Pittsfield, city in Berkshire County, located in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, on headstreams of the Housatonic River. A winter and summer resort area, the city contains facilities for the research and development of plastics. Paper is also manufactured here. The city is home to Berkshire Community College (1960). Nearby attractions include Hancock Shaker village (inhabited 1790-1960) and “Arrowhead,” the home of American writer Herman Melville from 1850 to 1863. Tanglewood, a former estate located about 10 km (about 6 mi) from the city, is the summer home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The Berkshire Music Festival has been held at Tanglewood every summer since 1937; in 1940 the Berkshire Music Center was opened in conjunction with the festival. Pittsfield was settled in 1761, and incorporated as a city in 1890. The city is named for the British statesman William Pitt, 1st earl of Chatham. Population 51,974 (1980); 48,622 (1990); 45,793 (2000).
