Editing Clarksburg, Massachusetts

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Clarksburg, Massachusetts
|official_name            = 
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = 
|image_skyline            = Clarksburg Town Hall.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Clarksburg Town Hall on an autumn day in 2004.
|image_seal               = Seal of Clarksburg, Massachusetts.png
|image_flag               = Flag_of_Clarksburg,_Massachusetts.png
|image_shield=Logo of Clarksburg, Massachusetts.png
| image_blank_emblem = Wordmark of Clarksburg, Massachusetts.png
| blank_emblem_type  = Wordmark
| blank_emblem_size  = 100px
| blank_emblem_alt   =  
| blank_emblem_link  = List of U.S. county and city insignia
|image_map                = Berkshire County Massachusetts incorporated and unincorporated areas Clarksburg highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 260px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Berkshire County, Massachusetts|Berkshire County]] and [[Massachusetts]].
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Massachusetts]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Massachusetts|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Berkshire County, Massachusetts|Berkshire]]
|established_title        = Settled
|established_date         = 1764
|established_title2       = Incorporated
|established_date2        = 1798
|established_title3       = 
|established_date3        = 
|government_type          = [[Open town meeting]]
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = <!--Board of <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Selectmen-->
|leader_name1             = 
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 33.3
|area_total_sq_mi         = 12.8
|area_land_km2            = 33.0
|area_land_sq_mi          = 12.8
|area_water_km2           = 0.2
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.1
|population_as_of         = 2020
|settlement_type          = [[New England town|Town]]
|population_total         = 1657
|population_density_km2   = auto
|population_density_sq_mi = 
|elevation_m              = 347
|timezone                 = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_ft             = 1138
|coordinates              = {{coord|42|43|1|N|73|5|34|W|region:US-MA|display=inline,title}}
|website                  = {{URL|http://clarksburgma.us}}
|postal_code_type         = ZIP code
|postal_code              = 01247
|area_code                = [[Area code 413|413]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 25-14010
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0619417
|footnotes                = 
}}
'''Clarksburg''' is a [[New England town|town]] in [[Berkshire County, Massachusetts|Berkshire County]], [[Massachusetts]], United States. It is part of the [[Pittsfield, Massachusetts|Pittsfield]], [[Massachusetts]] [[Metropolitan Statistical Area]]. The population was 1,657 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US2500314010 |title=Census - Geography Profile: Clarksburg town, Berkshire County, Massachusetts |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=November 14, 2021}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Welcome sign in Clarksburg, Massachusetts (1962).png|thumb|upright|left|Clarksburg in the early 1960s]]
Clarksburg was first settled in 1764 and officially incorporated in 1798.

Captain Matthew Ketchum, Colonel William Bullock, and Nicholas Clark are credited with settling the area in 1769; Clark later became Clarksburg's namesake.  The town began as a mostly agrarian community, with mills springing up along the waterways in the nineteenth century.  The major mills were one to make cashmere, and several mills supplied gunpowder during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]].  However, the industry was stopped by the town after one of the mills exploded in 1869.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.berkshireweb.com/themap/clarksburg/clarksburg.html |title=Clarksburg, Massachusetts - The BerkshireWeb |access-date=February 24, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080211195008/http://www.berkshireweb.com/themap/clarksburg/clarksburg.html |archive-date=February 11, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Geography==
[[Image:Clarksburg Road Sign.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The town line along the Mohawk Trail]]
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|12.8|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|12.8|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.1|sqmi|km2}} (0.62%) is water.

Clarksburg is located at 42°42'42.86"N,73°05'02.97"W. Clarksburg is bordered by [[Pownal, Vermont|Pownal]] and [[Stamford, Vermont|Stamford]], [[Vermont]] on the north, [[Florida, Massachusetts|Florida]] on the east, [[North Adams, Massachusetts|North Adams]] on the south, and [[Williamstown, Massachusetts|Williamstown]] on the west.

The town is bordered on two sides by mountains, with East Mountain and Bald Mountain to the west, and the [[Hoosac Range]] to the east. Between the two ranges, Hudson Brook and the north branch of the [[Hoosic River]] flow through the valley, merging just south of the town line.  In the northern part of the valley is [[Clarksburg State Park]], operated by the state's [[Department of Conservation and Recreation (Massachusetts)|Department of Conservation and Recreation]]. The park is home to Mauserts Pond and offers picnicking, hiking, and camping, as well as other recreational activities.  On the Vermont side of the border lies the [[Green Mountain National Forest]]. The [[Appalachian Trail]] crosses from north to south through the town, passing just west of the peak of East Mountain, the highest point in town, at {{convert|2300|ft}}.

