Savoy is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 692 at the 2010 census.

History

Savoy began its existence within the Massachusetts Colony as part of “Northern Berkshire Township #6”, which included the present-day towns of Adams, North Adams, Cheshire and Lanesborough. The land was auctioned off several times before it was finally purchased by Colonel William Bullock of Rehoboth.

Savoy, or “New Seconk” as it was originally called by its inhabitants, was first settled in 1777 by a group led by Colonel Lemuel Hathaway. The town was officially incorporated in 1797, and was supposedly named for the land’s resemblance to the Duchy of Savoy in France. The town started off with a grazing agrarian industry, before several lumber mills took off in town. The town was very diverse religiously, with several faiths practicing by the mid-19th century. Today the town is mostly a quiet rural community, known for its scenery and natural beauty.

Education

Savoy operates its own elementary school, the Emma L. Miller Memorial Elementary School, which serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Savoy is part of the Northern Berkshire School Union. The town has an arrangement with The Town of Florida to send its middle school students to Gabriel Abbott Memorial School and an agreement with Adams-Cheshire Regional School district to send highschool students to Hoosac Valley High School. There are also private, parochial, charter and vocational schools located in nearby Adams and North Adams.

The nearest community college is Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield. The nearest state college is Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, and the nearest state university is the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 705 people, 287 households, and 202 families residing in the town. By population, Savoy ranks 26th out of the 32 towns in Berkshire County, and 336th out of the 351 Massachusetts cities and towns. The population density was 19.7 people per square mile (7.6/km²), ranking it 27th in the county, and 11th least densely populated in the Commonwealth. There were 326 housing units at an average density of 9.1 per square mile (3.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.45% White, 0.71% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.28% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71% of the population.

There were 287 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 115.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $41,477, and the median income for a family was $50,114. Males had a median income of $36,500 versus $28,182 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,223. About 4.9% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.