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Salisbury, Massachusetts

Salisbury is a small coastal beach town and summer tourist destination in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The community is a popular summer resort beach town situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of Boston on the New Hampshire border. It is home to the new Salisbury Beach Boardwalk, full of souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes, arcades and panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean. The population was 9,236 at the 2020 census. Parts of town comprise the census-designated place of Salisbury.

Pre-Colonial Era
The area currently known as Salisbury was inhabited for tens of thousands of years prior to European colonization. At the Morrill Point burial mound site on the north shore of the Merrimack River, there are human remains dating to 7,000 years ago with some dating suggesting settlement there as early as 8,500 years ago.

At the time of European contact and colonization, the area north of the Merrimack River was inhabited by the Pentucket Tribe of the Pennacook confederation, who lived at the coastline seasonally to fish in the coastal wetlands. Unlike other towns of what would become Essex County that negotiated the terms of European settlement with native inhabitants, Salisbury was settled under the jurisdiction of a land grant from the Massachusetts Bay Colony General Court and laid out in a compact defensive arrangement with a garrison house, night watch, and militia for the purpose of defending against native attack.

Colonial Era
Salisbury was colonized by the English in 1638 as Colchester, and incorporated in 1640 as Salisbury, after Salisbury in Wiltshire, England, the birthplace of Christopher Batt who was appointed to train the colonists' militia. The original settlement was laid out in a compact semicircle, which allowed the residents to quickly reach the garrison house, out of a fear of attack by surrounding native peoples. Those roads still exist, though the shape today is triangular, being bounded by Elm Street, School Street and Bridge Road. A second threat came from wolves, which were plentiful, and which killed the livestock and dug in the graveyard.

The original residents, including Richard Currier, were given one small house lot near the center of town, and one larger planting lot just outside the center for farming. Families also owned large sections of "sweepage lots" near the beach, where apparently they harvested the salt marsh hay. At the time, the area was almost entirely unbroken virgin forest, which had to be cleared for the construction of houses and the planting of fields.

Richard Currier was a millwright and was one of the original settlers of Salisbury. He is listed in the first division of house lots in 1640 and received additional land in 1641 and 1642. In 1654 there were sixty commoners in Salisbury and they voted that thirty families were to be chosen to move west of the Powwow River. Eighteen of these families were commoners and the number of commoners were increased to 26 by the time Salisbury New Town became the town of Amesbury in 1668. Richard heads the list of the eighteen commoners and was one of the signers to the Articles of Agreement between the inhabitants of the Old Town and those of the New Town, 1 May 1654.

Resort Era
In 1866, Beach Road was constructed across Great Marsh, providing access to the town's 5 mi of pristine beach. It developed into a thriving summer resort, lined with hotels, restaurants, shops, cottages, arcades and amusement parks. A carousel called The Flying Horses, hand carved by Charles I. D. Looff, was installed in 1914. John Miller built The Sky Rocket, the beach's first roller coaster. A Dodgem ride, originally built by Max and Harold Stoeher of Methuen, operated at Salisbury Beach in one form or another from 1920 to 1980. Major entertainers provided concerts, including Glenn Miller, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra and Liberace.

The resort remained vibrant through the 1960s, then gradually faded. WildCat, the last roller coaster, was razed in 1976. Pirate's Fun Park, the last small amusement park, closed in 2004 to be replaced with condominiums.

Due to climate change, Salisbury's coastline has begun rapidly eroding. In March of 2024, several beachfront residents had paid $565,000 for artificial sand dunes as protection for the beachfront houses, only for it to be washed away within three days following a severe storm.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 17.9 square miles (46.2 km2), of which 15.4 square miles (40.0 km2) is land and 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2; 13.50%) is water. Salisbury is the northernmost town in Massachusetts, with its northwestern corner (where Elmwood Street meets the New Hampshire border) being at approximately 42°53'12.26". Lying along the northern banks of the Merrimack River at its mouth, the town is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Merrimack River and Newburyport to the south, Amesbury to the west, and Seabrook, New Hampshire, to the north. The town is home to Salisbury Beach State Reservation, a park which includes the entire seacoast and a small portion inland, as well as the Ram Island and Carr Island State Wildlife Management Areas, the two islands lying in the middle of the Merrimack (along with Eagle Island, which is not protected). Much of the town is covered by marshes, especially in the eastern part of town. Several brooks and creeks run through town as well. The town contains three villages, Salisbury Beach, Salisbury Plains (in the northwestern corner of town) and Browns Point (between Salisbury Beach and the center of town).

Education
Salisbury has one public school, Salisbury Elementary School. Middle school students attend Triton Regional Middle School, and high school students attend Triton Regional High School, along with students from Newbury and Rowley.

Transportation
The town lies along the northern end of U.S. Route 1 in Massachusetts. It enters the town via the Newburyport Turnpike Bridge and heads in a roughly S-shaped route through the center of town to the New Hampshire border. Prior to the erection of the bridge, the road south of the town center was east of its current location, leading along Ferry Road to a ferry landing, which connected the town to Newburyport. The town also constitutes the northern termini of Interstate 95 in Massachusetts, and of Interstate 495, which lies just one-quarter mile into the town at I-95 Exit 59. Exit 60 gives access to both Route 1 and Massachusetts/New Hampshire Route 286, which provides access to the beaches. The eastern terminus of Massachusetts Route 110 is in Salisbury (at Route 1), and accesses I-95 at Exit 58, just over the Amesbury town line. The northernmost segment of Massachusetts Route 1A passes through town, entering concurrently with Route 1 before heading east from the town center and turning north along Salisbury Beach to join New Hampshire Route 1A.

The Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority provides local bus service connecting Salisbury to nearby communities. The nearest train station is in Newburyport.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,827 people, 3,082 households, and 1,990 families residing in the town. The population density was 507.1 PD/sqmi. There were 4,156 housing units at an average density of 104.0 persons/km2 (269.3 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 97.55% White, 0.41% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, 1.05% from two or more races, and 1.18% was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,082 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 10.9% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 35.4% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 23.6% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $49,310, and the median income for a family was $56,327. Males had a median income of $41,705 versus $31,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,608. 6.8% of the population and 4.5% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 9.6% are under the age of 18 and 5.6% are 65 or older.

Government
Salisbury is part of the Massachusetts Senate's 1st Essex district.

Points of interest

 * Salisbury Beach Boardwalk
 * Allen Rock
 * Ann's Diner
 * Badgers Rock
 * Blue Ocean Music Hall
 * Joe's Playland
 * Rings Island
 * Salisbury Beach State Reservation
 * Hideaway Pub

Notable people

 * John Clough, a founder of the town, sailed on ship Elizabeth from England in 1635
 * Bob Corkum (born 1967), ice hockey center
 * Caleb Cushing (1800–1879), congressman
 * Hannah Webster Foster (1758/59–1840), novelist
 * Horatio Balch Hackett (1808–1875), Biblical scholar
 * Susannah Martin (1621–1692), witch trial victim
 * Amos Morrill (1809–1884), judge
 * James Pike (1818–1895), congressman
 * Redford Webster (1761–1833), apothecary, politician and antiquarian
 * John Wheelwright (c. 1592–1679), clergyman

title: Salisbury, Massachusetts


text:
Topsfield (CDP), Massachusetts

Topsfield is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Topsfield in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,717 at the 2010 census.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 7.1 sqkm, of which 7.0 sqkm is land and 0.1 sqkm, or 1.41%, is water.

Demographics
At the 2000 census, there were 2,826 people, 1,016 households and 765 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 395.3 /km2. There were 1,042 housing units at an average density of 145.8 /km2. The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.16% White, 0.11% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. 0.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,016 households, of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were married couples living together, 7.3% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 24.7% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.18.

27.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.

The median household income was $84,898 and the median family income was $99,462. Males had a median income of $63,194 and females $43,843. The per capita income was $34,953. None of the families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.0% under the age of 18 and 6.1% ages 65 or older.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Topsfield (CDP), Massachusetts


text:
Topsfield, Massachusetts

Topsfield is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,569 at the 2020 census. Topsfield is located in the North Shore region of Massachusetts. Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Topsfield.

Colonial period
The Agawam tribe inhabited Topsfield prior to and during the British colonization in the early seventeenth century. They were one of the Algonquian peoples. They claimed the land north of the Danvers River, the whole of Cape Ann and from there to the Merrimack River. However, the first European explorers had brought smallpox to New England, decimating all the shore tribes from the Penobscot River to Narragansett Bay in 1616.

