Franklin County

The Town of Colrain is located north of Shelburne Falls and abuts the Vermont state line.  The main Route 112 goes through the center of town and is connected to Route 2 (Mohawk Trail) making it conveniently located from I-91 in Greenfield.   The town is home to two state forests -- Catamount State Forest and H.O. Cook State Forest.

Town of Colrain once had factories who produced cotton and iron castings. Those industries, combined with sheep raising, were the causes of the sudden increase in town population in the early 1800s.  

Colrain is now home to many artisans and farmers and attracts those looking for close proximity to outdoor recreation.  

Visit Colrain's Town Website.

The Town of Conway (37.8 square miles) lies in the foothills of the Berkshires just west of the Connecticut River Valley, a region rich in agriculture, arts & culture. Conway is the 4th largest in area of all towns in Franklin County.   It is conveniently located 15 minutes west of I-91 in Greenfield and not far from Northampton. 

The town was once fueled the startup of sawmills. Gristmills and sawmills, built along the streams to harness waterpower, were the first mills of the settlers. Pumpkin Hollow, located at the geographical heart of Conway, became the center of town with a church, school, store, inn, harness shop, and wagon shop.  By the mid-1800s, the citizens of Conway were working hard toward rapid development of the manufacturing industry. Most factories were located along the South River, the main source of waterpower in town. Everything from textiles, hats, furniture, and cutlery to washing “machines” were made here. Gradually, Pumpkin Hollow was replaced as the “center” of town as banks and public buildings sprang up near the river. In the midst of the industrial boom of the nineteenth century, many farms were abandoned leaving pastures and fields to be reclaimed once again by forest. Early in the 20th century, the manufacturing industry went into decline, with many factories going out of business largely because of transportation costs to and from Conway. Stone foundations and cellar holes are the visible remains of many farms and factories of long ago. 

The town is a popular place to live for those who want convenience to the highway but still prefer to live in a beautiful rural setting.    

Visit Conway's Town Website.

The town of Erving is comprised of three villages: Erving Center, Farley, and Ervingside. It is situated along the Millers River and Route 2 (Mohawk Trail) goes through the middle of town.  Erving is known for its low taxes and its convenient location makes it ideal for those who need to travel to the eastern part of the state. 

The French King Bridge connects Erving to the town of Gill and named “The Most Beautiful Steel Bridge” by the American Institute of Steel Construction. The bridge is a popular tourist spot because besides its own beauty, it offers scenic views of the river and the foliage in autumn.

Erving’s large supply of timber and waterpower led to the production of many wood and wood-based products. Today, the Erving Paper Mill still exists, and employs over 100 people.

Visit Erving's Town Website.

The town is named in honor of Moses Gill, a member of Massachusetts' Executive Council who became lieutenant govenor in 1794 and acting governor in 1799 when Governor Increase Sumner died. Gill died in 1800, leaving the state without a governor and acting governor for the first and only time in its history. Gill for many years benefited from river traffic. The "Grass Hill" section eventually became home to noted evangelist Dwight L. Moody's Mount Hermon School in 1881, which merged with Northfield School for girls to become Northfield Mount Hermon School more than 20 years ago.

The Town of Gill has beautiful rolling hills and open farmland.   It is a wonderful town with easy access to Route 2 and Route 10.

Visit Gill's Town Website.

Hawley is a beautiful, remote town in the western part of Franklin County. The town has very little industry and most residents commute, work from home, or work for municipalities. The town is mostly run by volunteers.

Hawley is composed of 40% state forest- the Kenneth Dubuque Memorial State Forest and parts of the Mohawk Trail and Savoy State Forests. Between the three state forests, there is plenty of opportunity to get outside and hike, swim, fish, and enjoy the natural scenery.

Hawley is located in the southwest corner of Franklin County and is bordered by Charlemont to the north, Buckland to the east, and Plainfield to the south.

Visit Hawley's town website.

Heath is located in the northern westerly part of Franklin County.  It abuts the state of Vermont and it is near Route 2 and Shelburne Falls. 

Incorporated in 1785. The Heath Historical Society, located in the center of town, has displays representing Heath’s past, including palm-leaf hats. From the 1830s to the Civil War, women and children in Heath braided these palm-leaf hats and sold them for extra income in the winter months. The town had some farming and other small industry in the nineteenth century, but much of it is gone now, leaving the town as a rural area.

The town comprises a total area of 24.9 square miles with a population of 706. It is a “Right To Farm Community” with rolling hills, stone walls, forests and streams. 

Visit Heath's Town Website.

