Greenfield, Massachusetts

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Greenfield, Massachusetts
—  City  —
Greenfield from Poet's Seat Tower, 1917
Location in Franklin County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°35′15″N 72°36′00″W / 42.5875°N 72.6°W / 42.5875; -72.6Coordinates: 42°35′15″N 72°36′00″W / 42.5875°N 72.6°W / 42.5875; -72.6
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 www.townofgreenfield.org

Greenfield is a city in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,456 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Franklin County.[1] 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 is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Contents

[edit] History

Pocumtuck Indians first settled and originally inhabited the Greenfield area. Native American artifacts found in the area have been dated as originating between 7,000 to 9,000 years BC.[2] The Pocumtucks planted field crops and fished the rivers, but were wiped out as a tribe by the Mohawks in 1664.[3] Thereafter, the newly unoccupied area - being the eastern terminus of the Mohawk Trail, a principal route for Native American trade traveling west into New York - was colonized by the English in 1686 as part of Deerfield. In 1753, Greenfield was set off from Deerfield and incorporated as a separate town, named for the Green River.

In 1795, the South Hadley Canal opened, allowing 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. 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. For a while during the 20th century, Greenfield was one of the most important centers of the tap and die business as the home of Greenfield Tap & Die Company (GTD). (GTD is today one of the Widia brands.)

  • Old Stone Mill in c. 1920

  • Franklin Street in 1906

  • Mansion House in c. 1908

[edit] Geography

The road marker in Court Square

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 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 thirty-nine miles north of Springfield and ninety miles 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.

[edit] Transportation

Greenfield lies at the junction of four highways. Interstate 91 traverses north and south through the western stretch of the city, and is duplexed for a 3-mile stretch with Route 2. Route 2, which follows the rough path (and is nicknamed after) of 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 24, the Mohawk Trail follows 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 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.

Greenfield lies at the junction of two separate sets of the Springfield Terminal railway, the east-west line heading from the northern points of Worcester County towards the Hoosac Tunnel and Albany, and the north-south line heading from Springfield in the south towards Vermont in the north, both of which carry freight through the town. There is no passenger service in Greenfield, and the nearest passenger rail service is in Amherst to the south.

The town is served by the Peter Pan and Greyhound bus lines, as well as being the hub of the Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA), whose local service extends from Bernardston to Northampton and from Athol to Charlemont. A new "intermodal transportation center" serving as the hub for FRTA bus service is slated to open on Bank Row in 2012.[4]

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.

[edit] Demographics

See also: Greenfield (CDP), Massachusetts

Historical populations
Year Pop. ±%
1850 2,580 —
1860 3,108 +20.5%
1870 3,589 +15.5%
1880 3,903 +8.7%
1890 5,252 +34.6%
1900 7,927 +50.9%
1910 10,427 +31.5%
1920 15,462 +48.3%
1930 15,500 +0.2%
1940 15,672 +1.1%
1950 17,349 +10.7%
1960 17,690 +2.0%
1970 18,116 +2.4%
1980 18,436 +1.8%
1990 18,666 +1.2%
2000 18,168 −2.7%
2001* 18,095 −0.4%
2002* 18,105 +0.1%
2003* 18,051 −0.3%
2004* 18,008 −0.2%
2005* 17,928 −0.4%
2006* 17,816 −0.6%
2007* 17,848 +0.2%
2008* 17,868 +0.1%
2009* 17,844 −0.1%
2010 17,456 −2.2%
* = population estimate.
Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]
The first post office circa 1910

Greenfield, as the only community in the county with a population over 10,000, is the largest community by population and 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[15] 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 per square mile (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.

The Weldon Hotel in 1913

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.

[edit] Government

Greenfield City Hall

Although officially styled the "Town of Greenfield", the 2003 revised corporate charter changed Greenfield's governance model to a mayor-council government, making it the Commonwealth's newest city. Greenfield had formerly been governed by a town council and a town manager. Currently, the town council consists of four at-large councilors and nine councilors elected by precinct. The other town boards are appointed, with the exception of the seven-member school committee, which currently consists of the mayor plus six members elected at-large.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 15, 2008[16]
Party Number of Voters Percentage
  Democratic 3,831 33.24%
  Republican 1,243 10.78%
  Unaffiliated 6,335 54.96%
  Minor Parties 117 1.02%
Total 11,526 100%

[edit] 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.

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 currently 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.

[edit] 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. Timothy Farrell is the current Council President, David Singer the Vice-President and Mark Maloney is the Treasurer.

[edit] Municipal services

Greenfield operates its own police, fire and ambulance services. The town is also patrolled by the Second (Shelburne Falls) Barracks of Troop "B" of the Massachusetts State Police.[17] It runs a sizeable public works department and is the home base of the regional waste management system. The Greenfield Public Library 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 center.

[edit] County Seat

As county seat, Greenfield is also home to many different state offices, including courthouses and one of the offices of the Northwest District Attorney, Elizabeth D. Scheibel. 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.

