Great Barrington, New England town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts.
Great Barrington is a community in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, set within the Housatonic River valley and surrounded by forested hillsides. The town center features 19th-century brick buildings along Main Street, with residential neighborhoods extending into the nearby countryside.
The area was settled in 1724 when European colonists acquired the land from the Mahican people and established farming communities. William Stanley Jr. demonstrated a working alternating current transformer here in 1885, changing how electricity could be distributed.
The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents concerts, films, and performances while local galleries showcase regional artists throughout the year.
The town center is accessible via Route 7 and Route 23, with parking available near Main Street and at trailheads for nearby walking paths. Several local trails connect to the Appalachian Trail, which passes through the wider region.
The town is considered the birthplace of the first African American newspaper in the state, The Berkshire Star, published in the 1820s. This early publication was one of the first Black-owned periodicals in New England.
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