphalt road maintenance and snow removal. Named after Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, with its association with the legend of Robin Hood, this area has street names that include the following: Maid Marion Lane, Little John Drive, Prince John Drive, King Arthur Drive, Knight Drive, Sir Galahad Drive, Whistling Arrow, Nottingham Courts, Nottingham Circle, Alan A Dale Drive, King Richard Drive, King Richard Lane, Sir George Drive, Black Arrow Way, Golden Knight Lane, Jester's Lane, Jester's Court, Golden Knight Court, Bowman's Lane, Minstrel's Way, Flaming Arrow Lane, Prince Paul Path, Prince Paul Lane, Castle Lane, Olde Carriage Road, Robin Hood Lane, Woodmen's Lane, Forest Lane, Blue-Bowar Lane, Arrowhead Lane, Woodmen's Path, Sir Edward's Way, King Richards Court, Singing Sword Lane, Excalibur Drive, Green Wood Court, Hill-top Court, Mountain Dale Court, Pine Dale Court, Pine Dale Circle, Sir Walter Road, Sir Walter Lane, Count Edward's Way, Excalibur Court, Excalibur Lake Drive, Lady of the Lake Courts

The Western Railroad Stone Arch Bridges and Chester Factory Village Depot is a National Historic Landmark District extending through parts of the towns of Chester, Middlefield, and Becket, Massachusetts. It encompasses a section of the historic Western Railroad railbed, two stone bridges constructed in the 1840s under the direction of George Washington Whistler, and the c. 1862 railroad depot in the village of Chester Factory, which served the railroad as an important logistics point for the difficult crossing of The Berkshires to the west. The section of railroad was the most expensive the company had to build, costing over $1 million in 1840. A hiking trail providing viewing points to the lower seven bridges was opened in 2004. All of the bridges are viewable via whitewater-appropriate watercraft from the river. These properties were designated a National Historic Landmark in 2021, in recognition of its importance in the development of railroad technologies. The graded crossing of the hills between Chester and the New York state line was an engineering challenge on a scale that had not previously been attempted by railroad engineers, and its success proved the ability of railroads to traverse steep grades using just friction. The railroad was also the first inter-regional railroad, connecting the network of eastern New England to that of upstate New York. The Chester Factory depot was an important stopping point for the railroad, where additional engines were added to westbound trains prior to traversing the steeper grades to the west. The Chester Factory depot is a contributing element of the Chester Factory Village Historic District. The two stone bridges included in the landmark designation, as well as the historic roadbed, are part of the Middlefield–Becket Stone Arch Railroad Bridge District; the bridges are listed as numbers 5 and 6 in that collection.

The Middlefield–Becket Stone Arch Railroad Bridge District is a historic district extending through parts of the towns of Chester, Middlefield, and Becket, Massachusetts. The district encompasses a 3.7-mile (6.0 km) stretch of railroad right of way in which there are ten bridge crossings, including nine over the west branch of the Westfield River. The bridges were built in four time periods: 1840, 1866, 1912, and 1928. Nine of the ten bridges are stone or concrete masonry work, and one is a truss girder bridge. All are, with only minor exceptions, in excellent and original condition. The bridges were built to carry the Western Railroad through on its run from the Connecticut River to the Hudson River. This section of railroad was the most expensive the company had to build, costing over $1 million in 1840. The 1840 bridges were designed by George Washington Whistler, and constructed by the firm of Alexander Birney. Of the original nine stone bridges built, only three survive, all of which are now out of service. Some of the bridges were either demolished or encased in concrete during work performed in 1912 and 1927, and one bridge was demolished in 1927. One of the listed bridges (#4) was built of concrete in 1912, adjacent to one of the 1840 stone bridges (#3) that was taken out of service. The one steel truss bridge was built in 1912 by the Pennsylvania Steel Company. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. A hiking trail providing viewing points to the lower seven bridges was opened in 2004. All of the bridges are viewable via whitewater-appropriate watercraft from the river.