The exterior of the current Arcadia Shop, 91 Pittsfield Road, was built by Thomas Steel in 1759. We don’t know where he was born but his son, Thomas Steel, Junior,…
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Mass 54th African Americans Soldiers The Mass 54th was the first unit of African American soldiers to be raised in the North during the Civil War. Massachusetts did not have…
Western Massachusetts was ground zero for Shays’ Rebellion (1786-1788). Lenox people and institutions were part of the action. Not Just Shays; Not Revolution The way most of us heard it,…
The current beautiful Church on the Hill building was dedicated in 1806, replacing an earlier meeting house. In 1906 a centennial celebration was held and the Hon. Francis W. Rockwell…
The First Trinity Church By 1818 the Lenox Anglican community had finally amassed the funds to complete its first church. It was in the center of the village at 33…
Challenges of Early Industry in Lenox The challenges of early rural industry are illustrated by the number of failed attempts to get a working operation going in Lenox Dale (then…
Many of the historic houses of Hawthorne Street are actually in Stockbridge – but they’re often associated with Lenox. Hawthorne Street as we know it did not exist at the…
The Sedgwicks of Lenox set a flavor for 19th century Lenox that lingers to this day, so it is worth reviewing who they were and why they had the influence…
Several authors count Samuel Gray Ward’s (1817-1907) purchase in 1844 of the original Highwood as the beginning of Lenox as a resort community. Ward certainly set the mold for others…
Henry Ward Beecher and Harriet Beecher Stowe Henry Ward Beecher became minister of Plymouth Congregational Church in Brooklyn (shown here with his equally famous sister Harriet Beecher Stowe) in 1847....
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The Lenox Academy The lovely Federalist Academy building (still standing on Main Street) attracted well educated Lenox residents and visitors who would set a tone for future centuries. Although…
By the turn of the 20th century, the episcopal church in Lenox had added four grand looking gilded age buildings to Lenox: church, chapel, and rectory in Lenox village and St….
Started in 1805 and dedicated January 1806, the Church on the Hill remains one of the loveliest buildings in Lenox. Information on the architecture and the nearby burying ground and…
Repression in Response to Desperation The farmers of rural Massachusetts had been struggling with debt and the non-responsiveness of their representatives since before the end of the Revolutionary War. By…
Lenox Becomes the County Seat in 1782 In November of 1782* the Massachusetts state Legislature appointed a committee of three men to visit Berkshire County and pick a location more…
What was the end of the Revolutionary War like in Lenox? This is another instance where we’ll have to guess from information about the general state of affairs. Major Fighting…
What was a Loyalist in Lenox? It may have been something different than a loyalist in New York or New Jersey where loyalists were more prevalent and the war was…
We know of no eye-witness accounts of Revolutionary War service by Lenox enlisted men. However, Joseph Plumb Martin from Becket gives a fascinating and colorful picture of what life would…
Although no shots were fired, the Revolution in the Berkshires could have been said to have begun in 1774. The revolt of 1774 was a demonstration by Berkshire and Litchfield…
On July 14, 1774 one hundred and nine Lenox men made their first official act of rebellion against the British empire by signing an agreement not to buy British manufactured…
We’ve discussed the economic and political reasons for the Revolution, but there were also emotions that drove colonial Lenox citizens to endure eight years of war and sacrifice. Idealistic reasons…
Almost up to the time of the American Revolution, Lenox residents probably would have been satisfied that they could have the rights of self government to which they were accustomed…
Because records are limited for early Lenox, we probably will not be able to draw conclusions about why Lenox in particular took up the cause of independence from Great Britain….
Yes the Bidwell House is in Monterey, but like many historic homes in Lenox it requires intelligent intervention to remain standing and to be true to its historic heritage. Not…
We continue to follow Oliver Osborne’s journal – picking up from January 1861. Here are some comments on the remainder of 1861 -it was a momentous year for the world…
Lenox Water System – Meeting Challenges The clear, drinkable water we get from our taps is easy to take for granted. Lenox is fortunate to live in a region with…
Oliver Webster Osborn (1823-1895) is very fondly remembered by Lenox historians because he compiled “The East Street Book.” Oliver hand wrote this wonderful description of East Street families as of…
Church on the Hill Burying Ground Lenox received three acres for a burying ground in 1770 and the first burial took place the following year. The Church on the Hill…
Born to a wealthy New York family in 1835, Annie Haggerty Shaw represents both the Berkshire Civil War widows and the “first generation” of Lenox summer homeowners. Her parents, Elizabeth…
Although born in Great Barrington in 1798 (not Lenox), Anson Jones is a colorful example of the many Lenox residents who moved on in the early 19th century to New…
William Walker was born in Rehoboth in 1751. This location is not far from one of the early Puritan settlements, and he is undoubtedly one of the many Lenox settlers…
He was born in Sheffield in 1757, son of Seth Eggleston and Rachel Church Eggleston. Like many of his generation, his father was born in Westfield and emigrated west –…
From Surveys Completed 2011-2012 by the Lenox Historical Commission ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION: This Federal period dwelling is wood framed, two stories tall and has a 5-bay, center entrance facade. There is…