Historical Markers
A girl with a t - shirt that says i am black history - black history sites

Self-guided · County in Massachusetts

Black History Sites in Berkshire County, MA

Schools, churches, cemeteries and neighborhoods built and kept by Black Americans, listed with the history on the record.

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Photo: Anthony McKissic on Unsplash

Berkshire County is one of 14 counties in Massachusetts. Black History Sites are spread across the country in places most people would not guess. The list below shows how close the nearest ones are to Berkshire County, MA.

People sitting on chairs near black metal fence during daytime - black history sites
Photo: Derek Lamar on Unsplash
A young African American woman casting her ballot in 1964 - black history sites
Photo: Unseen Histories on Unsplash
Rosa Parks gives a speech at the Poor Peoples March in 1968 - black history sites
Photo: Unseen Histories on Unsplash

On the record near Berkshire County, MA

The 12 nearest

17 listed sites on the record match black history sites within 120 miles of Berkshire County, MA, out of 135 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 93 listed sites carry Berkshire County as their county.

  1. Clinton African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church20 miles from the center of Berkshire County · Building · Great Barrington · listed 2008National Register of Historic Places
  2. Goodwin Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church36 miles from the center of Berkshire County · Building · Amherst · listed 2000National Register of Historic Places
  3. Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church54 miles from the center of Berkshire County · Building · Hartford · listed 1994National Register of Historic Places
  4. AME Zion Church of Kingston and Mt. Zion Cemetery55 miles from the center of Berkshire County · District · Kingston · listed 2021National Register of Historic Places
  5. Smith Metropolitan AME Zion Church63 miles from the center of Berkshire County · Building · Poughkeepsie · listed 1991National Register of Historic Places
  6. Newburgh Colored Burial Ground78 miles from the center of Berkshire County · Site · City of Newburgh · listed 2010National Register of Historic Places
  7. Goffe Street Special School for Colored Children80 miles from the center of Berkshire County · Building · New Haven · listed 1979National Register of Historic Places
  8. African--American Cemetery, The85 miles from the center of Berkshire County · Site · Montgomery · listed 1996National Register of Historic Places
  9. Little Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church101 miles from the center of Berkshire County · Building · Greenwich · listed 2010National Register of Historic Places
  10. Foster Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church101 miles from the center of Berkshire County · Building · Tarrytown · listed 1982National Register of Historic Places
  11. Mount Moor African--American Cemetery102 miles from the center of Berkshire County · Site · Clarkstown · listed 1994National Register of Historic Places
  12. African Cemetery106 miles from the center of Berkshire County · Site · Rye · listed 2003National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Berkshire County, MA. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Black History Sites in Berkshire County, step by step

  1. 1

    Read the short history of the period for this area

  2. 2

    Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter

  3. 3

    Visit the nearest site and read its full record

  4. 4

    Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest

  5. 5

    Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in Berkshire County, MA ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Berkshire County, MA?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Berkshire County, MA?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Berkshire County

  1. Step 1

    Find the place

    Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Berkshire County, MA the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Read the story

    The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.

  3. Step 3

    Get there under your own power

    Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Berkshire County, MA are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.

  4. Step 4

    Collect it and come back

    Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.

The rules that make it work

The record comes first

Every site on these pages comes from a published register or marker program, with its source named. Nothing is listed that is not on the record.

Read the whole story

A marker is a few lines on a post. The story behind it is longer, and it includes the hard parts. Both are worth the stop.

Movement makes it stick

People remember the places they walked to. A route through five markers teaches more than fifty marker pages read on a couch.

Local beats famous

The marker two streets over usually has a better story than the one in the guidebook, and nobody else is standing in front of it.

Respect the ground

Many sites are private homes, working churches or cemeteries. View from the public way, follow posted hours, and leave it as you found it.

Every visitor can improve it

Markers go missing, get moved, or carry mistakes. A photo or a location fix from the person standing there is how the record stays right.

More ways in around Berkshire County, MA

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Black History Sites near Berkshire County

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