Chief Masconomet, for whom Masconomet Regional High School is named, was the sagamore or chief of the Agawam at this time. He welcomed Massachusetts Bay Colony Governor John Winthrop on his arrival in Salem Harbor in 1630. Masconomet deeded all the Agawams' land to Winthrop in 1638 in exchange for twenty pounds sterling. The English had settled within the bounds of modern-day Topsfield by 1643. They originally named their settlement New Meadows. Tradition has long held that the Agawam called the place Shenewemedy, meaning "the pleasant place by the flowing waters." More recent historians believe that Shenewemedy was how the Agawam pronounced New Meadows, rather than a word in their own language.

The General Court of Massachusetts renamed the place Topsfield in 1648, undoubtedly after Toppesfield, England, a small parish in the county of Essex north of London. Topsfield was incorporated as a town in 1650. Masconomet died in 1658 and was buried on Sagamore Hill, now in Hamilton. Nine years later, two young men were punished for digging up the grave of the sagamore and carrying his skull on a pole. Native Americans were held in low regard and were poorly treated by the colonists. There is no record of hostilities between the colonists and Native Americans in Topsfield, however, even during the French and Indian Wars, which covered the period 1689–1697. The Topsfield town records last mention Native American residents in 1750.

The Salem witch trials of 1692 touched Topsfield directly. Belief in witches was common in the seventeenth century. People were accused of witchcraft in Europe and the colonies during this time, but executions were relatively rare in the colonies. Historians conclude that not more than 15 people were executed as witches in the American colonies before 1692. In that year alone, however, over 160 people, mostly from Essex County, Massachusetts, were accused of witchcraft. Of these, 19 were hanged and one was pressed to death for refusing to plead. In July 1692, Rebecca Nurse of Salem Village (then part of the town of Salem, now part of present-day Danvers) was hanged at Gallows Hill in Salem. She was the daughter of William Towne of Topsfield. Young Salem Village girls allegedly possessed by the devil—the source of Rebecca Nurse's witchcraft accusation and most others—also named as witches Rebecca's Topsfield sisters, Sarah Cloyce and Mary Esty. While Sarah was eventually set free, Mary was hanged in September. Sarah Wildes and Elizabeth Howe from Topsfield were hanged along with Rebecca Nurse. Many other Topsfield residents were accused of witchcraft until the hysteria ended in May 1693, when the governor of Massachusetts set free all of the remaining persons accused of witchcraft and issued a proclamation of general pardon. While the causes of the 1692 witchcraft episode continue to be the subject of historical and sociological study, there is a consensus view that land disputes and perhaps economic rivalry among factions in Salem, Salem Village and Topsfield fuelled animosity and played an underlying role.

The witchcraft delusion is an extreme example of how religion is alloyed in Topsfield history, but other examples abound. Indeed, Topsfield was founded in part based on "alarming" 1633 news that the Roman Catholic French had planted settlements nearby and intended to send settlers "with divers priests and Jesuits among them". Governor Winthrop and the Puritan establishment (who believed a Protestant theocracy was proper), countered the perceived Catholic threat in March of that year by sending English men and women into the wilderness that would become Topsfield. Among the first group was William Perkins, a preacher. From the beginning, Topsfield residents made provision for "the publicke worship of God". In 1684, they hired the Reverend Joseph Capen, whose Parson Capen House still stands as the town's most notable historical landmark. A successor to Capen's original Congregational church building overlooks the Topsfield common. Its white steeple graces countless postcards. Topsfield's pre-eminent historian, George Francis Dow, recorded: "No minister of those early days left a deeper impression on the town than Reverend Joseph Capen, who wisely led the minds of the people along the varied paths of knowledge until his death in 1725."

No minister in those early days may have left a deeper impression on Topsfield religious history, but it was a contemporary of Reverend Capen whose family has best connected Topsfield to the religious history of the world. Robert Smith settled in Topsfield in 1638. His descendants extended through five generations in Topsfield. They were respected townspeople and members of Capen's Congregational Church. Joseph Smith Sr. was born in Topsfield in 1771, and his son, Joseph Smith Jr., founded the Latter Day Saint movement. The younger Joseph Smith was born in Sharon, Vermont, in 1805, not long after his family moved from Topsfield. Mormons point out Topsfield in their church history books and continue to visit the Smith ancestral hometown today.

Revolution and New Republic: Minutemen, turnpike, gerrymander and the fair
The population of Topsfield grew slowly in the eighteenth century, reaching only 773 by the year 1776. Topsfield was much smaller and more agrarian than other Essex County towns by the time of the Revolution and perhaps for these reasons the town seemed a bit more conservative and less ardent for independence than its Essex County neighbors. Nonetheless, as tensions between crown and colonists mounted in the years before the American Revolution, Topsfield joined the network of committees dedicated to preserving the rights of the people. On June 8, 1771, the town voted to stand ready "to preserve and Defend Our Own Lawfull Rights Libertys and propertys even to the last Extremity". Topsfield sent two militia companies numbering 110 "Minute Men" under the command of Capt. Joseph Gould, to answer the Lexington Alarm on April 19, 1775. As Dow tells us, "The news from Lexington, spreading like wildfire in every direction, reached this place at about ten o'clock in the forenoon. The farmers were busy in their fields, but there was no hesitation. The plough was stayed mid-furrow, and within an hour, many were on their way to the scene of the conflict." Topsfield men participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775, and were part of General Washington's Continental army throughout the remainder of the American Revolutionary War.

Advances in communication, transportation and commerce in the nineteenth century wove Topsfield ever more tightly into the fabric of the new republic. In 1803, Governor Caleb Strong chartered the Newburyport Turnpike Corporation, a profit-making venture that proposed building a toll road straight from Newburyport through Topsfield to Boston. Proponents of the turnpike claimed it would be a far more efficient way between the two endpoints, cutting travel time from six to four hours. Work on the Turnpike began in August 1803 and involved immense amounts of manual and animal labor. When the Newburyport Turnpike opened for business on February 11, 1805, its builders claimed it was the best in the nation. The turnpike had tollhouses located in Newbury, Topsfield and Chelsea, each with a large gate that swung open and closed across the way. Stagecoaches ran regularly carrying passengers, mail and freight, though not without difficulty over Topsfield's steep hills. Accidents were common. The Newburyport Turnpike Corporation was never particularly profitable and became less so with the advent of the railroad. The corporation ceased operations around 1847 and sold the turnpike to Essex County in the early 1850s.

In contrast to the straightness of the turnpike, Topsfield was one of the towns surrounded by the original "Gerrymander"—meandering electoral districts drawn by Governor Elbridge Gerry in 1812 to further the interests of his political party. The Gerrymander brought Topsfield little claim to fame; but on June 12, 1818, the state legislature did something that would bring Topsfield its greatest claim to fame—it chartered the Essex Agricultural Society, the organization that runs the Topsfield Fair.

Nineteenth and early twentieth century: railroad, Civil War, shoes and immigration
In the middle of the nineteenth century, entrepreneurs in New England started small railroad companies. John Wright and Asa Pingree were among the Topsfield men who chartered the Danvers and Georgetown Railroad in 1851, with plans to run a rail line between those two towns through Topsfield. Railroad cars entered Topsfield for the first time on August 12, 1854. When the line was open for public travel on October 23, the Boston Transcript wrote, "It was a great day for the hardworking citizens of several towns of Essex County when a new route between Boston and Newburyport was opened to the public. We understand a large number of persons from Georgetown, Boxford and Topsfield, who had never travelled with a steam horse, ventured the experiment of jumping on and trying him." The Topsfield station was first on Main Street and moved to a new location on Park Street in 1897. Railroad mergers and other unions were common at this time. By 1905, a number of the local lines—the Danvers and Georgetown, the Danvers Railroad, the Newburyport Railroad and the Eastern Railroad (Massachusetts) among them—were effectively made part of the Boston and Maine Railroad.

