| Introduction | Historical Background | Chronology | Geography | Biography | Technology | Ownership and Financing | General Bibliography |
| New England States | Massachusetts | Lenox |
Lenox was first settled in 1750 and incorporated as a town in 1767.
The Lenox Water Company was incorporated in 1857 by Henry W. Bishop, Oliver P. Tanner, and Edwards Pierrepont "for the purpose of supplying the inhabitants of Lenox, in the county of Berkshire, with pure water."
A second Lenox Water Company was incorporated in 1867 by Henry W. Taft, Andrew J. Waterman, William O. Curtis, "for the purpose of supplying the inhabitants of Lenox with pure water."
The above two companies did not build anything.
A third Lenox Water Company was incorporated in 1874 by Julius Rockwell, William O. Curtis, and Thomas Post "for the purpose of supplying the town of Lenox with pure water." This company built a water system distributing water from an elevated reservoir fed by springs, with supplemental pumping from the Housatonic River used as necessary.
The Pleasant Valley Water Company was incorporated in 1887 by Elizur Smith, Wellington Smith and DeWitt S. Smith of the town of Lee "for the purpose of furnishing the inhabitants of the village of Pleasant Valley, situated partly in said town of Lee and partly in the adjoining town of Lenox, with water for the extinguishment of fires and for domestic, sanitary and other purposes." This company did not build anything.
The Aspinwall Water Company was incorporated in 1904 by DeWitt Bruce, Thomas Baker, Thomas Briant, Bridget M. Mahanna, Frank C. Hagyard, Michael E. Mahanna, James Whyte, Richard A. Stanley and Richard O'Brien to supply water to a portion of the town of Lenox around the Aspinwall Hotel. This company built a water system that served the hotel area. A 1931 fire occurred when the water system was shut down for the winter, and the hotel was destroyed.
The town of Lenox purchased the Lenox Water Company for $173,000 on December 31, 1947 under the municipal purchase option in the company's charter.
Water is provided by the
Town
of Lenox.
References
1857 An act to incorporate the Lenox Water
Company. May 21, 1857.
1867 An act to incorporate the Lenox Water Company. April 2, 1867.
1874 An act to incorporate the Lenox Water Company. April 28, 1874.
1882 Lenox, from Engineering News 9:67 (February 25, 1882)
1887 An act to incorporate the Pleasant Valley Water Company. May 16, 1887.
1888 "Lenox," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.
1890 "Lenox," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.
1891 "Lenox," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.
1895 An act to authorize the Lenox Water Company to supply a portion of the town of Richmond with water. June 5, 1895.
1897 An act to extend the powers of the Berkshire Water Company. April 2, 1897.
1897 "Lenox," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.
1904 An act to incorporate the Aspinwall Water Company. April 13, 1904.
1911 An
Act to authorize the city of Pittsfield to take land or easements for
water mains for the purpose of conducting water from the Farnham
Reservoir, so-called, in Washington to the city of Pittsfield.
June 22, 1911.
Section 3. The city of Pittsfield is hereby authorized to supply
water for domestic purposes, and for the extinguishment of fires, to that
part of the town of Lenox called New Lenox which is within two miles of
the northeast corner of said town.
[2015?] History of Lenox Water System Facilities, by Jeff Vincent, former director of the Lenox Department of Public Works.
2015 Lenox Water System, Lenox History
© 2017 Morris A. Pierce