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Becket, Massachusetts

1765 establishments in the Province of Massachusetts BayBecket, MassachusettsPopulated places established in 1765Towns in Berkshire County, MassachusettsTowns in Massachusetts
Use mdy dates from March 2012
Becket Arts Center
Becket Arts Center

Becket is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,931 at the 2020 census.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Becket, Massachusetts (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Becket, Massachusetts
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Wikipedia: Becket, MassachusettsContinue reading on Wikipedia

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N 42.331944444444 ° E -73.083333333333 °
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Becket Washington School

Main Street

Massachusetts, United States
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Becket Arts Center
Becket Arts Center
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Sherwood Forest, Massachusetts
Sherwood Forest, Massachusetts

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

Western Railroad Stone Arch Bridges and Chester Factory Village Depot
Western Railroad Stone Arch Bridges and Chester Factory Village Depot

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.

Middlefield–Becket Stone Arch Railroad Bridge District
Middlefield–Becket Stone Arch Railroad Bridge District

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.