The news of the firing on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, reached Topsfield about five o'clock that afternoon. Topsfield sent 113 soldiers to the American Civil War and appropriated funds for recruiting and supporting them. Dow adds, "The ladies of Topsfield worked heartily in the cause of the soldiers during the war, and forwarded to the army, money, clothing and hospital stores". The Topsfield soldiers—many of whom may never before have "travelled with a steam horse" or left town at all—fought and died in places far from home: Bull Run, Virginia; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and Port Hudson, Louisiana, to name just a few. Several men of Topsfield died as prisoners in the Confederates' notorious Andersonville Prison in Georgia. In 1860, Topsfield had a population of 1,292, but in 1865 that number had fallen to 1,212. In his will, Dr. Justin Allen left money to the town to erect a monument to honor Topsfield soldiers of the Civil War. Alphonso T. Merrill's design, called "The wounded color Sergeant", is a prominent landmark on the Topsfield Common, dedicated in 1914.

Up to and through the 19th century, Topsfield was principally an agrarian town, but one industry—the manufacture of shoes—flourished for a while in Topsfield, as it did at this time across New England. The town records mention the first shoe maker in 1838. The industry picked up in Topsfield during the Civil War, as sewn shoes were beginning to supersede pegged ones, and many Essex County firms supplied shoes to the Union troops. In 1867, four shoe manufacturing firms were located in town. The two principal manufacturers were those of Charles Herrick (the larger, founded 1837) and John Bailey. Topsfield shoes found customers across the United States, and it was said that, at its highest point of production, Topsfield shipped 200,000 pairs annually. The shoe business in Topsfield declined after the Civil War. The Herrick family, the last manufacturer in town, ceased operations in the early 20th century.

During the time of the Great Famine of Ireland, a wave of Irish immigrants came to America, arriving in Topsfield in the 1850s to work constructing the railroad. Dow tells us, "The Irishmen employed in the making of the roadbed were brought into Topsfield in 50 tipcarts, just at the edge of the evening [after the work day was over]." The Irish workers slept in town and later occupied shanties located above the railroad bridge, which crosses West Street. The first known Catholic families moved to Topsfield during this time. Italian immigrants arrived in the wave of immigration, mostly from eastern and southern Europe, which occurred from 1890 to 1920. They worked constructing the great estates and summerhouses in Essex County. On the estate of Thomas E. Proctor, now owned by the Massachusetts Audubon Society (the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary), Italian immigrant stonemasons constructed the "Rockery"—a lavish rock garden and series of caverns—which still exists. They lived in shanties during the construction. Historians believe that Topsfield's first Italian families are descended from these masons.

Modern period: technological advances, automobiles, Route 128 and suburbia
The turnpike and railroad were important technological advances affecting Topsfield history in the early and middle 19th century, but the pace of technological change picked up dramatically as that century came to a close. The 1870s and 1880s saw the invention of three technologies that we take for granted today, but were revolutionary in their day: the electric light bulb, the telephone and centrally-generated electricity generation. All three were available to Topsfield residents by the 1890s and boomed after the start of the 20th century. These technologies, like the turnpike and railroad before them, integrated the town of Topsfield ever more closely into the county, the state, the nation and the world.

The automobile, however, affected Topsfield more than any other technology by allowing its residents to disconnect where they lived from where they worked. Automobiles need roads, of course, and the quality and quantity of road-building accelerated during the twentieth century. Massachusetts Route 128, with Boston at its center, quietly but powerfully influenced Topsfield's history and character. Originally known as the "Circumferential Highway", Route 128 was the first limited-access beltway in the United States. The Route 128 number dates from the origin of the Massachusetts highway system in the 1920s. By the 1950s, Route 128 ran from Nantasket Beach in Hull to Gloucester. With the rapid growth of high-technology industry in the suburban areas along Route 128, the highway came to symbolize the Boston high-tech community itself. In 1955, Business Week magazine ran an article titled "New England Highway Upsets Old Way of Life" and referred to Route 128 as "the Magic Semicircle". The number of companies grew rapidly from that point in time, many of them involved with Space Race and Cold War defense projects. In the 1980s, the positive effects of this growth on the Massachusetts economy were dubbed the "Massachusetts Miracle". Throughout this period of expansion, employees of the Route 128 companies made Topsfield their home.

For its first three hundred years, Topsfield was a small farm town. But each year from its colonial period Topsfield has grown more closely connected to the larger world. More than anything else, affordable automobiles and modern road systems changed Topsfield and made the town what it is today—a suburban bedroom community within the greater Boston metropolitan area.

Geography and transportation
According to the United States Census Bureau, Topsfield has a total area of 33.2 sqkm, of which 30.9 sqkm are land and 2.3 sqkm, or 7.00%, is water. Topsfield lies in the geographic center of Essex County, Massachusetts. Like its namesake in Essex, England, Topsfield has within its bounds some of the higher land in the county. The highest point in town is found on Great Hill, with an elevation of at least 245 ft, according to the most recent (2011-2012) USGS 7.5-minute topographical map. Hood's Pond, covering an area of 68 acre in the northern part of town, is the largest body of water in Topsfield, though most of it lies in Ipswich. Topsfield also includes parts of the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Bradley Palmer State Park, Willowdale State Forest and the entirety of the Topsfield Town Forest.

Clockwise from the north, Topsfield is bounded by Ipswich, Hamilton, Wenham, Danvers, Middleton and Boxford. Topsfield is located approximately 10 mi north of Salem and 22 mi north of Boston. Part of the North Shore in name, if not in actuality, Topsfield is 12 mi south of the Merrimack River and 8 mi from Massachusetts Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Interstate 95 passes through the southwestern corner of town, with exits in neighboring Danvers and Boxford. The town is nearly bisected from southwest to northeast by U.S. Route 1, known locally as the "Newburyport Turnpike" or "Old Boston Road". From northwest to southeast, Massachusetts Route 97 also crosses through town. (A few yards of Route 35 enter the town as well, before terminating at Route 97.) The now-abandoned Boston and Maine Railroad line passes through town; the town lies west of the Newburyport/Rockport Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail. The nearest airport is the Beverly Municipal Airport, with the nearest national and international air service at Boston's Logan International Airport.

Demographics
At the 2000 census, there were 6,141 people, 2,099 households and 1,712 families residing in the town. The population density was 482.1 PD/sqmi. There were 2,144 housing units at an average density of 65.0 persons/km2 (168.3 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 97.8% White, 0.4% African American, 0.03% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. 0.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,099 households, of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.7% were married couples living together, 6.1% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 18.4% were non-families. 16.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.22.

Age distribution was 28.2% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.

The median household income was $96,430, and the median family income was $104,475. Males had a median income of $67,428 versus $43,780 for females. The per capita income for the town was $37,770 1.7% of the population and 0.4% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 0.0% are under the age of 18 and 4.1% are 65 or older.

Topsfield town government
Topsfield is governed by an Open Town Meeting and an elected five-member Select Board who appoint the Town Administrator Kevin Harutunian. One or two members of the Select Board are elected each year to serve for three years. The current members are Lynne Bermudez, Chair, Marshall Hook, Clerk, Boyd Jackson, Cameron Brown and A. Richard Gandt.

The Select Board has evolved through more than three hundred years of tradition and custom. In addition to those duties determined by Massachusetts General Law and established by custom, the Select Board Members' powers and duties are determined by state law and the Town’s bylaws.

Since 2009, following a vote of Town Meeting to update the Town’s General By-Laws, the Select Board have appointed a Town Administrator as serve as an agent of the Board and to oversee day to day operations and the delivery of Town Services provided under the legal authority of the Board of Selectmen. The first Town Administrator was Virginia Wilder (2009–2013). The second Town Administrator, Kellie A. Hebert was appointed in September 2013. The Board provides general supervision over Town matters not specifically delegated by law or voted to another officer or board.

The Select Board generally meet every other Monday night in the Town Hall. All meetings are posted and are open to the public. Regular business meetings are televised and may be viewed on Channel 10/47, the Community Channel. Select Board meetings, like those of all public boards and committees, must be posted at least 48 hours in advance. The meetings are open to the public and subject to the requirements of the state’s Open Meeting Law: Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 39, Section 23B. The Board may retire to executive session only to discuss those matters permitted by law. The Board must state which of the eight provisions is being invoked at that time. All minutes are a matter of public record except when they need to remain secret long enough to protect the legal purposes of the session.

State government
Topsfield is part of the Second Essex state senate district (seat held in 2015 by Senator Joan Lovely (D) and the Fourth Essex state congressional district (seat held in 2012 by Representative Bradford Hill (R)).

Federal government
Topsfield is part of the Sixth Congressional District of Massachusetts. The seat is currently held by Representative Seth Moulton (D- Salem).

