GREAT BARRINGTON

great barrington, a township of berkshire county, massachusetts, u.s.a., on the housatonic river, in the berkshire hills, about 25 m. s.w. of pittsfield. pop. (1890) 4612; (1900) 5854, of whom 1187 were foreign-born; (1910 census) 5926. its area is about 45 sq. m. the township is traversed by a branch of the new york, new haven & hartford railroad, and the berkshire street railway (controlled by the n.y., n.h. & h.) has its southern terminus here. within the township are three villages--great barrington (the most important), housatonic and van deusenville; the first two are about 5 m. apart. the village of great barrington, among the hills, is well known as a summer resort. the congregational church with its magnificent organ (3954 pipes) is worthy of mention. there is a public library in the village of great barrington and another in the village of housatonic. monument mt. (1710 ft.), partly in stockbridge, commands a fine view of the berkshires and the housatonic valley. the sedgwick school (for boys) was removed from hartford, connecticut, to great barrington in 1869. there are various manufactures, including cotton-goods (in the village of housatonic), and electric meters, paper, knit goods and counterpanes (in the village of great barrington); and marble and blue stone are quarried here; but the township is primarily given over to farming. the fair of the housatonic agricultural society is held here annually during september; and the district court of south berkshire sits here. the township was incorporated in 1761, having been, since 1743, the "north parish of sheffield"; the township of sheffield, earlier known as the "lower housatonic plantation" was incorporated in 1733. great barrington was named in honour of john shute (1678-1734), viscount barrington of ardglass (the adjective "great" being added to distinguish it from another township of the same name). in 1761-1787 it was the shire-town. great barrington was a centre of the disaffection during shays's rebellion, and on the 12th of september 1786 a riot here prevented the sitting of court. samuel hopkins, one of the most eminent of american theologians, was pastor here in 1743-1769; general joseph dwight (1703-1765), a merchant, lawyer and brigadier-general of massachusetts militia, who took part in the louisburg expedition in 1745 and later in the french and indian war, lived here from 1758 until his death; and william cullen bryant lived here as a lawyer and town clerk in 1816-1825. see c. j. taylor, _history of great barrington_ (great barrington, 1882).