[[Massachusetts Route 8|Route 8]] is the only state route through town, and is the main road. The nearest interstate highway is [[Interstate 91]], which is {{convert|35|mi}} east of town along [[Massachusetts Route 2|Route 2]], also known as the [[Mohawk Trail]], which ends just south of town and whose hairpin turn is located just within the town border near the town's southeast corner.

There is no rail service in town, and the nearest bus services are located in North Adams. The nearest regional airport is Harriman and West Airport in North Adams, and the nearest airport with national service is the [[Albany International Airport]].

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations | type=USA | align=left
 | 1850|384
 | 1860|420
 | 1870|686
 | 1880|724
 | 1890|884
 | 1900|943
 | 1910|1207
 | 1920|1136
 | 1930|1296
 | 1940|1317
 | 1950|1630
 | 1960|1741
 | 1970|1987
 | 1980|1871
 | 1990|1745
 | 2000|1686
 | 2010|1702
 | 2020|1657
 | 2022*|1643
 | footnote=* = population estimate.  {{Historical populations/Massachusetts municipalities references}}<ref>{{cite web | title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2022| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] | access-date=November 10, 2023 | url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=March 21, 2015 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2010, there were 1,702 people, 675 households, and 507 families residing in the town.  Clarksburg ranks 20th out of 32 towns in Berkshire County by population, and 302nd out of 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts.  The population density was {{convert|133|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}, making it the 9th most densely populated town in the county and the 273rd in the Commonwealth.  There were 715 housing units at an average density of {{convert|55.9|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 98.8% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.2% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.12% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]]. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.9% of the population.

There were 675 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 19, 4.4% from 20 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 31.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.6 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $57,600, and the median income for a family was $62,639. Males had a median income of $49,038 versus $39,063 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $28,274.  About 3.5% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.

==Government==
Clarksburg uses the [[open town meeting]] form of government, and is governed by a [[board of selectmen]] and a town administrator.  As of September 2024, the town no longer has its own police department.<ref>[https://www.wamc.org/news/2024-09-20/clarksburg-is-preparing-to-shutter-its-police-department-as-its-chief-serves-his-final-shift-today WAMC - Clarksburg preparing to shutter police department]</ref> The town has its own volunteer fire department, and has its own public services.  The town has its own library, the Clarksburg Town Library, which is connected to the regional library system.  The nearest hospital, North Adams Regional Hospital, closed in 2014 and was renamed as the North Adams Campus of Berkshire Medical Center, which had numerous outpatient healthcare services. Ten years to the day of its closing, on March 28, 2024, it reopened as a hospital after serving as a 24-hour emergency hospital and de facto urgent care facility.

On the state level, Clarksburg is represented in the [[Massachusetts House of Representatives]] by the First Berkshire district, which covers northern Berkshire County, as well as portions of Franklin County.  In the [[Massachusetts Senate]], the town is represented by the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes all of Berkshire County and western Hampshire and Franklin Counties.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mass.gov/legis/citytown.htm |title=Senators and Representatives by City and Town |access-date=February 24, 2008 |archive-date=September 29, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929115141/http://www.mass.gov/legis/citytown.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The town is patrolled by the Fourth (Cheshire) Station of Barracks "B" of the [[Massachusetts State Police]].<ref>[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]</ref>

On the national level, Clarksburg is represented in the [[United States House of Representatives]] as part of [[Massachusetts's 1st congressional district]], and has been represented by [[Richard Neal]] of [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]] since January 2013. Massachusetts is represented in the [[United States Senate]] by senior Senator [[Elizabeth Warren]] and junior Senator [[Ed Markey|Edward Markey]].

==Education==
The town operates its own elementary school, Clarksburg Elementary, which serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade.  At high school age the town sends its students to [[Drury High School]] in [[North Adams, MA]].  Students also have the option of applying to attend [[Charles H. McCann Technical High School]] also in North Adams, and [[Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter Public School]] in Adams. There are also private schools in North Adams and Williamstown which accept students from the town.

The nearest community college is [[Berkshire Community College]], located in Pittsfield.  The nearest public college is [[Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts]] in neighboring North Adams, and the nearest university is the [[University of Massachusetts Amherst]].  The nearest private college is [[Williams College]] in Williamstown.

==See also==
*[[North Adams Country Club]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Official website}}
{{Berkshire County, Massachusetts}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:Clarksburg, Massachusetts| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Berkshire County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:1798 establishments in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Towns in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1798]]