Education
Topsfield has two public elementary schools: Steward School located on Perkins Row, serving preschool through third grade; and Proctor Elementary School located in downtown Topsfield, serving fourth through sixth grade. In the 1970s, each of these schools had all the elementary grades and students attended from different parts of town. Masconomet Regional Middle School and Masconomet Regional High School, situated together in Boxford (although they sport Topsfield mailing addresses), serve seventh through eighth grade and ninth through twelfth grade, respectively. Both the high school and middle school enroll students from Boxford and Middleton. In athletics, Masconomet is part of the Cape Ann League.

Topsfield Fair
Topsfield is home of the Topsfield Fair, which attracted almost 500,000 visitors in 2008. The fair, one of the oldest of its type in the US, was started in 1818 by the recently formed Essex Agricultural Society. The first annual fair was a cattle show held by the society on October 5, 1818. The president of the society, Timothy Pickering, was awarded a first-place prize for the "superior performance of his plow." The Topsfield Fair ran every year following that first show, with the exception of three years during the Civil War, three years during World War II, and in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fair today features carnival rides, games and concert events in addition to the more traditional attractions, such as exhibitions of livestock, rabbits and cavies, crafts, horses and produce. The fair also hosts the All New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off. The current record-holding pumpkin was entered in 2016 and weighed 2,075.5 pounds. The fairgrounds are used for various activities during the year including horse shows, mineral shows, indoor soccer, indoor lacrosse, concerts, and other forms of recreation. The grounds are located along Boston Street, adjacent to the Ipswich River. Five separate lots surrounding the grounds provide parking, and are lettered A-E during fair time. These lots are also regularly used for recreation during non-fair times. Satellite parking during peak hours of the fair can be found at Masconomet Regional High School, with busses regularly bringing people back and forth from the lot. The Topsfield Fair always runs for 11 days, between the last weekend in September and Columbus Day. The Fair is held in October and the weather is normally clear and it is a family fun time for kids of all ages.

Smith Family Homestead
Located approximately 2 miles from downtown Topsfield, the Smith Family Homestead was home to five generations of the Smith family who are ascendants of the Prophet Joseph Smith, an important figure in the Latter-day Saint movement. Four members of the prophet's family lived in the house, dating as far back as 1693. Robert Smith, the first in the family to live in Topsfield, came to America and purchased 208 acres of land located in both Topsfield and the nearby township of Boxford. Samuel Smith (I) built what would become known as the Smith Family Homestead following his father's passing, while becoming a prominent figure in the area. His son, Samuel Smith (II) also influenced local politics and was heavily involved in the First Provincial Congress in Concord in both 1774 and 1775. Following the death of Samuel Smith (II) in 1785, Asael Smith, grandfather of Prophet Joseph Smith, took control of the homestead. In 1771, Asael Smith’s wife Mary gave birth to Joseph Smith Sr, the father of prophet Joseph Smith. In 1875, the house originally built on the property was replaced by a more modern estate. In October 2005, a marker was placed in front of the house by the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation and the Topsfield Historical Society commemorating the lives of the Smith family and the presence they previously had on the property. The house is privately owned and not open for tours, but large groups are regularly seen visiting the property and commemorating the prominent figures of the Latter-day Saint society.

Annual events
Topsfield residents have traditionally celebrated Memorial Day with a parade through the center of town to honor Topsfield's living veterans and those who have died in service of the county. Topsfield residents served in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Spanish–American War and all of the wars of the twentieth century. A memorial to Topsfield's veterans is on the common.

Summer begins in Topsfield with the Topsfield Historical Society's Strawberry Festival in early June. Bowls of fresh strawberries, whipped cream and piles of shortcakes are served by volunteer members to the attendees. This can be the first introduction to small-town life for Topsfield newcomers—all the local groups such as the Garden Clubs, the Friends of the Library, and the Newcomers Club, among many others, are available to explain their activities and invite new members. Old-timers look forward to live music, displays of arts and crafts, and the latest donations to the Friends of the Library book sale.

Notable people

 * Abbey D'Agostino, Olympic athlete
 * Donna Murphy, stage and film actress
 * Bradley Palmer, lawyer and businessman
 * Ryan Serhant, realtor and actor
 * Ollie Silva, racing driver
 * Joseph Smith Sr., father of LDS Church founder Joseph Smith

Points of interest

 * Coolidge Estate
 * Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary
 * Parson Capen House

title: Topsfield, Massachusetts


text:
Greenfield, Massachusetts

Greenfield is the only city in, and the seat of, Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. Greenfield was first settled in 1686. The population was 17,768 at the 2020 census. Greenfield is home to Greenfield Community College, the Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra, and the Franklin County Fair. The city has a Main Street Historic District containing fine examples of Federal, Greek Revival, and Victorian architecture.

Greenfield anchors the Greenfield Town, MA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Springfield-Greenfield Town, MA Combined Statistical Area.

History

Pocumtuck Indians first settled and originally inhabited the Greenfield area. Native American artifacts found in the area have been dated between 7,000 and 9,000 BCE. The Pocumtucks planted field crops and fished local rivers. Some sources claim that they were wiped out by the Mohawks in 1664 and that the land was left unoccupied. Other sources show that the Pocumtucks joined the Wampanoag chief Metacom in August 1675 in the fight against English encroachment, indicating a continued presence in the area. The Pocumtuck also played an important role in the Battle of Great Falls / Wissantinnewag – Peskeompskut on May 19, 1676, and tribal oral tradition indicates that following the battle, elements of the Pocumtuck fled to and were incorporated into the Abenaki people to the north and the Mahican people to the west.

The area was colonized as part of Deerfield by the English in 1686. In 1753, Greenfield, named for the Green River, was incorporated as a separate town from Deerfield.

In 1795, the South Hadley Canal opened, enabling boats to bypass the South Hadley falls and reach Greenfield via the Connecticut River. Located at the confluence of the Deerfield and Green rivers, and not far from where they merge into the Connecticut River, Greenfield developed into a trade center. Falls provided water power for industry, and Greenfield grew into a prosperous mill town. John Russell established the Green River Works in 1834, hiring skilled German workers at what was the country's first cutlery factory. The Connecticut River Railroad was the first of several railways to enter the town, replacing the former canal trade. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Greenfield was one of the most important American centers of the tap and die business and was the home of Greenfield Tap & Die Company (GTD).

It was designated the county seat when Franklin County was created from Hampshire County in 1811.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 56.7 sqkm, of which 55.5 sqkm is land and 1.2 sqkm, or 2.08%, is water. Greenfield is located at the center of the county and is bordered by Colrain, Leyden, and Bernardston to the north; Gill to the east; Montague to the southeast; Deerfield to the south; and Shelburne to the west. Greenfield is located 39 mi north of Springfield and 90 mi west-northwest of Boston.

Greenfield lies at the confluence of the Deerfield, Green, and Connecticut rivers. The Green River runs from the north, through town to the Deerfield, which lies along the city's southern border. From there, the Deerfield meets the Connecticut, which flows southward along the Montague border before bending eastward briefly before continuing southward. Several brooks flow into the three rivers, as well as a fourth river, the Fall River, which makes up the city's border with Gill. The city is located beside the Pocumtuck Range, the northernmost subridge of the Metacomet Ridge, and is surrounded by hills, with the town center lying on an elevated point above the rivers.

Climate
Like most of New England, Greenfield has a humid continental climate, exactly on the border between Köppen Dfa and Dfb with its warmest-month (July) mean of 71.6 F. with cold, snowy winters and warm, humid summers. Extreme temperatures range from 100 F, recorded on July 22, 1926, and August 26, 1948, to -30 F, recorded on January 22, 1961. Precipitation is abundant and well distributed (every month except February receives over three inches) and averages 41.3 inches per year.

Demographics
By the 2010 census, the population had decreased to 17,456. Greenfield, as the only community in the county with a population over 10,000, is the largest community by population or population density in the county. It is also the smallest mainland county seat in the Commonwealth, as only the island towns of Edgartown and Nantucket are smaller.

As of the census of 2000, there had been 18,168 people, 7,939 households, and 4,374 families residing in the city. The population density was 836.2 PD/sqmi. There were 8,301 housing units at an average density of 382.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 93.39% White, 1.34% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.10% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.41% from other races, and 2.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.54% of the population.

