35-460: Center Cemetery is a historic cemetery on the south side of Sam Hill Road in Worthington, Massachusetts . The 2.4-acre (0.97 ha) cemetery was established c. 1774 (the date of its earliest marker), and continues to be used today. Its burials include many of the founders and early settlers of Worthington, and of families influential in the growth and development of the town. The cemetery listed on
70-470: A "Hampton Indian", a motif resembling a Native American face, that is rarely found outside the Hampton, Connecticut area. The oldest stones are in the lowest, westernmost portion of the cemetery. In these sections, stones are laid out without any sort of family grouping. These are more often seen beginning in the 19th century, with bounded family plot areas found near the cemetery's highest land. The area that
105-704: A comparatively narrow range along New York's eastern border. Also referred to as the Berkshire Highlands, Berkshire Hills, Berkshire Mountains, and Berkshire Plateau, the region enjoys a vibrant tourism industry based on music, arts, and recreation. Geologically, the mountains are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains . The Berkshires were named among the 12 Last Great Places by The Nature Conservancy . The term "The Berkshires" has overlapping but non-identical political, cultural, and geographic definitions. Politically, Berkshire County, Massachusetts ,
140-538: A parade, an antique fair, an exhibit of photographs, a tour of Worthington homes, a play entitled "Bicentennial Quilting Party", and a beard-growing contest. The late 1960s and early 1970s saw more population growth. During the 1980s, the Hilltown Artisans Guild was established. Worthington is in western Hampshire County, bordering the Berkshires . It is bordered by Cummington to the north, Chesterfield to
175-773: Is a landmark destination of 750 acres, 20 historic Shaker buildings, and over 22,000 Shaker artifacts. On the National Historic Register, it is one of the most comprehensively interpreted Shaker sites in the world. The Berkshires lie within the New England/Acadian forests ecoregion . Similarly, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Massachusetts (Griffith et al. 1994) has defined six ecoregions within this area: Taconic Mountains, Western New England Marble Valleys, Lower Berkshire Hills, Berkshire Highlands, Vermont Piedmont, and Berkshire Transition. Each region
210-461: Is discussed by name in the Aaron Lewis song "Massachusetts" and referenced by the population size in "Country Boy". Both songs are on the album Town Line , released in 2011. So I just pass the sign that welcomes me to Worthington Established long before this country came to be A place that hasn't really changed with time The way this country that I love, it used to be The song references
245-404: Is discussed by name in the Aaron Lewis song "Massachusetts" and referenced by the population size in "Country Boy". Both songs are on the album Town Line , released in 2011. Worthington was first settled in 1764 and was officially incorporated in 1768. The town's officials had settled for new land after the settling of Northampton in 1654. In the 1760s, the wilderness that became Worthington
280-484: Is distinct from the others, providing a unique habitat assemblage. Much of the Hoosic and Housatonic River valleys have underlying bedrock limestone and marble which contribute to calcareous wetlands unique in Massachusetts. The alkaline pH waters support a diversity of plants and animals intolerant of more acidic waters, some of which are state-listed rare or endangered. Combined with the rich mesic forests ranging from
315-537: The Housatonic River . The Berkshire hills runs through: The largest municipalities associated with the Berkshires cultural region include Pittsfield , North Adams , Great Barrington , Williamstown , Stockbridge , Lee , and Lenox, Massachusetts . During the American Revolution a Continental Army force under Henry Knox brought captured cannons from Fort Ticonderoga by ox-drawn sleds south along
350-510: The National Register of Historic Places in 2004. Worthington's Center Cemetery is located southwest of the town center, on the south side of Sam Hill Road. The roughly rectangular plot is set off from its surroundings by a stone wall on three sides, with a line of mature sugar maples just inside the walls, and running along the fourth side. The walls at one time had wooden fencing mounted on them, but this has been removed. Movement within
385-688: The United States Census Bureau , Worthington has a total area of 32.1 square miles (83.1 km ), of which 31.9 square miles (82.7 km ) are land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km ), or 0.46%, are water. The town is within the Westfield River watershed, with the Middle Branch of the Westfield River flowing through the western side of the town. At the 2000 census , there were 1,270 people, 503 households and 363 families living in
SECTION 10
#1732856162890420-470: The northern hardwood to the taiga or sub-alpine, the Berkshires have a valuable, biologically diverse ecosystem. The classic study of the vegetation of the Berkshire Highlands was Egler's 1940 monograph, covering the flora of an area stretching roughly from Pittsfield, Massachusetts , in the west to Hatfield, Massachusetts , in the east, and from Goshen, Connecticut , in the south to the Vermont border in
