Lee, Massachusetts Lee, Massachusetts Official seal of Lee, Massachusetts Location in Berkshire County and the state of Massachusetts.
Location in Berkshire County and the state of Massachusetts.
Lee is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States settled by.
The populace was 5,943 at the 2010 census. Lee, which includes the villages of South and East Lee, is part of the Berkshires resort area.
Lee was incorporated in 1777 from parts of Great Barrington and Washington.
It is titled after Revolutionary War General Charles Lee. Lee is a former foundry town.
In the autumn of 1786 amid Shays' Rebellion, about 250 followers of Daniel Shays encountered state troops commanded by General John Paterson near East Lee.
In 1806, papermaking became the principal trade with the assembly of the Willow Mill by Samuel Church in South Lee.
In 1827, the Columbia Mill in central Lee was established, and would eventually be the first to supply 100% groundwood newsprint to The New York Times.
By 1857, there were 25 paper mills in Lee.
The mills previously owned by Smith Paper Company were closed in 2008. Today, Lee has only a single papermaking facility.
The town's 19th century prosperity is still evident in its architecture, including its town hall, library, a several churches and private homes.
South Lee includes a historic precinct listed on the National Register.
It is known as the "Gateway to The Berkshires" because it provides one of only two exits on the Massachusetts Turnpike which serve the county, and the only one going eastbound.
Arlo Guthrie's court appearance before the blind judge and his seeing-eye dog for dumping garbage as noted in the song "Alice's Restaurant" took place in the courtroom at the Lee town Hall pictured above.
According to the United States Enumeration Bureau, the town has a total region of 27.0 square miles (70.0 km2), of which 26.1 sq mi (67.7 km2) is territory and 0.89 sq mi (2.3 km2), or 3.22%, is water. Lee is bordered by Lenox to the northwest, Washington to the northeast, Becket to the east, Tyringham in the southeast, Great Barrington to the southwest, and Stockbridge to the west.
Lee is 10 miles (16 km) south of Pittsfield, 42 miles (68 km) west-northwest of Springfield, and 125 miles (201 km) west of Boston.
Lee is positioned in the southern section of the Berkshires, in a valley along the Housatonic River.
The town lies to the west of October Mountain State Forest, with two sections of the forest in Lee.
In the southwest corner of town lies a portion of Beartown State Forest, where Burgoyne Pass crosses the northern end of the mountain.
Lee is positioned along Interstate 90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike), and is home to Exit 2, the westernmost full exit on the turnpike (Exit 1, in West Stockbridge, is only a turnaround exit) as well as the first service region along the Pike.
Massachusetts Route 102's easterly end is positioned at Route 20 at the Exit 2 toll plaza.
Lee lies along the Housatonic Railroad line, which travels from Pittsfield, through Lee to Great Barrington and Sheffield, terminating near at New Milford, Connecticut, near Danbury.
The town is veiled by the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) bus line, which travels between Pittsfield and Great Barrington.
Bradley International Airport, positioned near Hartford, Connecticut, is also a prominent option for travelers, situated approximately 70 miles (110 km) from Lee.
Climate data for Lee, Massachusetts (01238) See also: Lee (CDP), Massachusetts Source: United States Enumeration records and Population Estimates Program data. By population, Lee rates seventh out of the 32 metros/cities and suburbs in Berkshire County, and 227th out of 351 metros/cities and suburbs in Massachusetts.
In the town, the populace was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older.
Lee uses the representative town meeting form of government, and is led by a board of selectmen and a town administrator.
Lee has its own police, fire and enhance works departments, as well as a postal service.
On the state level, Lee is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by the Fourth Berkshire district, which covers southern Berkshire County, as well as the westernmost suburbs in Hampden County.
In the Massachusetts Senate, the town is represented by the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes all of Berkshire County and Hampshire and Franklin counties. The town is home to the First Station of Barracks "B" of the Massachusetts State Police. On the nationwide level, Lee is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, and is represented by Richard Neal of Springfield, Massachusetts.
Massachusetts is presently represented in the United States Senate by senior Senator Elizabeth Warren and junior Senator Ed Markey.
Lee Library in 1909, the only remaining Carnegie library building in the Berkshires Lee operates its own school department, which also serves the town of Tyringham, and has an option to serve Becket, Otis, Sandisfield, and other encircling towns.
Lee Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grades, and the Lee Middle and High School serves students from seventh through twelfth grades.
The nearest improve college is the South County Center of Berkshire Community College in Great Barrington, and the nearest state college is Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
"Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Lee town, Berkshire County, Massachusetts".
Lee Paper Mills -- Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc.
"Monthly Averages for Lee, MA (01238)" (Table).
"TOTAL POPULATION (P1), 2010 Enumeration Summary File 1".
"Massachusetts by Place and County Subdivision - GCT-T1.
"1990 Enumeration of Population, General Population Characteristics: Massachusetts" (PDF).
"1980 Enumeration of the Population, Number of Inhabitants: Massachusetts" (PDF).
"1950 Enumeration of Population" (PDF).
"1920 Enumeration of Population" (PDF).
"1890 Enumeration of the Population" (PDF).
"1870 Enumeration of the Population" (PDF).
State of Massachusetts Table No.
Populations of Cities, Towns, &c.
Populations of Cities, Towns, &c.
Senators and Representatives by City and Town Station B-1, SP Lee Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lee, Massachusetts.
Town of Lee official website Municipalities and communities of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States
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Towns in Berkshire County, Massachusetts - Towns in Massachusetts - Lee, Massachusetts
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