Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Pittsfield, Massachusetts
nickname = Shire City
motto =


imagesize =
image_caption = Pittsfield City Hall
image_

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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location in Berkshire County in Massachusetts


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Massachusetts
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Berkshire
established_title = Settled
established_date = 1752
established_title2 = Incorporated
established_date2 = 1761
established_title3 =
established_date3 =
government_type = Mayor-council city
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = James M. Ruberto
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 109.6
area_total_sq_mi = 42.3
area_land_km2 = 105.5
area_land_sq_mi = 40.7
area_water_km2 = 4.1
area_water_sq_mi = 1.6
population_as_of = 2000
settlement_type = City
population_total = 45793
population_density_km2 = 434.1
population_density_sq_mi = 1124.3
elevation_m = 317
elevation_ft = 1039
timezone = Eastern
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = Eastern
utc_offset_DST = -4
latd = 42 |latm = 27 |lats = 00 |latNS = N
longd = 73 |longm = 14 |longs = 45 |longEW = W
website = [http://www.pittsfield-ma.org/ www.pittsfield-ma.org]
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 01201
area_code = 413
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 25-53960
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0607643
footnotes =

Pittsfield is the largest city in and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its Zip Code is 01201 (01202 and 01203 are Zip Codes for Pittsfield P.O. Boxes). The population was 45,793 at the 2000 census and remains relatively stable. It is the county seat of Berkshire CountyGR|6, and it continues to be one of the population centers of Western Massachusetts, although the population has declined in recent decades.

In 2006, "Forbes" ranked Pittsfield as #61 in its list of Best Small Places for Business. [ [http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/5/6178.html Pittsfield MA, Best Small Places For Business 2006 - Forbes.com ] ] In 2005, Farmers Insurance ranked Pittsfield 20th in the United States as Most Secure Place To Live (Small Towns fewer than 150,000 residents).Fact|date=December 2007

History

Pittsfield was first settled in 1752 and was officially incorporated in 1761. Royal Governor, Sir Francis Bernard named Pittsfield after British nobleman and politician William Pitt.

A group of young men came and began to clear the land in 1743, but threats of Indian raids associated with the conflict of the French and Indian War soon forced them to leave, and the land remained unoccupied by whites for several more years. Finally in 1752, settlers, many from Westfield, Massachusetts, arrived and a village began to grow, which was incorporated as Pontoosuck Plantation in 1753. By 1761 there were 200 residents and the plantation became the Township of Pittsfield.

By the end of the revolutionary war, Pittsfield had expanded to nearly 2,000 residents. While primarily an agricultural area, because of the many brooks that flowed into the Housatonic River, the landscape was dotted with mills that produced lumber, grist, paper and textiles. With the introduction of Merino sheep from Spain in 1807, the area became the center of woolen manufacturing in the United States, an industry that would dominate the community’s employment opportunities for almost a century.

The town was a bustling metropolis by the late 19th century. In 1891, the City of Pittsfield was incorporated, and William Stanley, who had recently relocated his Electric Manufacturing Company to Pittsfield from Great Barrington, produced the first electric transformer. Stanley’s enterprise was the forerunner of the internationally known corporate giant, General Electric. Thanks to the success of GE, Pittsfield’s population in 1930 had grown to more than 50,000. While GE Advanced Materials (now owned by SABIC-Innovative Plastics) continues to be one of the City’s largest employers, a workforce that once topped 13,000 was reduced to less than 700 with the demise and/or relocation of the transformer and aerospace portions of the General Electric empire.

1902 Presidential Visit

On September 3, 1902 at 10:15 AM, during a two-week tour through New England campaigning for Republican congressmen, the barouche transporting President Theodore Roosevelt from downtown Pittsfield to the Pittsfield Country Club collided head-on with a trolley. Roosevelt, Massachusetts Governor Winthrop Murray Crane, secretary to the president George Bruce Cortelyou, and bodyguard William Craig were thrown into the street. Craig was killed; he was the first Secret Service agent killed while on a presidential protection detail. Roosevelt, whose face and left shin were badly bruised, nearly came to blows with the trolley engineer, Euclid Madden. Madden was later charged with manslaughter, to which he pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to six months in jail and a heavy fine.

