Enfield, Massachusetts (EN-field)

Enfield is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. The town was nearly lost as a result of the planned creation of the Quabbin Reservoir. Scientific discoveries in 1926 and 1927 allowed other alternatives to be much cheaper than abandoning Enfield and three other nearby towns. Plans for Quabbin Reservoir were scrapped by 1930.

Demographics

There are approximately 1,200 full-time residents of Enfield. Some 200 local college students rent property in town, but Enfield lies on the very edge of towns that have such residents. The hills between the Swift River valley and the colleges in Amherst and Northampton can make winter travel difficult.

Government

Town Meeting-style of government dominates the New England area, and Enfield is no exception. Once held at Town Hall, Enfield moved its meetings to the auditorium at Valley Regional High School in 1971 once population began to rapidly build.

Defences

Enfield is defended by the Massachusetts Army and Air National Guard, as well as the United States military. Locally, the Enfield Police Department is responsible for enforcing Massachusetts General Law, assisted by the Hampshire County Sheriff's Office and the Massachusetts State Police.

Infrastructure

Enfield boasts only surface roads and railways for travel infrastructure. The closest Interstate highway is Interstate 90, the Massachusetts Turnpike, in Palmer, Massachusetts. Massachusetts Route 21 enters Enfield on the southwestern side of town at the Belchertown line. It continues in a generally northeasterly direction to the town of Greenwich and, eventually highway-grade Route 2 in the town of Athol. The Athol Branch of the Boston and Albany Railroad used to run through town, paralleling the course of the Swift River. When B&A ceased independent operation and merged with Conrail (now CSX), the branch was abandoned. It is now the B&A Bike Trail.

Districts

Enfield considers itself to have only one precinct for voting purposes and does not divide itself other than generally: "the northern part of town," "west, toward Prescott," etc.

History

Incorporated in 1816 from portions of Greenwich and Belchertown. It was named in honor of one of its early settlers, Robert Field. General Joseph Hooker, Union general during the American Civil War, was once a resident, and his grandfather was once a town leader. It is centered at the junction of the east and west branches of the Swift River, and the former Athol Branch of the Boston and Albany Railroad ran through the town; this branch is now a "rail-trail." The town borders six other towns - Belchertown, Pelham, Greenwich, Prescott, Ware, and Hardwick. Enfield was scheduled to be disincorporated in the late 1930s and portions of the town were to be annexed to the adjacent towns of Belchertown, New Salem, Pelham, and Ware. Those plans were canceled along with the larger plan for the Quabbin. The town center hosts the usual - fire headquarters, collections of shops, restaurants - and the unusual - Swift River Valley Community College (SRVCC).

Points of interest

• Quabbin Hill Park - located atop Great Quabbin Hill, Quabbin Hill Park as the best view of town, as well as excellent views of Prescott Ridge and Mount Lizzy.
• The Thompkins School - a private, co-educational school which provides both secondary (Grades 6-8) and high school (Grades 9-12) education. Thompkins is also a mix of day students, local students who commute from local towns located nearby, and boarding students who come from much farther away and commuting does not make sense or is impossible. The school is located on a section of Hardwick Road near the eastern edge of town which is bisected along its center-line by the town line between Enfield and Hardwick; the school lies just to the south of the line, entirely in Enfield.
• Swift River Valley Community College (SRVCC) - known locally as "Swerve," SRVCC opened on Main Street in Enfield in 1967. Enfield High School once occupied what is now the SRVCC administration wing and moved out in 1966 once Valley Regional High School opened across town. SRVCC has since expanded its number of classrooms by building onto the original high school.

Architecture

Enfield's architecture is a mix of styles from Colonial to modern-day styles.

Geography

Enfield is predominately flat due to its proximity to the Swift River. While there are some grade changes, the dramatic and drastic changes occur in other towns nearby.

Maps

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  Swift River Valley

  The Swift River valley in west-central Massachusetts was once the target of state officials who wanted to build a four-hundred-plus BILLION gallon reservoir there.
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  Enfield, Massachusetts

Settled
1739-1741 (approx)
originally as the southwestern part of Greenwich

Founding Date

February 15, 1816

Type

Town

Population

approximately 1,200

Inhabitant Demonym

Enfielders