Main Street Historic District (Additional Documentation)

Main Street in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, forms the spine of the town's historic central village, known historically as the Plain. The mile-long district runs from Tuckerman Bridge over the Housatonic River to Laurel Hill park, taking in the Town Square, an Indian Burial Ground that predates English settlement, the Red Lion Inn, churches, a library, a school and large Federal mansions. Monuments mark most intersections, including the Jonathan Edwards column, the Cat and Dog Fountain and a Civil War memorial. Mission House, a 1750s Georgian building moved here and restored in 1928, is a museum on the street. Of 110 contributing resources, only nine outbuildings do not contribute. The district reflects the area's shift from a Mohican settlement and mission to a Federal-era home for prosperous lawyers and merchants, then a summer resort and tourist destination. Since 1853 the Laurel Hill Association has overseen the village's appearance, keeping signage and clutter to a minimum.