Baseball in Pittsfield

In 2004, historian John Thorn discovered a reference to a 1791 by-law prohibiting anyone from playing "baseball" within convert|80|yd of the new meeting house in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. A librarian found the actual by-law in the Berkshire Athenaeum library, and its age was verified by researchers at the Williamstown Art Conservation Center. If authentic and if actually referring to a recognizable version of the modern game, the 1791 document, would be, as of 2004, the earliest known reference to the game in America. See, Origins of baseball. The city has "reprinted" the by-Law with auxiliary documents. [ [http://www.pittsfield-ma.org/subpage.asp?ID=226 City Of Pittsfield: Baseball ] ]

The so-called Broken Window By-Law is the earliest known reference to "baseball" in North America. A finding that baseball was invented in 1839 by Abner Doubleday in Cooperstown provided the rationale for baseball centennial celebrations in 1939, including the opening of a National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in that city. But few historians ever believed it and even the Hall's vice president, Jeff Idelson, has stated that "Baseball wasn't really born anywhere."

Professional baseball was played in Pittsfield's Wahconah Park from 1919 through 2003. From 1989 to 2001, the Pittsfield Mets and Pittsfield Astros (2001 only) represented the city in the New York - Penn League. The Astros have since moved to Troy, New York and are now known as the Tri-City ValleyCats.

Since 2005, Wahconah Park has been the home stadium of the Pittsfield Dukes, a summer collegiate amateur team of the New England Collegiate Baseball League owned by Dan Duquette, former Boston Red Sox general manager. The Dukes have attracted consistently larger crowds to Wahconah Park each summer.

Ulysses Frank Grant, born August 1, 1865 in Pittsfield, MA (died May 27, 1937), was an African American baseball player in the 19th century, who played in the International League and for various independent teams. He is widely considered to have been the greatest African-American player of the 19th century.

Arienti, Stephen 'Nails McGee,' born July 4, 1880, died December 24, 1945. A Major League Baseball player. He made his major league debut for the Brooklyn Superbas on May 15, 1900, and hit a home run in his first at bat. Nails McGee was known for his temper, and developed a reputation as being one of baseball's first hot heads. This resulted in his being hit with several bean balls, ultimately leading to a career ending concussion. Arienti died in his hometown of Pittsfield Mass, in 1945, and is buried in St. Joseph's cemetery.

Ferry, Alfred Joseph 'Cy', born September 27, 1878 , died September 27, 1938. A Major League Baseball Player. He made his major league debut on May 12, 1904, and played his final game on August 4, 1905. Ferry played for the Detroit Tigers in 1904, and the Cleveland Naps in 1905. He died in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in 1938, as is buried there.

Ferry, John Francis 'Jack', born April 7, 1887 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. A Major League Baseball Player. He made his major league debut on September 4, 1910, and played his final game on June 7, 1913. Ferry played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1910 to 1913. He died in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, August 29, 1954.

Mark Belanger, Golden Glove shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, Turk Wendell, relief pitcher for the New York Mets, and Tom Grieve, Outfielder for the Texas Rangers were all from Pittsfield.

Environmental issues

The year 1999 was a milestone for Pittsfield, when negotiations between EPA, the state, General Electric and the City resulted in a landmark settlement – valued at over $250 million – to clean up Pittsfield and the Housatonic River. The settlement was memorialized in a Consent Decree that was entered in federal court the following year, making it a binding legal agreement.Fact|date=August 2008 In the years since the settlement was reached, the EPA, state agencies, the City and GE have undertaken one of the largest and most complex cleanups in the country, while meeting the underlying objectives of the settlement: remediation, revitalization, and restoration. Examples of success are in plain view, most notably along the ancient Housatonic River as it winds through Pittsfield.Fact|date=August 2008 Clean up work is complete on the first previously PCB-laden ½ mile of the Housatonic River, adjacent to the GE facility.Fact|date=August 2008 Exceptional progress has been made on the 1 ½ Mile Reach between Lyman Street and Fred Garner Park.Fact|date=August 2008 The EPA has overcome significant engineering hurdles, allowing this $90 million portion of the EPA clean up to be ahead of schedule and likely completed in late 2006.Fact|date=August 2008 GE has also removed contaminated soil and restored 27 residential properties abutting the river. To date, more than convert|115000|cuyd|m3 of PCB-contaminated sediment, bank, and floodplain soil have been removed from the river and from people's yards.Fact|date=August 2008

