Stockbridge, Massachusetts

Stockbridge is a town located in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 2,276. It is the setting for Arlo Guthrie's song "Alice's Restaurant", and home to the non-profit Berkshire Botanical Garden. It is also the location of the Austen Riggs Center, a notable psychiatric hospital famous for its association with Erik H. Erikson.

History

Stockbridge was first settled in 1734 and was officially incorporated in 1739. The painter Norman Rockwell lived and did much of his most famous work in Stockbridge. In fact, the Norman Rockwell museum is located in Stockbridge today. Stockbridge was also the home to Mombet late in life. A slave freed via the underground railroad, Mombet worked in the household of the Massachusetts statesman Judge Sedgwick. She is buried in Stockbridge's downtown cemetery.

Related Topics:
1734 - 1739 - Norman Rockwell - Mombet - Judge Sedgwick

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The town was the location of the Stockbridge Indians, who were forced to leave in spite of assistance provided to the American cause during the Revolutionary War and other occasions.

Related Topics:
Stockbridge Indians - Revolutionary War

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