There were 7,939 households, out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.6% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.9% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the town the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,110, and the median income for a family was $46,412. Males had a median income of $33,903 versus $26,427 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,830. About 11.4% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.2% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Greenfield was one of several Massachusetts municipalities that applied for, and were granted, city forms of government but wished to retain "The Town of" in their official names. In December 2017, the Town Council voted to remove "The Town of" designation, making Greenfield known as the City of Greenfield. Since the charter change in 2003 Greenfield has been governed by a town council and a mayor. The former town council is now called the city council and consists of four at-large councilors and nine councilors that are each elected from one of the city's nine electoral precincts. The other city boards are appointed, with the exception of the seven-member school committee, which consists of the mayor plus six members elected at-large.

Mayor

Greenfield's first mayor, Christine Forgey, served until 2009 when she was defeated in a primary election. Greenfield's second mayor, Bill Martin, took second place in the 2009 primary as a write-in candidate and went on to win the general election in June. Martin's tenure began with a formal inauguration ceremony, the city's first, which also featured a mayoral fanfare, Long Live Our Mayor, written for the occasion in the style of Hail to the Chief. At the inauguration, Martin read a proclamation declaring July 1 as "Inauguration Day" in all following years. After Martin's retirement in 2019, Roxann Wedegartner became Greenfield's third mayor. Virginia "Ginny" Desorgher was sworn in as mayor on January 2, 2024.

In Greenfield, the Mayor appoints most of the members of the various city boards, with the city council approving appointments. The mayor also serves as a voting member of the school committee, but is forbidden to serve as its chairman or vice-chair. In addition, the mayor sits as an ex officio non-voting member on all the other city boards.

City Council
The City Council consists of 13 members: four "Councilors at Large" and nine "Precinct Councilors" elected to represent each of the nine voting precincts. , Sheila Gilmour is the Council President, and Dan Guin is the Vice-President.

Municipal services
Greenfield operates its own police and fire departments. The town is also patrolled by the Second (Shelburne Falls) Barracks of Troop "B" of the Massachusetts State Police. It runs a sizeable public works department and is the home base of the regional waste management system. The Greenfield Public Library, formerly located at the Leavitt–Hovey House), is one of the larger libraries in the area, and is connected to the regional library network. Greenfield also operates numerous municipal parks and recreation areas including a town swimming area on the Green River.

County seat
As county seat, Greenfield is home to many different state offices, including courthouses and one of the offices of the Northwest District Attorney, Dave Sullivan. The Franklin County Sheriff is based in Greenfield and operates the Franklin County Jail at the corner of Elm and Allen streets. The city also has the central post office for the "013" series of ZIP Codes, which extends through Franklin County and several towns in Worcester County. Greenfield is home to the privately run Baystate Franklin Medical Center, which serves much of the northern Pioneer Valley.

Legislative delegation
Greenfield is divided between the First Franklin and Second Franklin districts of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Democrat Natalie Blais and Independent Susannah Whipps are the State Representatives. In the Massachusetts Senate, the town is part of the Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes much of eastern Franklin and Hampshire counties. State Senator Jo Comerford represents this district. Greenfield is part of the Eighth Massachusetts Governor's Council district, represented by Tara Jacobs.

Nationally, Greenfield is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district, and is represented in the 113th United States Congress by James McGovern.

, Massachusetts is represented in the United States Senate by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey.

The Bee Connection
Greenfield was for many years the home of Lorenzo Langstroth, known as the "Father of Modern Beekeeping," and the city celebrates Langstroth's life and contributions with bee-themed events and attractions.

Bee Fest
Bee Fest was launched in 2010 by Greenfield's Second Congregational Church, where Langstroth was pastor during the late 1840s. The first Bee Fest served to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Langstroth's birth and to highlight the importance of the honeybee in sustaining the environment and in human agriculture. Bee Fest, now an annual celebration held in the spring, overlooks the center of town and Court Square and offers fun and learning for all ages.

Downtown Bee Sculptures
Greenfield has nine large bee sculptures, six of them installed in 2021 and three in 2022. Local artist Rachael Katz designed the sculptures and was a motive force in the overall project. Other local artists painted the bees in colorful themes. The project received support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, local businesses and non-profit organizations, and the community.

Other Bee-Themed Attractions
Greenfield has a pocket park with educational installations, a painted crosswalk, lamppost signage, and parking garage banners, all themed around and celebrating Langstroth and honeybees. In 2021, the entire Franklin County Fair Kick-Off Parade was bee-themed, with many bee-decorated floats and marchers in bee costumes.

Attractions

 * The Crossroads Cultural District, named by the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 2016.
 * Historical Society of Greenfield, 43 Church Street
 * Guiding Star Grange is a community hall, nationally known for traditional music and dance in the Pioneer Valley. It hosts regular contra dances most Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the year.
 * Greenfield Center School, an independent K–8th grade school, is a site of the Coalition of Essential Schools and the home of the New England Coalition of Progressive Educators.
 * Greenfield Energy Park is a community greenspace featuring renewable energy exhibits, gardens, native arboretum, caboose museum, concerts, and public art in the heart of downtown Greenfield. It is the site of the former train station.  The park was developed by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) which was headquartered there, and later turned over to the Town of Greenfield.
 * Leavitt-Hovey House, until recently the Greenfield Public Library, built in 1797 by Asher Benjamin for judge Jonathan Leavitt.
 * The area is home to an optical illusion known as a gravity hill. It is located on Shelburne Road, while facing Greenfield, immediately after the Route 2 bridge.  From under the overpass, the road appears to rise slightly to a crest a few hundred feet away.  The illusion is slight, but convincing.  A car in neutral at the "bottom" of the rise will appear to crawl uphill.
 * Rocky Mountain Park features Poet's Seat Tower, a 1912 sandstone observation tower named for the site's attraction to poets, particularly Frederick Goddard Tuckerman. The annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration takes place at Poet's Seat, which overlooks Beacon Field.
 * Wilson's Department Store, opened in 1882 and one of the few old-style large independent family-owned department stores remaining in America, until closing in 2020 after 138 years in business.

Infrastructure
Greenfield lies at the junction of four highways. Interstate 91 travels north and south through the western stretch of the city and is duplexed for a 3 mi stretch with Massachusetts Route 2. Route 2, which follows the rough path of (and is nicknamed after) the Mohawk Trail, enters over the Fall River as a surface road before becoming a limited-access highway until its concurrence with I-91. Once it leaves the interstate, Route 2 becomes a surface road again. Between the start of the limited access section of Route 2 and its split from I-91 at Exit 43, the Mohawk Trail follows Massachusetts Route 2A, which uses Route 2's former right of way through the center of Greenfield. At the town center, Route 2A meets the duplexed U.S. Route 5 and Massachusetts Route 10, which comes over the Deerfield River in the south before heading northward through town, with another interchange along the highway portion of Route 2. In October 2016, the administration of Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced a $7.5 million grant to the town government to build a new downtown parking garage.

The nearest general aviation airport is located in the Turners Falls section of Montague, and the nearest national air service is at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

Bus
The town is served by Greyhound bus lines and is the hub of the Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA), whose local service extends from Bernardston to Northampton and from Orange to Charlemont. The John W. Olver Transit Center is the hub for FRTA bus service, as well as the local depot for Greyhound intercity service.

Rail

Greenfield lies at the junction of two rail lines, an east–west line heading from the northern points of Worcester County towards the Hoosac Tunnel and Albany, New York, and the north–south line heading from Springfield in the south towards Vermont in the north. Freight service on both lines is operated by Pan Am Railways.

Passenger rail service resumed in Greenfield on December 29, 2014, with the rerouting of Amtrak's Vermonter, with all trains serving the Olver Transit Center. The former Greenfield train station (torn down in 1966) was located across the tracks from the current train platform, in the present-day Energy Park. In June 2018, it was announced that Greenfield would become the terminus for an extension of the New Haven–Springfield Shuttle, in a pilot program being launched by CTRail and the MassDOT. The new commuter rail service, now dubbed the Valley Flyer, made its first run August 30, 2019. It runs twice in each direction on weekdays and once on weekends, to and from New Haven, Connecticut, with connections to New York City. There is a proposal known as "Northern Tier Passenger Rail" in the early stages of planning, which would extend MBTA's Fitchburg Line westward through Greenfield and terminate at North Adams.