Geography

Pittsfield is located at coor dms|42|27|8|N|73|15|6|W|city (42.452184, -73.251530).GR|1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 42.3 square miles (109.6 km²), of which, 40.7 square miles (105.5 km²) of it is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) of it (3.76%) is water. Pittsfield is bordered by Lanesborough to the north, Dalton to the east, Washington to the southeast, Lenox to the south, Richmond to the southwest, and Hancock to the west. Pittsfield is located convert|48|mi|km northwest of Springfield and convert|135|mi|km west of Boston.

Most of the population occupies roughly one quarter of the city's land. Pittsfield lies at the fork of the east and west branches of the Housatonic River, which heads southward from the city towards Long Island Sound. The eastern branch leads down from the hills, while the western branch is fed from Onota Lake and Pontoosuc Lake (which is on the Lanesborough town line). Like much of western Berkshire County, the city lies between the Berkshire Hills to the east, and the Taconic Range to the west. To the west of the city also lies Pittsfield State Forest, a 65 acre park with hiking and cross-country skiing trails, camping, picnic areas, and a swimming beach. Sections of the Housatonic Valley Wildlife Management Area also dot the banks of the river.

Pittsfield is located at the crossroads of U.S. Route 7 and U.S. Route 20 which join together in the city. Route 8 passes through the northeast corner of town, with a portion of it combined with Route 9, the central east-west road through the western part of the state, whose western terminus is in the city at Route 7. Route 41 also begins in the southwest corner of town, heading south from Route 20. The nearest interstate, Interstate 90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike) is located about convert|10|mi|km south in Lee.

Long-distance ground transportation in Pittsfield is based at the Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center which serves as the station for Amtrak trains and Peter Pan buses. The [http://www.berkshirerta.com Berkshire Regional Transit Authority] (BRTA), the transit provider for Pittsfield and vicinity, is based at the Intermodal Center and also uses it as a hub for most of its lines. Rail freight transportation is provided by CSX Transportation and the Housatonic Railroad.

The FBO located at Pittsfield Municipal Airport offers access to the region via private and chartered aircraft ranging from single engine piston to multi-engine jet. They also offer scenic rides and flight training. The nearest airport with national service is Albany International Airport.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 45,793 people, 19,704 households, and 11,822 families residing in the city. Pittsfield is the largest city by population in Berkshire County, and ranks 27th out of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was 1,124.3 people per square mile (434.1/km²), making it the most densely populated community in county and 92nd overall in the Commonwealth. There were 21,366 housing units at an average density of 524.6/sq mi (202.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.58% White, 3.66% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.77% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.04% of the population.

There were 19,704 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,655, and the median income for a family was $46,228. Males had a median income of $35,538 versus $26,341 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,549. About 8.9% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Population trends

Sources: [http://www.umass.edu/miser/index.html Massachusetts Institute for Social and Economic Research] and [http://eire.census.gov/popest/data/cities.php U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division]

Government

Pittsfield employs the mayor-council form of government. Their current mayor is James M. Ruberto, who was elected in 2003. The city is fully functioning, with all the major public services, including Berkshire Medical Center and the region's only VA medical clinic. The city's library, the Berkshire Athenaeum, is one of the largest in western Massachusetts, and is connected to the regional library system. Pittsfield is also the county seat of Berkshire County, and as such has many state facilities for the county.