455-504: The Berkshire plateau. The Berkshires and related Green Mountains formed over half a billion years ago when Africa collided with North America , pushing up the Appalachian Mountains and forming the bedrock of the Berkshires. Erosion over hundreds of millions of years wore these mountains down to the hills that we see today. The average regional elevation of the Berkshires ranges from about 700 to 1,200 feet (210 to 370 m). One of
490-849: The Berkshires include Tanglewood Music Center and Boston University Tanglewood Institute in Lenox , the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra ; the Bang on a Can Summer Festival for contemporary music in North Adams ; Shakespeare & Company in Lenox; summer stock theatre festivals such as the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown , Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield ,
525-663: The United States. Generally, "Berkshires" may refer to the range of hills in Massachusetts that lie between the Housatonic and Connecticut Rivers . Highlands of northwest Connecticut may be seen as part of the Berkshires and sometimes called the Northwest Hills or Litchfield Hills. The segment of the Taconic Mountains in Massachusetts is often considered a part of the Berkshires, although they are geologically separate and are
560-531: The age of 18 living with them, 60.8% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% 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 2.96. 24.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 31.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
595-545: The border they fall on. In physical geography, the Berkshires extend from the Housatonic River and Hoosic River valleys in western Massachusetts, to the Connecticut River valley in north-central Massachusetts, and to the foot of the lower Westfield River valley in south-central Massachusetts. In Connecticut, where they are referred to as the Litchfield Hills, they extend east from the upper Housatonic River valley in
630-424: The cemetery is via a turf cart path that skirts its perimeter, just inside the line of trees, and a series of paths laid out in a grid. Most of the over 600 stones are marble, with most of the rest made of granite. Many of the granite markers are made from stone quarried in nearby Goshen , and a number of them bear the marks of locally known stone carvers. One marker, that of Jerome Kinne (d. 1777) has an example of
665-761: The east, Huntington to the southeast, Chester in Hampden County to the south, Middlefield to the southwest, and Peru in Berkshire County to the west. Worthington Center and Worthington Corners are two neighboring villages near the center of the town, while Ringville and South Worthington are in the southeast and West Worthington is in the northwest. Massachusetts Route 112 crosses the town, leading north to Cummington and south to Huntington. Massachusetts Route 143 follows Route 112 briefly northeast from Worthington Corners but leads east to Chesterfield and Williamsburg , and west to Peru and Hinsdale . According to
700-669: The fact that the town of Worthington pre-existed the United States, being settled some twelve years before the end of the Revolutionary War. Composer Rolande Maxwell Young wrote the "Worthington Bicentennial March" in honor of the town's bicentennial in the 1960s. Worthington is home to many agricultural endeavors, including the manufacturing of maple syrup, with three sugar houses open nearly year-round. The Berkshires The Berkshires ( locally / ˈ b ɜːr k ʃ ɪər z , - ʃ ər z / ) are highlands located in western Massachusetts and northwestern Connecticut in
735-625: The high points is Spruce Mountain, at 2,710 feet (830 m). The highest point in the Berkshires physiographic region is Mt. Greylock at 3488 feet. The Housatonic River, Hoosic River, Westfield River , and Deerfield River watersheds drain the Berkshire region in Massachusetts; in Connecticut the main river drainages are the Farmington River , the Naugatuck River , the Shepaug River , and
SECTION 20
#1732856162890770-465: The north. Today, efforts are being made by many organizations to preserve and manage this region for biological diversity and sustainable human development. The Berkshires have numerous shops, motels, hotels, museums, and trails, including part of the Appalachian Trail , large tracts of wilderness and parks Berkshire Botanical Garden and Hebert Arboretum The area includes Bash Bish Falls ,
805-777: The northwest part of the state. Geologically, the Berkshires are bordered on the west by the Taconic Mountains , the south by the Hudson Highlands , and to the east, they are bordered by the Metacomet Ridge . They are on the average 1,000 ft (300 m) lower and less prominent than the Green Mountains of Vermont, and form a broad, dissected plateau punctuated by hills and peaks and cut by river valleys. The Berkshires topography gradually diminishes in profile and elevation from west to east and from north to south, except where rivers have cut deep gorges and sharp bluff faces into
