Berkshire is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Tioga County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 1,485. The town is named after Berkshire County,

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. The Town of Berkshire is in the northeastern part of the county and is northwest of Binghamton and southeast of Ithaca.

History

Purchase rights to the Native American lands in the area were awarded to the

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

as part of the Boston Ten Townships, by the Treaty of Hartford in 1786. (New York retained the right to govern the land.) Massachusetts sold these rights to private individuals in 1788. The first settlers arrived around 1791. It was originally called "Browns Settlement." The Town of Berkshire was established in 1808 from the Town of Union while in Broome County. In 1822, Berkshire was made part of Tioga County. The Town of Newark Valley, as the "Town of Westfield," was created from part of Berkshire in 1828. An additional part of Berkshire was lost in 1831, to found the Town of Richford, then called "Arlington." Within the confines of Berkshire, the Lyman P. Akins House, Levi Ball House, Belcher Family Homestead and Farm, Deodatus Royce House, the J. Ball House, and the J. B. Royce House and Farm Complex, are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and 0.03% is water. The eastern town line of Berkshire is the border of Broome County, and part of the western town line is the border of Tompkins County. New York State Route 38 is a north–south highway in the town.

Demographics

As of the 2000

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

, there were 1,366 people, 506 households, and 384 families in the town. The population density was . There were 561 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.76%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.37%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.44% Native American, 0.07% Asian, and 0.37% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.37% of the population. There were 506 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.07. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $37,625, and the median income for a family was $43,676. Males had a median income of $29,620 versus $22,865 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $16,735. About 6.5% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the Town of Berkshire

*Berkshire – The

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

of Berkshire is located where County Roads 8, 10, and NY-38 converge. The community is in the center of the town and was first settled ''circa'' 1795. The Robert Akins House, J. Ball House, Stephen Ball House, Calvin A. Buffington House, First Congregational Church, Lebbeus Ford House, Nathaniel Bishop Collins House, and Berkshire Village Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. *East Berkshire – A hamlet east of Berkshire village on County Road 10. The East Berkshire United Methodist Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. *Wilson Creek – A hamlet in the southeastern part of the town, named after a nearby stream.

References

External links

The Town of Berkshire

Information about Berkshire, NY
{{authority control Binghamton metropolitan area Towns in Tioga County, New York Towns in New York (state)