On the state level, Pittsfield has three representatives to the Massachusetts House of Representatives: the Second Berkshire, which serves most of central Berkshire County as well as portions of Hampshire County and Franklin County; the Third Berkshire, which covers most of the city proper; and the Fourth Berkshire, which covers southern Berkshire County as well as Chester, Blandford and Tolland in Hampden County. In the Massachusetts Senate, the city is represented by the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes all of Berkshire County and western Hampshire and Franklin Counties. [ [http://www.mass.gov/legis/citytown.htm Senators and Representatives by City and Town] ] The city is patrolled by the Fourth (Cheshire) Station of Barracks "B" of the Massachusetts State Police. [ [http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eopsterminal&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Law+Enforcement+%26+Criminal+Justice&L2=Law+Enforcement&L3=State+Police+Troops&L4=Troop+B&sid=Eeops&b=terminalcontent&f=msp_divisions_field_services_troops_troop_b_msp_field_troop_b_station_b4&csid=Eeops Station B-4, SP Cheshire] ]

On the national level, Pittsfield is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, and has been represented by John Olver of Amherst since June 1991. Massachusetts is represented in the United States Senate by senior Senator Ted Kennedy and junior Senator John Kerry.

Education

Pittsfield operates a public school system which currently has over 6,000 students. There are eight elementary schools (Allendale, Robert T. Capeless, Crosby, Egremont, Morningside, Silvio O. Conte, Stearns and Williams), two middle schools (Theodore Herberg and John T. Reid), and two high schools (Pittsfield High School and Taconic High School). The high schools both offer internal vocational programs. Students also come to the high schools from neighboring Richmond. Additionally, there are two parochial schools (Saint Mark's for elementary and middle school students, and St. Joseph Central High School for high school students) and one private school, Miss Hall's School, as well as an alternative school.

Pittsfield is the home to the main campus of Berkshire Community College. The nearest state colleges are Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams and Westfield State College, and the nearest state university is the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The nearest private colleges are Williams College in Williamstown and Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington.

Points of interest

Culture

Pittsfield is the geographic and commercial hub of the culturally-rich Berkshires -- home countless world-renowned institutions like Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Downtown Pittsfield is home to The Berkshire Museum, Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire Athenaeum, Wahconah Park and Hebert Arboretum. In recent years, the city has undergone a transformation downtown with significant investment in the downtown, including new restaurants, condominium and other residential developments and cultural attractions. The community invested more than $22 million to refurbish the 100-year old Colonial Theatre, one of the only theaters of its kind from the Vaudeville age and has been described as the "one of the finest acoustical theaters in the world."

Barrington Stage Company, the Tony Award-winning producer of "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" invested millions into its newly-renovated stage in downtown Pittsfield, along with the development of other stages within the downtown for smaller performances. Barrington Stage's renowned head of its Musical Theatre Lab, William Finn, told the Boston Globe that he is determined to make Pittsfield the "epicenter of the musical theater universe."

The Berkshire Museum, the oldest and most diverse museum in the Berkshires, recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation that incorporated a state-of-the-art air control system that will allow it to attract world-class exhibits, which will make the institution an even greater draw.

Many of the Berkshires' oldest homes, dating to the mid-18th century, can be found in Pittsfield, as well as historic neighborhoods dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.Fact|date=December 2007

Several small multi-generational farms can still be found in Pittsfield, though suburban sprawl and land development have recently claimed some of this land.

* Arrowhead, home of author Herman Melville (1850-1863). It was here that Melville wrote "Moby Dick".
* The Colonial Theater dates from 1903.
* Silvio O. Conte National Archives and Records Administration

Recreation

Pittsfield has several country clubs, including the Pontoosuc Lake Country Club. Pittsfield is also home to the Berkshire Rowing and Sculling Society, located on Onota Lake.

Pittsfield is home to Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, 264 acres (1.1 km²) of woods, fields, and wetlands maintained by the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Bousquet Ski Area and Summer Resort entertains visitors and residents year-round with skiing, water slides, go-karts, and other fun activities.

The Berkshire Bike Path Council is presently working with the City of Pittsfield and local residents to extend the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, a popular 10.8 paved trail located just North of Pittsfield through Pittsfield to Great Barrington, south of Pittsfield and Lenox.