840-579: The royal governor (in office 1760–1769), named the area "Berkshire" to honor his home county in England . In the present, the name of the modern American region is pronounced differently ( BERK -sheer, -shər ) to the modern English County ( BARK-sheer, -shər ). Geologically and physically, the Berkshires are the southern continuation of the Green Mountains of Vermont , distinct from them only by their lower average elevation and by virtue of what side of
875-471: The second Congregational Church burned down. The third and current church, including a steeple, bells, organ, and new stained glass windows, was built on the same site and dedicated in 1888. While the permanent population of farmers and small manufacturers declined steadily, Worthington gradually gained a reputation as a summer resort. A casino on Buffington Hill Road, a hotel, several boarding houses, and many summer homes brought many visitors as well as income to
910-701: The tallest waterfall in Massachusetts. The Berkshire region is noted as a center for the visual and performing arts, many institutions which are associated with Williams College . The art museums include the Norman Rockwell Museum , the Clark Art Institute , the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA), Berkshire Museum , Hancock Shaker Village, and the Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA). Performing-arts institutions in
945-530: The term "Berkshires" includes all of the highland region in western Massachusetts west of the Connecticut River and lower Westfield River . The cultural region also includes the Taconic Mountains bordering New York, which are geologically distinct from the Berkshires orogeny. Southwest Vermont and the Taconic region of New York are occasionally grouped with the Berkshires cultural region. Sir Francis Bernard ,
980-463: The town. The maple sugaring industry expanded into a commercial enterprise during this period. Worthington's population sagged during the 1930s and 40s, reaching its low point of 363 in 1945. With fewer people, Worthington's one-room schools closed, post offices were consolidated, and The Grange was forced to merge with its neighbors. During the winter of 1931, the Lafayette Inn burned to the ground and
1015-445: The town. The population density was 39.6 inhabitants per square mile (15.3/km ). There were 582 housing units at an average density of 18.2 per square mile (7.0/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 98.27% White , 0.31% African American , 0.08% Native American , 0.24% Asian , and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population. There were 503 households, of which 31.8% had children under
1050-612: The west bank of the Hudson River from the fort to Albany , where he then crossed the Hudson. Knox and his men continued east through the Berkshires and finally arrived in Boston . This feat, known as the " Noble train of artillery ", was accomplished in the dead of winter, 1775–1776. The Berkshires is also home to Hancock Shaker Village , which is the oldest continuously working farm in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. Hancock Shaker Village
1085-495: Was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males. The median household income was $ 53,047 and the median family income was $ 60,132. Males had a median income of $ 42,500 compared with $ 26,438 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 24,190. About 1.5% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over. Worthington
Center Cemetery - Misplaced Pages Continue
1120-486: Was formed as a governmental unit in 1761. It includes the western extremity of the state, with its western boundary bordering New York and its eastern boundary roughly paralleling the watershed divide separating the Connecticut River watershed from the Housatonic River and Hoosic River watersheds. However, like most other counties in Massachusetts, the active governmental role of Berkshire County has been abolished, so has no legal or governmental function. Culturally,
1155-696: Was largely unpopulated. The 1840s and 1850s saw the arrival of a new form of transportation: railways. An effort to bring a line through Worthington failed. Although a train station was built in Huntington, many Worthington families began selling their farms and moving to western New York State, Ohio and further west in search of cheap land . By the 1860s, Worthington's population had declined to 925. These were years marked by deep conflict and rapid technological change. The population continued to decline—818 in 1875, 763 in 1885, 569 in 1910—yet in these same decades, many present-day town institutions were established. In 1887,
1190-442: Was never rebuilt. During the 1950s and 1960s, the town began to grow again, a reflection of improved roads. In August 1949, a special town meeting appropriated $ 6,800 to build a new fire house, which was completed the following year. The Palettes and Trowels Club met for the first time in 1950 and became a haven for several Worthington artists. The town's bicentennial celebration in 1968 was held from June 29 to July 6; events included
1225-581: Was the last developed is decorated in part with ornamental plantings. [REDACTED] Media related to Center Cemetery (Worthington, Massachusetts) at Wikimedia Commons Worthington, Massachusetts Worthington is a town in Hampshire County , Massachusetts , United States. The population was 1,193 at the 2020 census , up from 1,156 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area . Worthington
#889110