'MA250' Historical Re-enactment Will Pass Through Berkshire County
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Communities are urged to participate as the state marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution over the next year.
On Friday, state Sen. Paul Mark hosted an information session about MA250, Massachusetts' commemoration of the battles across the state that led to America's independence. Events run until next summer, and $3.5 million in grants has been dispersed for the effort — 14 of the 96 grants going to Berkshire County.
"It's been a really interesting assignment to have for the last three years as we've gone through the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill, and now it's a really great moment for us here in Western Massachusetts," said Mark, who is co-chair of the special commission on the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution.
"We are about to hit the 250th anniversary of the Knox Trail."
The Henry Knox Trail is a network of roads and paths along Col. Henry Knox's route that brought weaponry from Fort Ticonderoga in New York State to the Continental Army camps outside of Boston.
With funding from MA250, the Henry Knox Noble Train of Artillery re-enactment will kick off in January, passing through Great Barrington, Springfield, Worcester, Framingham, Cambridge, Roxbury, and culminating in Boston on Evacuation Day, March 17. This is when British forces left the city in 1776.
"This event will take place with 33 cities and towns across the commonwealth to re-enact this great event that took place when General Washington asked bookstore owner Henry Knox, who traveled to Fort Ticonderoga, N.Y., to bring 51 cannons in the middle of the winter weighing over 1,000 pounds each, to Boston to fortify Boston's Harbor," MA250 Director Sheila Green said.
"The journey is an incredible show of fortitude and might, and will be re-enacted with stops in seven cities."
She described the re-enactment as an "extraordinary collaboration" between communities, public service committees, the National Parks Service, the state Department of Conservation, and more. It will also bring foot traffic to local businesses, she added.
Gov. Maura Healey kicked off the Massachusetts 250 campaign in September 2024 as a two-year, statewide effort of "lifting and promoting the revolutionary greatness of every community in our state."
Some $3.5 million in grants have been dispersed for local history, education, cultural programming, heritage preservation, and tourism initiatives. Local awardees include 1Berkshire, the Norman Rockwell Museum, Hancock Shaker Village, The Adams Theater, and the town of Alford.
"These grants position our state as a national leader in commemorating America's story. They embrace the wonderful programs, exhibits, destinations, and performances, to share our history and bring visitors to and within the Commonwealth," Green said.
"… And we are really first. We are first in the revolution, and we are first to represent all of our history, and other states really look to us and how we're leading the way in this initiative."
The Massachusetts Veterans Legacy Trail will catalog more than 1,300 monuments and war memorials across the state, which includes Mount Greylock Veterans War Memorial Tower in Adams.
Green said the trail connects revolutionary beginnings to the present day through stories of service and sacrifice, and "engages visitors and residents with meaningful opportunities to travel and learn and strengthen our local communities by showcasing these untold and little-known stories."
She explained that the goal is to have "visitors come to you," and encouraged sharing historical stories, paintings, and objects. The MA250 website has over 500 events and 200 attractions, and submissions can be made through the website.
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