Media

Newspaper

*"The Berkshire Eagle", the main daily newspaper for the Pittsfield area
*"The Pittsfield Gazette", a weekly newspaper devoted to local news, viewpoints, investigative journalism, and city politics

Television

Pittsfield is located in the Albany television market and is the community of license for two stations in that market, My Network TV affiliate WNYA, and a low power TV station, W28DA, which rebroadcasts WNYT on channel 28 from a location on South Mountain in the city. Springfield stations also serve the market with three (WWLP-NBC, WSHM-LP-CBS, WGBY-PBS) on cable. WGGB has never been carried on the cable system in Pittsfield, but is viewable over the air in some sections.. Also carried on cable, but not necessarily serving Pittsfield, is Boston's WCVB (ABC).

Cable television subscribers of TimeWarner Cable in the City of Pittsfield receive Public, Education and Government access channels (PEG Access), provided by Pittsfield Community Television (PCTV), on channels 16, 17 and 18:
*Access Pittsfield, channel 16, Public Access
*Pittsfield ETV, channel 17, Education Access
*Citylink, channel 18, Government Access

Pittsfield Community Television is a not-for-profit, 501 (c)(3) organization and a member of the Alliance for Community Media. Programming on PCTV is available 24 hours per day, year-long, and is available online at www.pittsfieldtv.org.

Radio

Pittsfield is home to (or obtains strong signals from) the following radio stations:
*89.7 MHz WTBR-FM (Variety)
*860 kHz WSBS (AC, licensed to Great Barrington)
*1110 kHz WUPE (Oldies, simulcast of WUPE-FM
*1340 kHz WBRK (Adult Standards)
*1420 kHz WBEC (Talk)
*90.3 MHz WAMC-FM (NPR, licenced to Albany, NY, tower on Mount Greylock)
*91.1 MHz WHVP (Christian-Sound of Life Radio, licenced to Hudson, NY, tower in Chatham, NY)
*93.9 MHz W230AU (Simulcast of WFCR, Western Massachusett's NPR affiliate out of Amherst)
*95.9 MHz WBEC-FM (AC, Tower on Bosquet Mountain)
*100.1 MHz WUPE-FM (Oldies, licensed to North Adams)
*101.7 MHz WBRK-FM (AC)
*102.7 MHz WEQX (Modern Rock, licensed to Manchester, VT)
*104.3 MHz WRRS-LP (Radio Reading Service)
*105.1 MHz WAMQ (NPR Simulcast of WAMC, licensed to Great Barrington) Signals from Albany, New York and Springfield, Massachusetts also reach Pittsfield as well as some signals from Hartford, Connecticut and even Boston depending on location.

One of Pittsfield's oldest radio stations, WBEC-FM 105.5 was sold and relocated to Mount Tom in Holyoke, Massachusetts, where it became a Springfield, Massachusetts radio station (Technically licensed to Easthampton).It relays of WEEI. The move changed over two decades of programming on the Pittsfield dial which moved WBEC-FM as a TOP40 station on 105.5 down to 95.9, WUPE (as oldies) up to 100.1 in North Adams, replacing the Beautiful/EZ format on 100.1 known as WMNB. Recently WBEC 95.9 changed from a HOT AC to an Adult Contemporary format, which was on 95.9 prior to the changes, as "Lite 95.9 WUPE", a mostly satellite driven format.

Business

Pittsfield is home to several businesses, including:
*SABIC-Innovative Plastics (formerly known as General Electric (Plastics/Advanced Materials Division))
*KB Toys - World Headquarters
*Chemex Corporation
*General Systems
*Laurin Publishing, publisher of an international photonics-industry directory, as well as several related periodicals.
*Thaddeus Clapp House, a historic bed and breakfast inn.
*General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems
*Interprint Incorporated
*New England Acupuncture and Herb Clinic
*WorkshopLive, an online music education company specializing in guitar, bass, and keyboard lessons.
*The Moscow Ballet, national touring dance company and producer of the Great Russian Nutcracker.