Education
Greenfield operates its own public school system for the town's 1,700 students. Greenfield operates the Academy of Early Learning at North Parish for pre-kindergarten students, three elementary schools—the Four Corners School to the north, the Federal Street School centrally, and the Newton Elementary School to the west—for students from kindergarten through fourth grade, the Greenfield Middle School for students from fifth grade through seventh grades, and Greenfield High School for eighth through twelfth grades. 8th grade is separate and not part of the official high school. Greenfield's athletic teams are nicknamed the "Green Wave", and their school colors are green and white.

Alternative public schools
Greenfield operates the Poet Seat School, an alternative middle and high school for special needs students. On July 9, 2009, Greenfield's local school committee approved creation of the Virtual Academy or "MAVA @ Greenfield", the only kindergarten-through-twelfth grade distance learning school of its kind in the state. The MAVA program is also expected to provide expanded course offerings to students in the traditional public schools. Greenfield is also home to the Four Rivers Charter Public School, which serves students in grades 7–12.

Private schools
Greenfield's oldest private school is the Stoneleigh-Burnham School, a private 7th–12th grade boarding school for girls. The Center School, established in 1981, serves students from preschool through eighth grade with a progressive approach to education.

there are no religious schools in Greenfield; the Cornerstone Christian School closed in 2013, and Holy Trinity School, a K–8 parochial school, closed in 2011.

Higher education
Greenfield is home to Greenfield Community College, which serves the northern Pioneer Valley and offers some courses to Greenfield High students seeking advanced learning opportunities.

The nearest state university is the University of Massachusetts Amherst. There are also several private colleges, including members of the Five Colleges and Seven Sisters, in the region, as well as Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire.

Media
Greenfield has five FM radio stations, one FM Translator, one AM radio station, one cable television station, and one daily local newspaper.

FM stations ¹ – WMCB-LP/WLPV-LP operate under a "share time" agreement with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
 * 95.3 WPVQ-FM (Country) Saga Communications
 * 98.3 WHAI (Adult contemporary) Saga Communications
 * 100.5 //WIZZ (Adult Standards) P&M Radio, LLC
 * 102.9 W275AS (// WYRY-FM Country) Tri Valley Broadcast Corporation
 * 107.9 WMCB-LP (Talk/Information) Greenfield Community Television¹
 * 107.9 WLPV-LP (Religious) Living Waters Assembly of God Church¹

AM stations
 * 1520 WIZZ (Nostalgia) P&M Radio

Cable stations
 * 15 (Public Access) Greenfield Community Television

Newspapers
 * The Recorder

Notable people

 * Charles Allen, jurist
 * Christopher Baldwin, comic strip artist (Bruno)
 * Lou Barlow, musician Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, Folk Implosion
 * Stan Batinski, football player
 * Asher Benjamin, architect
 * Stan Benjamin, baseball player, teacher, coach and scout
 * Peter Bergeron, baseball player
 * Titus Billings, religious pioneer
 * Silas Bullard, Wisconsin state legislator and jurist
 * Misha Collins, television and film actor
 * Scott Crago, musician
 * Kelly Doton, field hockey player
 * Tracy Grammer, singer-songwriter
 * George Grennell, Jr., congressman
 * John W. Haigis, State of Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor (1929–1933), State House of Representatives, State Senator
 * Van Hansis, actor (As the World Turns)
 * Kevin Hassett, economist & author (now lives in Washington, D.C.)
 * Herbert Huncke, Beat Generation figure
 * Penn Jillette, illusionist & comedian, half of Penn & Teller magician team
 * Jake Lacy, actor
 * Robin Lane, musician
 * L. L. Langstroth, the “Father of American Beekeeping”
 * Jonathan Leavitt, lawyer, judge, state senator & banker
 * Roger Hooker Leavitt, prominent abolitionist
 * Winter Miller, playwright (In Darfur)
 * Michael Moschen, juggler
 * Nicco, singer songwriter
 * Steve Partenheimer, baseball player
 * George Ripley, Transcendentalist and founder of the Brook Farm communal experiment
 * John E. Russell, congressman
 * Paul Fitzpatrick Russell, Roman Catholic archbishop and diplomat
 * Bev Sanders, snowboarder, surfer, and company founder
 * Rufus Saxton, brigadier general
 * Bennett Jones Sims, Episcopal bishop
 * Charles Pomeroy Stone, army officer & engineer
 * Frederick Goddard Tuckerman, poet
 * Fred Wallner, football player
 * William B. Washburn, congressman & governor
 * Rev. Samuel Merrill Woodbridge (1819–1905), Reformed minister, author, and professor at Rutgers College and New Brunswick Theological Seminary

title: Greenfield, Massachusetts


text:
Northfield (CDP), Massachusetts

Northfield is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Northfield in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,089 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is also home to the former Northfield campus of Northfield Mount Hermon School.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 11.6 km$2$ (4.5 mi$2$), of which 11.6 km$2$ (4.5 mi$2$)  is land and 0.22% is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,141 people, 495 households, and 307 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 98.6/km$2$ (255.3/mi$2$). There were 567 housing units at an average density of 49.0/km$2$ (126.9/mi$2$). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.90% White, 0.09% Black or African American, 0.53% Native American, 0.26% Asian, and 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.79% of the population.

There were 495 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $45,580, and the median income for a family was $56,146. Males had a median income of $41,603 versus $27,308 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $23,920. About 1.0% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

title: Northfield (CDP), Massachusetts


text:
Northfield, Massachusetts

Northfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. Northfield was first settled in 1673. The population was 2,866 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Connecticut River runs through the town, dividing West Northfield from East Northfield and the village of Northfield, where the town hall is located.

Part of the town is included in the census-designated place of Northfield.

History
The village of Skakeat/Squakheag was the site of modern-day Northfield and was home to the Nashaway Nipmuc and Sokoki Abenaki. Northfield was first colonized by European settlers in 1673 and was officially incorporated in 1723. Indian Land Deeds for Hampshire County, Including Later Berkshire, Franklin, and Hampden Counties, gives the name of the otan (village) as Squakheag (a Nipmuk name), also Skakeat (Sokoki Abenaki). John Eliot, in his Brief Narrative...History of the Nipmuk, attributes this village to the Nipmuc.

The territory was successfully defended a number of times by Native Americans. The Battle on Beer's Plain occurred in Nothfield in 1675. Peter Jethro, a Praying Indian, a son of Tantamous, a  Nipmuc originally from Concord who was reputed to be a pauwau,  spent a brief stint in the Northfield area as a Christian minister before a massacre plunged him into King Philip's War. During the war, Peter Jethro freed a settler who was being held captive near Northfield. As a result of the conflict, New England settlers were occasionally taken north to Quebec, held as hostages by the French, causing the town to revert to American Indian control a few times. Eventually, conflicts with the Native American population ceased after most of the native population was displaced and/or sold into slavery as a result of King Philip's War and after a series of massacres of local Indian villages.

During Dummer's War, on August 13, 1723, Gray Lock raided Northfield, and four warriors killed two citizens near the town. The next day they attacked Joseph Stevens and his four sons in Rutland. Stevens escaped, two boys were killed, and the other two sons were captured.

Much of Northfield's development in the late nineteenth century was spurred by the work of evangelist Dwight Lyman Moody, a native of Northfield who established the Northfield Seminary for Girls in 1879 on a sweeping hillside in East Northfield. The school was the site of Moody's religious conferences, which attracted thousands of visitors to Northfield each summer. The influx of visitors led to the development of the town as a summer resort, especially after the opening of the Northfield Hotel in 1887. Francis Schell, a New York capitalist attracted by his interest in Moody's work at the Northfield Seminary, commissioned architect Bruce Price to design a summer home, which became known as the Northfield Chateau. Patterned after a French château but fanciful in style with prominent turrets and 99 rooms. The chateau was later converted into a guest house to go with the Northfield Hotel which was across the street. A golf course was installed on the large grass lawns of the hotel. In the 1960s, Northfield Mount Hermon School purchased the hotel and the Chateau. It was decided they did not want to manage these venues and the hotel and the Chateau were demolished. The school failed to notify guests of the closing of the Hotel and people were still arriving while the building was being demolished. All that is left today is the golf course and some former workers maintenance buildings. Northfield Mount Herman School sold the property to Snow's Landscaping in the 2010s. Snow's manages the Northfield Golf Club and event venue.

The Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad had established rail service to Northfield by 1850, along a line running from Millers Falls, Massachusetts, to Brattleboro, Vermont. Even though the railway crossed the Connecticut River in Northfield, East Northfield Station was actually located in West Northfield, making it necessary for disembarking passengers to travel back across the Connecticut River on the lower deck of the rail bridge. To provide for safer and more convenient access across the river, Francis Schell gave $45,000 for the construction of a new steel bridge. The Schell Bridge is a Pennsylvania truss structure of impressive design, which crosses the river in one span of 515 ft.

In 1971 the Northfield Mount Hermon School was formed by the merger of the Northfield Seminary and the Mount Hermon School for boys, which Moody had founded in 1881 in nearby Gill. The school continued to operate as one school with two campuses some 5 mi apart on opposite banks of the Connecticut River until 2005 when the school consolidated its operations on the Mount Hermon campus in Gill. The school's former campus in Northfield was purchased by Hobby Lobby, an Oklahoma-based chain of arts and crafts stores, as of December 2009 to be used as the campus for the new C.S. Lewis College, run by the California-based C.S. Lewis Foundation. Renovation began on the disused buildings in summer 2010, and the college expected to open for instruction in fall 2012, pending accreditation, but failed to meet the necessary funding threshold. Moody's birthplace and grave site, located on the Northfield campus, remain as a historic site. In December 2013, Hobby Lobby donated the auditorium, used for Moody's religious conventions, and the school's original Romanesque Revival buildings and grounds to the National Christian Foundation, which is responsible for identifying a viable owner for the property. In 2017, the NFC agreed with Thomas Aquinas College (TAC) of Santa Paula, California on a plan for TAC to open its second campus on the Northfield site. Classes at TAC's Northfield campus began in August 2019.

In June 2016, The Trust for Public Land and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation ensured the complete and permanent protection of 1,300 acres of forest land which was previously the Northfield campus and owned by the Northfield Mount Hermon School for over a century. Although now a permanent part of the Northfield State Forest, it had been the largest parcel of unprotected land in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The property includes woodlands, trails and a reservoir which will be managed by the DCR to ensure public access for recreation as well as serve as important habitat for wildlife.

Geography and transportation
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 91.6 sqkm, of which 88.8 sqkm is land and 2.8 sqkm, or 3.07%, is water. Northfield is the only town in Franklin County to be divided by the Connecticut River, though only partially; the river forms the southwestern border of town. Several brooks flow directly into the Connecticut River within town, with the others (on the east side of the hills) leading into the Millers River, itself a tributary of the Connecticut. The western banks lie near Pond Mountain, whose peak is in neighboring Bernardston. To the east of the river are several mountains in the Upper Bald Hills, including Northfield Mountain, Brush Mountain (the highest point in town), Beers Mountain, South Mountain, Notch Mountain and Hogback Mountain (along the New Hampshire border). The southeastern corner of the town is protected as part of the Northfield State Forest, with part of the northwest corner protected as part of Satan's Kingdom Wildlife Management Area. Most of the inhabited areas in town lie along the Connecticut River, and the town's main villages include East Northfield, Mount Hermon Station, Gill Station, Northfield Farms, and Sky Farm (between Brush Mountain and Northfield State Forest). The town is also home to a cross-country skiing area at Northfield Mountain, which is also traversed by the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail.

Northfield is located at the junction of the Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont state borders along the Connecticut River. The town center is located 12 mi northeast of Greenfield, 44 mi north of Springfield, 52 mi northwest of Worcester and 84 mi west-northwest of Boston. The town is bordered by Vernon, Windham County, Vermont, and Hinsdale and Winchester, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, to the north, Warwick to the east, Erving to the south, Gill to the southwest and Bernardston to the northwest.

The town has no interstate highways, the closest being Interstate 91 in neighboring Bernardston, the nearest exit being along Route 10, which enters through the northernmost portion of Gill before it crosses the Connecticut River over the Bennett's Meadow Bridge. The Route 10 bridge is the only active car bridge within town; the smaller Schell Bridge lies inactive (since 1985) near the Vermont state line, and the old Vermont & Massachusetts Rail Bridge lies between them. For 2.5 mi, Route 10 shares a concurrency with Route 63, which passes from neighboring Erving to the south into Hinsdale to the north. Route 10 also passes into New Hampshire and the town of Winchester, as it heads north towards nearby Keene. Additionally, most of Route 142 passes through the town towards Vernon, Vermont, and nearby Brattleboro.

The Amtrak Vermonter line passes through the town daily, offering train service between many of the cities along the Eastern Seaboard. However, it no longer stops at Northfield (the nearest stops are in Greenfield and Brattleboro) and there is no other public transportation within town. The nearest private airport is Turners Falls Airport in nearby Montague, with the nearest national air service being 65 mi south at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. The town has a boat ramp near Schell Bridge.

It is the only town on the Connecticut River that is on both sides of the river, except for Pittsburg, New Hampshire, Wethersfield, Connecticut, and Haddam, Connecticut.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there had been 2,951 people, 1,158 households, and 815 families residing in the town. The population density was 85.8 PD/sqmi. There were 1,262 housing units at an average density of 36.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.51% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.03% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.58% of the population.

There were 1,158 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, the population's age was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $49,141, and the median income for a family was $56,816. Males had a median income of $40,396 versus $28,615 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,517. About 3.6% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * James Kendall Hosmer, Civil War Union soldier, president of the American Library Association, prolific writer and historian of the American Civil War
 * D.L. Moody, evangelist and publisher connected with Keswickianism, who founded the Moody Church
 * Jonathan Hunt, second Lieutenant Governor of Vermont and a member of the prominent Hunt family of Vermont

Government
The town is governed by a five-member selectboard, charged with the creation and enforcement of policy and general decision-making, among other responsibilities. The town is part of the 2nd Franklin District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, represented by Susannah Whipps, and the Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester Senate district, represented by Jo Comerford.

Points of interest

 * King Philip's Hill
 * Linden Hill School (defunct)
 * Northfield Chateau (no longer existent)
 * Northfield Drive-In Movie Theater
 * Northfield Mountain
 * Northfield Mount Hermon School
 * Thomas Aquinas College
 * Schell Bridge
 * Pioneer Valley Regional School

title: Northfield, Massachusetts


text:
Orange (CDP), Massachusetts

Orange is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Orange in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,018 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography
Orange is located at 42.58778°N, -72.30806°W (42.587796, -72.308163).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 15.6 km$2$ (6.0 mi$2$), of which 15.5 km$2$ (6.0 mi$2$) is land and 0.17% is water.

Demographics
As of the 2000 census, there were 3,945 people, 1,545 households, and 999 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 253.9/km$2$ (657.3/mi$2$). There were 1,663 housing units at an average density of 107.0/km$2$ (277.1/mi$2$). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.87% White, 1.22% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.58% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.77% of the population.

There were 1,545 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $35,826, and the median income for a family was $43,704. Males had a median income of $33,769 versus $22,279 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $15,550. About 5.3% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.

title: Orange (CDP), Massachusetts


text:
Orange, Massachusetts

Orange is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,569 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Part of the town is included in the census-designated place of Orange.

History
Orange was first settled by Europeans in 1746, created from lands in the towns of Royalston, Warwick and Athol. The lands were not fully settled until the latter parts of the century, becoming the District of Orange in 1783, and finally being incorporated as a town in 1810. It was named for William, Prince of Orange. In 1790, the Millers River was dammed within town, and industry began in the former farming community. Small industry grew within the town, with the town being considered more of a mill town by 1840. By the late nineteenth century the New Home Sewing Machine Company was the largest industry in town, putting out 1.2 million machines at its peak in 1892. In 1900, it was home to the pioneer automobile company Grout, considered the first automobile built in a factory in the United States.

The town was used as the eponymous location for the Hulu Castle Rock series, based on Stephen King's works, with several businesses in the downtown refitted to reflect the milieu.

Massachusetts Peace Statue
The Massachusetts Peace Statue—It Shall Not Be Again—a bronze war memorial statue was erected in Memorial Park in 1934 to recognize veterans who served in World War I. On February 25, 2000, the legislature designated it the official peace statue of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 93.3 sqkm, of which 90.9 sqkm is land and 2.4 sqkm, or 2.58%, is water. Orange is drained by the Millers River, which flows through the center of the modern town. There are also several brooks within town, as well as several ponds and lakes, including Tully Pond, Lake Mattawa and part of Lake Rohunta. Only a small portion of the town is protected area, most of which is part of the Orange State Forest, with a small portion being part of the Warwick State Forest. Much of the northern half of town is spotted with swamps, and the town is home to three large hills, Temple Hill and Tully Mountain in the north and Chestnut Hill, the town's highest point, in the south.