[edit] Legislative Delegation

Greenfield is part of the Second Franklin district of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, which includes much of southeastern Franklin County and towns in western Worcester County. Currently Representative Denise Andrews serves this district. 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 Stanley C. Rosenberg currently represents this district.[18]

Nationally, Greenfield is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, and has been represented by John Olver of Amherst since June 1991. Massachusetts is currently represented in the United States Senate by Senators John Kerry and Scott Brown.

[edit] 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 third grade, the Greenfield Middle School for students from fourth through seventh grades, and Greenfield High School for eighth through twelfth grades. Greenfield's athletic teams are nicknamed the "Green Wave", and their school colors are green and white.

[edit] 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 Massachusetts Virtual Academy or "MAVA @ Greenfield", the only kindergarten through twelfth grade distance learning school of its kind in the state.[19] 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.

[edit] Private schools

Greenfield also has several private schools. The oldest is the Stoneleigh-Burnham School, a private 7th-12th grade boarding school for girls. The Greenfield Center School serves students through eighth grade with an "ethical" approach to education. There is one religiou school. The Cornerstone Christian School. Holy Trinity School closed in 2011.

[edit] Higher education

Greenfield is home to the 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 Northampton area.

[edit] Media

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

FM stations

  • 95.3 WPVQ (Country) Saga Communications[20]
  • 98.3 WHAI (Adult Contemporary) Saga Communications[21]
  • 102.9 W275AS (// WYRY-FM Country) Tri Valley Broadcast Corporation[22]
  • 107.9 WMCB-LP (Talk/Information) Greenfield Community Television¹[23]
  • 107.9 WLPV-LP (Religious) Living Waters Assembly of God Church¹[24]

¹ - WMCB-LP/WLPV-LP operate under a "share time" agreement with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

AM stations

  • 1240 WHMQ (// WHMP Talk) Saga Communications[25]
  • 1520 WIZZ (Nostalgia) P&M Radio[26]

Cable stations

  • 15 [2] (Public Access) Greenfield Community Television

Newspapers

[edit] Points of interest

Leavitt-Hovey House/Greenfield Public Library in c. 1910

[edit] Notable residents

Poet's Seat Tower circa 1915

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
  2. ^ * Hoffman, Curtiss; Fowler, William S., Chamberlain, Elaine S. (1991). A handbook of Indian artifacts from Southern New England. Lincoln, Massachusetts: Massachusetts Archaeological Society special publication ;, #4. pp. 142. 
  3. ^ Melvoin, Richard (1989). New England Outpost. Norton. pp. 44–45. 
  4. ^ Comment welcome on new transit depot, Recorder Newspaper, June 10, 2009 [1]
  5. ^ "TOTAL POPULATION (P1), 2010 Census Summary File 1, All County Subdivisions within Massachusetts". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/P1/0400000US25.06000. Retrieved September 13, 2011. 
  6. ^ "Massachusetts by Place and County Subdivision - GCT-T1. Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US25&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-T1&-ds_name=PEP_2009_EST&-_lang=en&-format=ST-9&-_sse=on. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
  7. ^ "1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics: Massachusetts". US Census Bureau. December 1990. Table 76: General Characteristics of Persons, Households, and Families: 1990. 1990 CP-1-23. http://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cp1/cp-1-23.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
  8. ^ "1980 Census of the Population, Number of Inhabitants: Massachusetts". US Census Bureau. December 1981. Table 4. Populations of County Subdivisions: 1960 to 1980. PC80-1-A23. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_maABC-01.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
  9. ^ "1950 Census of Population". Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, Pages 21-10 and 21-11, Massachusetts Table 6. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1930 to 1950. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/23761117v1ch06.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
  10. ^ "1920 Census of Population". Bureau of the Census. Number of Inhabitants, by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions. Pages 21-5 through 21-7. Massachusetts Table 2. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1920, 1910, and 1920. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41084506no553ch2.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
  11. ^ "1890 Census of the Population". Department of the Interior, Census Office. Pages 179 through 182. Massachusetts Table 5. Population of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1880 and 1890. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41084506no553ch2.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
  12. ^ "1870 Census of the Population". Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1870e-05.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
  13. ^ "1860 Census". Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1864. Pages 220 through 226. State of Massachusetts Table No. 3. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c.. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1860a-08.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
  14. ^ "1850 Census". Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1854. Pages 338 through 393. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c.. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1850c-11.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
  15. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  16. ^ "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 15, 2008" (PDF). Massachusetts Elections Division. http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/st_county_town_enroll_breakdown_08.pdf. Retrieved 2010-05-08. 
  17. ^ Station B-2, SP Shelburne Falls
  18. ^ List of Massachusetts Legislators by City and Town
  19. ^ http://www.recorder.com/story.cfm?id_no=6351851 Recorder newspaper article about the virtual school- July 11, 2009
  20. ^ http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=wpvq
  21. ^ http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=whai
  22. ^ http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=w275as
  23. ^ http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=wmcb-lp
  24. ^ http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=wlpv-lp
  25. ^ http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?call=whmq
  26. ^ http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?call=wizz
  27. ^ http://www.recorder.com/

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links

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