Notable residents

*Thomas Allen, railroad builder and member of the United States Congresscite book | title = Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896 | publisher = Marquis Who's Who |date=1967]
*William Allen, compiler of the first work of general biography published in the United States
*Elizabeth Banks, actress who performed in the films Seabiscuit, Spider-Man, and The 40 Year Old Virgin
*Mark Belanger, Golden Glove shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles
*Art Ditmar, 1950's pitcher for Pittsburgh Pirates
*Emily Erwin of the Dixie Chicks
*Silvio O. Conte, congressman
*Cy Ferry, major league baseball player for the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Naps in the early years of the American League
*Jack Ferry, major league baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1910s
*Marshall Field, founded Chicago's Marshall Field's department stores, took his first job in 1853 as a clerk in a Pittsfield. The white terra-cotta Pittsfield Building in downtown Chicago is so named because of Field's connection to Pittsfield.
*Daniel Fox, shares credit for the invention of LEXAN plastic
*Frank Grant, famous 19th century African-American baseball player
*Nancy Graves, sculptor and painter
*Tom Grieve, former player & present-day television broadcaster for the Texas Rangers
*Samuel Harrison, Chaplain for the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, one of the first African-American units in the Civil War. The Samuel Harrison House was placed on the list of National Historic Places in 2006.
*Oliver Wendell Holmes, poet, summered in Pittsfield. His mother's family owned 26,000 acres (105 km²) in Pittsfield
*Hung Huynh, season three winner of the reality television show Top Chef, graduate of Pittsfield High School
*Gary H. Kitmacher, NASA manager, Mir Orbital Station integration, designer, International Space Station and lunar base, author, Pittsfield High School graduate [ [http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?N=4294673221 NASA Technical Reports Server ] ] [spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/shuttle-mir/people/oral-histories/kitmacher.pdf] [www.apogeespacebooks.com/Author_Bios/gary_kitmacher.html ] .
*Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poet, educator, linguist owned a home on East Street
*Jay McInerney, author of Bright Lights, Big City (1984) on which the popular film is based
*Gordon McKay, 19th century inventor and industrialist
*Herman Melville, author, resided at Arrowhead in Pittsfield, MA where he wrote his most famous novel, Moby Dick. Herman Melville lived in Pittsfield from 1850 to 1863, during which time he wrote "Moby-Dick", "", "," and "The Piazza Tales." His home, Arrowhead, is maintained as a museum by the Berkshire Historical Society, and visitors can see the peaks of Mount Greylock through the study-window, peaks which reminded Melville of a whale's back. [cite web|url=http://www.mobydick.org/|accessdate=2006-07-06|publisher=The Berkshire Historical Society|title=Herman Melville's Arrowhead] Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote "On the hither side of Pittsfield sits Herman Melville, shaping out the gigantic conception of his 'White Whale,' while the gigantic shape of Graylock [sic] looms upon him from his study-window."
*William Miller, famous 19th century preacher
*Adrian Pasdar, actor
*Chad Paronto, Houston Astros relief pitcher
*Brian Piccolo, Chicago Bears halfback, subject of movie Brian's Song
*William Stanley, invented the first alternating current electrical transformer
*Howie Storie, catcher for the Boston Red Sox during the early 1930s
*James Walter Thompson, 19th century advertising pioneer
*Elkanah Watson, author and agriculturist, in 1810 held the first county fair in the country in Pittsfield
*Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric
*Robin Williams, actor who maintains a summer home in Pittsfield
*Stephanie Wilson, astronaut
*Kevin Davis, pilot who died in the 2007 Blue Angels South Carolina crash

Sister cities

Pittsfield has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:
*flagicon|IRL Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland
*flagicon|ITA Cava de' Tirreni, Italy
*flagicon|KOR Cheongju, South Korea
*flagicon|NIC Malpaisillo, Nicaragua

References

External links

* [http://www.pittsfield-ma.org/ City of Pittsfield, Massachusetts "Official Website"]
* [http://www.berkshirehistory.org/ Berkshire Historical Society]
* http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/05/11/pittsfield_stakes_its_claim_in_baseball_history/
* [http://www.davidpietrusza.com/Wahconah-Park.html Wahconah Park]
* [http://www.myspace.com/pittsfieldmassachusetts/ Pittsfield's MySpace Page]