Orange is the easternmost town within Franklin County along its border with Worcester County. The town center lies 18 mi east of Greenfield, 40 mi northwest of Worcester, 42 mi northeast of Springfield and 72 mi west-northwest of Boston. It is bordered by Royalston to the northeast, Athol to the southeast, New Salem to the south, Wendell to the southwest, a small portion of Erving to the west, and Warwick to the northwest.

Climate
Like most of Massachusetts, Orange falls into a humid continental climate type, or Koppen Dfa/Dfb. Hot, humid summers are common, along with cold, snowy winters. Spring and fall are typically mild, with notable fall foliage.

Transportation
The town lies along Massachusetts Route 2, the major east-west route across the northern part of the state. Except for the westernmost tenth of a mile, the entire road is a limited access highway through town. The highway portion ends at the junction of Route 2A, which passes just north of the Millers River near the town center, heading east into Athol and following Route 2's former right of way. Orange is also home to the southern terminus of Route 78 and the northern terminus of Route 122. Additionally, the western end of the concurrency between Route 2 and U.S. Route 202 is just within town.

The Springfield Terminal railway passes through town, crossing the Millers River several times in the western side of town. The Fitchburg Railroad and later Boston and Maine once provided passenger rail service to Orange; however, these trains have long ceased operating and today only freight passes through the town.

Two local bus routes, the Orange/Greenfield Route of the Franklin Regional Transit Authority, and the Gardner/Orange Route of Montachusett Regional Transit Authority, provide service along Route 2A.

The Town of Orange owns and operates Orange Municipal Airport, a small air service airstrip which also serves as a flight training center and parachuting center. The nearest national air service can be reached either at Bradley International Airport to the south or Manchester-Boston Regional Airport to the northeast.

Education
Elementary School:

 * Fisher Hill School (Pre-K through 6)

High School:
 * Ralph C. Mahar Regional High School (7–12)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,518 people, 3,045 households, and 1,979 families residing in the town. The population density was 212.6 PD/sqmi. There were 3,303 housing units at an average density of 93.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.29% White, 1.06% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.65% of the population.

There were 3,045 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $36,849, and the median income for a family was $44,128. Males had a median income of $34,367 versus $23,967 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,361. About 5.8% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.4% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

Events

 * North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival
 * Annual Athol to Orange River Rat Race

Notable people

 * Myrtle Bachelder, chemist and Women's Army Corps officer who worked on the Manhattan Project
 * Charles Chapin, U.S. Marshal for Vermont
 * Robert Dexter Conrad, naval captain
 * Walter William Spencer Cook (1888–1962), art historian and professor, specialized in Spanish Medieval art history; born in Orange
 * Genevieve Gaignard, artist
 * Whitey Witt, former Baseball player and member of the New York Yankees first World Series championship team 1923

title: Orange, Massachusetts


text:
Holland (CDP), Massachusetts

Holland is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Holland in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, comprising the town center and other populated areas in the eastern part of the town. The population was 1,464 at the 2010 census, out of a total 2,481 people in the town. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography
The Holland CDP is in the eastern part of the town of Holland at 42.04444°N, -72.15361°W (42.044717, -72.153626). The CDP includes the Holland town center along Sturbridge Road, as well as residential communities on the shores of Hamilton Reservoir, a lake in the southeastern part of the town. The reservoir outlet is at the northern end of the lake, flowing into the Quinebaug River. Sturbridge is 6 mi northeast of Holland via Sturbridge Road.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Holland CDP has a total area of 8.5 sqkm, of which 6.9 sqkm are land and 1.6 sqkm, or 18.76%, are water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,444 people, 561 households, and 399 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 205.7 /km2. There were 962 housing units at an average density of 137.1 /km2. The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.02% White, 0.14% Black or African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.11% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.39% of the population.

There were 561 households, out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $50,163, and the median income for a family was $54,318. Males had a median income of $39,509 versus $28,125 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $21,732. About 6.3% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

title: Holland (CDP), Massachusetts


text:
Holland, Massachusetts

Holland is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,603 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The area around the town center comprises the census-designated place of Holland.

This area is shockingly one of five towns with only one stoplight the other towns being

 * Stowe, Vermont
 * Otto, New York
 * Gluk, Minnesota
 * Caswell Beach, North Carolina

History
In 1730, the area that would become the town of Holland was settled by [ Joseph Blodgett, whose descendants still live in the town today. The town was named after Lord Holland, an English statesman who lobbied for independence for the American colonies. The town was incorporated on July 5, 1783. It separated from the town of Wales, which had in turn separated from Brimfield a few years earlier, in 1775. Holland separated from Wales because the town center of Wales was up through a mountain which made it hard to get through.

Throughout the years, Holland has remained an example of the charm and beauty of the traditional New England village. At different times, it has sustained industries such as farming, the manufacturing of cloth, and brickmaking. Holland is now known most for its recreational opportunities. There are extensive recreational facilities at the Hamilton Reservoir, which is stocked with trout each year by the state of Massachusetts. There is also a park and a swimming area at the picturesque Lake Siog.

The 200-year-old town hall was destroyed in a fire in December 1995. The new town hall was dedicated on July 11, 1998, by Congressman Richard Neal of Springfield, whose congressional district includes Holland.

Geography
Holland is located in the southeastern corner of Hampden County in western Massachusetts. It is drained by the Quinebaug River and contains the Hamilton Reservoir, one of the largest reservoirs in southern New England. The town is nestled amongst two hill ranges, where elevations reach up to greater than 1100 ft, for example on Rattlesnake Mountain in the northwest part of town.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 33.8 km2, of which 31.8 km2 are land and 2.0 km2, or 5.88%, are water. Holland is bounded on the east by Sturbridge in Worcester County, on the south by Union, Connecticut, on the west by Wales, and on the north by Brimfield. Holland is 32 mi by road east of Springfield, 26 mi southwest of Worcester, and 40 mi northeast of Hartford, Connecticut. Interstate 84 touches the southeastern corner of Holland at the Massachusetts–Connecticut border; the closest access is from Exit 74 in Union, Connecticut.

Demographics
At the 2010 census, there were 2,481 people, 994 households and 697 families residing in the town. There were 1,365 housing units in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 96.9% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.4% some other race, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.3% of the population.

Of the 994 households, 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were headed by married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50, and the average family size was 2.90.

21.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.9% were from 18 to 24, 25.6% were from 25 to 44, 35.3% were from 45 to 64, and 11.0% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.7 males.

For the period 2011-15, the estimated median household income was $75,000, and the median family income was $85,952. Male full-time workers had a median income of $60,915 and females $43,922. The per capita income was $34,188. About 3.2% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Holland Elementary School, serving grades Pre-K–6, has its own school committee, part of School Union 61. Holland students attend Tantasqua Regional Junior High School (grades 7–8) and Tantasqua Regional High School in Sturbridge. Union 61 and the Tantasqua district share administrators, including the superintendent, and both include Brimfield, Brookfield, Holland, Sturbridge and Wales.

Notable people

 * Carl Beane (1952–2012), announcer at Fenway Park from 2003 until his death
 * Joel Crouse (born 1992), country music singer
 * Dick and Rick Hoyt (1940–2021 and 1962–2023), father-and-son marathon/triathlon team
 * Ephraim Paddock (1780–1859), justice of the Vermont Supreme Court

title: Holland, Massachusetts


text:
Palmer (CDP), Massachusetts

Palmer is former census-designated place (CDP) in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,900 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The area is more commonly known as Depot Village, named for the ornate train depot built there by famed architect H.H. Richardson

Geography
Palmer is located at 42.15694°N, -72.32667°W (42.157157, -72.326855).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP had a total area of 10.6 km2, of which 10.6 km2 is land and 0.1 km2 (0.73%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,900 people, 1,778 households, and 970 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 368.2 /km2. There were 1,874 housing units at an average density of 176.9 /km2. The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.33% White, 1.44% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.51% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.51% of the population.

There were 1,778 households, out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.1% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.4% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the CDP the population was spread out, with 22.4% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $35,199, and the median income for a family was $43,958. Males had a median income of $31,956 versus $26,309 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $17,806. About 9.0% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.

title: Palmer (CDP), Massachusetts