Greenfield, Massachusetts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Greenfield, Massachusetts | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Franklin |
| Settled | 1686 |
| Incorporated | 1753 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Mayor-council city |
| Area | |
| - Total | 21.9 sq mi (56.8 km²) |
| - Land | 21.7 sq mi (56.3 km²) |
| - Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²) |
| Elevation | 250 ft (76 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 18,168 |
| - Density | 836.2/sq mi (322.9/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 01301 |
| Area code(s) | 413 |
| FIPS code | 25-27025 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0618166 |
| Website: http://www.townofgreenfield.org/ | |
Greenfield is a city in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,168 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Franklin County.6 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.
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[edit] History
Pocumtuck Indians once made seasonal encampments in the area. They planted field crops and fished the rivers. First settled by the English in 1686 as part of Deerfield, it was attacked repeatedly by Indians, with the last skirmish in 1756. In 1753, Greenfield was set off and incorporated as a separate town, named for the Green River. It was the eastern terminus of the Mohawk Trail, a principal route for settlers traveling west into Upstate New York.
In 1795, the South Hadley Canal opened, allowing boats to travel around falls in 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. It was designated county seat when Franklin County was created from Hampshire County in 1811. 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 would be the first of several railways to enter the town, replacing the former canal trade.
Greenfield's city status was established with a revised corporate charter, which allowed the election of its first mayor, Christine Forgey, in 2003. When a town, it had been governed by a selectboard. It is the Commonwealth's newest city.
 Old Stone Mill in c. 1920 |
 Franklin Street in 1906 |
 Mansion House in c. 1908 |
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 21.9 square miles (56.8 km²), of which, 21.7 square miles (56.3 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (0.87%) is water. Greenfield is drained by the Deerfield, Green, Falls and Connecticut rivers. The city is located beside the Pocumtuck Range, the northernmost subridge of the Metacomet Ridge.
The town is located at latitude 42 degrees 35 minutes North, longitude 72 degrees, 36 minutes West. On a road map, Greenfield is situated at the intersection of Interstate 91 and Route 2, near where the borders of Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire meet.
[edit] Demographics
See also: Greenfield (CDP), Massachusetts
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 18,168 people, 7,939 households, and 4,374 families residing in the city. The population density was 836.2 people per square mile (322.8/km²). There were 8,301 housing units at an average density of 382.1/sq mi (147.5/km²). 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.
Dominant ethnic groups in Greenfield include Anglo-American (Yankee), Irish-American and Franco-American, though recent years have seen a dramatic rise in Hispanic-Americans and immigrants from former Soviet Bloc states.
[edit] Points of interest
- Historical Society of Greenfield, 43 Church Street
- Guiding Star Grange is a community hall, known for traditional music and dance in the Pioneer Valley.
- Greenfield Center School, an independent K-8th grade school, is the a site of The Coalition of Essential Schools and the home of the New England Coalition of Progressive Educators.
- Greenfield Energy Park, a community greenspace featuring renewable energy exhibits, gardens, native arboretum, caboose museum, concerts, and public art in the heart of downtown Greenfield. Site of former train station. Headquartered at the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA).
- Leavitt-Hovey House/Greenfield Public Library, built in 1797 by Asher Benjamin.
- 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.
- Poet's Seat Tower Park features 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.
[edit] Notable residents
- Charles Allen, jurist
- Meguey Baker, game designer
- Christopher Baldwin, comic strip artist (Bruno)
- Stan Batinski, football player
- Asher Benjamin, architect
- Peter Bergeron, baseball player
- Titus Billings, religious pioneer
- Scott Crago, musician
- Kelly Doton, field hockey player
- George Grennell, Jr., congressman
- Kevin Hassett, economist & author
- Herbert Huncke, Beat Generation figure
- Penn Jillette, magician
- Robin Lane, musician
- Isaac Mass, politician
- Winter Miller, playwright (In Darfur)
- Michael Moschen, juggler
- Steve Partenheimer, baseball player
- John E. Russell, congressman
- Rufus Saxton, brigadier general
- Bennett Jones Sims, bishop
- Charles Pomeroy Stone, army officer & engineer
- Frederick Goddard Tuckerman, poet
- Fred Wallner, football player
- William B. Washburn, congressman & governor
[edit] References
- Francis M. Thompson, History of Greenfield, Shire Town of Franklin County, Massachusetts; T. Morey & Son, publishers; Greenfield, Massachusetts 1904
- History of Greenfield, Massachusetts (1879)
- History of the Green River Works
[edit] External links
- City of Greenfield, Massachusetts
- Greenfield Public Library
- Area Civic Theatre
- Franklin County Fair
- Greenfield Community College
- Greenfield Optimist
- Greenfield Recorder
- Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra
- Greenfield Public Schools
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Franklin County, Massachusetts |
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| City |
Greenfield |
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| Towns |
Ashfield | Bernardston | Buckland | Charlemont | Colrain | Conway | Deerfield | Erving | Gill | Hawley | Heath | Leverett | Leyden | Monroe | Montague | New Salem | Northfield | Orange | Rowe | Shelburne | Shutesbury | Sunderland | Warwick | Wendell | Whately |
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| CDPs | ||
| Village | ||