Leverett is neighbor to the Five College area of Amherst, Hampshire, Smith, Mt. Holyoke and the University of Massachusetts.  Its diverse population of 2,000 is a rich mixture of teachers, students, farmers, lumbermen, gardeners, artists, professionals in the areas of medicine, law, and telecommunications.

Four villages comprise the town: Leverett Center, East Leverett, North Leverett and Moores Corner. The major road through town is Route 63, which connects Leverett to Amherst to the south and Montague to the north.

Visit Leverett's town website.

Leyden contains about 700 year round residents and famous sons that include John Riddell who was the inventor of the binocular microscope, and Henry Kirke Brown who was the sculptor of George Washington on horseback at Union Square in New York City.

Leyden had several small industries in the eighteenth century, including grist mills, wood product mills, and dairying, but today the largest industry is maple sugar production. The town also has a reservoir which supplies the town of Greenfield.

Leyden is a beautiful part of Franklin County with rolling hills, open farmland and picturesque views. 

Visit Leyden's town website.

Monroe is the smallest town in Franklin County and considered to be in the middle of nowhere.  It lies in the farthest northwestern corner of the county. It is sometimes called Monroe Bridge because once the Hoosac Tunnel and Wilmington Railroad were completed, crewmen were told to leave the town’s mailbags at the Monroe bridge. In 1888, the post office was established and was known as the Monroe Bridge Post Office.

Monroe also was home to a paper mill that employed a lot of the locals.  There was also a prison camp and nearly forty years after its abandonment, the Monroe camp is long since vanished virtually without a trace.  There is evidence saved of a few bits of concrete and metal refuse in a clearing in the woods.

The town's eastern border with Rowe is along the Deerfield River. It is bordered by Vermont to the north and the town of Florida to the south and west.

Montague is a diverse area that is rich in history and culture that includes more than 10,000 years of early Native American habitation, as well as the Colonial and Industrial history that is embodied in the National Historic Register Districts of Montague Center and Turners Falls – a planned industrial community.

The Town’s landscape, 31.5 square miles, is a rare combination of rolling hills, fertile farmlands, historic mills and residential villages. It is a thriving town of 8,580 people that offers a unique mixture of business and industrial opportunities, easily accessible to Route 2 and Interstate 91 and only 20 minutes north of Amherst. Montague is also perfectly situated near canoeing, hiking and biking opportunities, including the Turners Falls Bikeway.

The Town prides itself on a lively arts community and convenient access to the cultural resources of the “Five College Area”. The Town's public arts program known as, RiverCulture, promotes arts/culture and the creative economy of Montague.   The five villages that are part of Montague are Turners Falls, Millers Falls, Lake Pleasant,  Montague Center and Montague City.

Visit Montague's town website.

The town of New Salem was affected greatly by the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir, one of the largest man-made water supplies in the country, which supplies the drinking water for nearly half of Massachusetts. Much of the town is off-limits wilderness controlled by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. The people of New Salem are next door to 39 square miles of reservoir on 81,000 acres of reservation land for fishing, hiking, birdwatching, hunting, biking, and other outdoor activities.

New Salem lies at the southeastern corner of Franklin County and is south of Route 2 and the major through road is Route 202.

New Salem has a charming town common and is a beautiful part of Franklin County.

Visit New Salem's town website.

The Town of Northfield is located north of Franklin County with easy access to Greenfield, Brattleboro, VT and Keene, NH. It is a town of farmland, forested hills, streams, wetlands and wildlife and the only town in Massachusetts situated on both sides of the Connecticut River.

The Town of Northfield was an early attraction for colonial settlers due to its rich and fertile plains along the Connecticut River, and Europeans had begun farming there in 1673. Northfield's early fame was based on land, but its later international reputation was built on missionaries. The town was known for producing large numbers of Protestant missionaries. In 1879, Northfield Seminary was established. The girls' school later grew into the Northfield School for Girls, now Northfield Mount Hermon School.

First Light/GDF Suez sited their pumped-storage hydroelectric facility in Northfield and also use the location for a wildlife exhibit and visitor center. The utility company provides boat tours on the Connecticut River and has year-round recreational and education programs. Northfield is one of the cultural centers of Franklin County.

The Town of Northfield has a picturesque Main Street that is surrounded by beautiful landscape.

Visit Northfield's town website.

Orange is the easternmost town in Franklin County. It lies along State Route 2, which runs east towards Worcester County and west towards Berkshire County. Orange has its own municipal airport that is open to the public.

The Millers River runs through the town and was dammed in 1790, bringing in lots of industry. Orange became the site of the New Home Sewing Machine Company in the late 19^th century and Grout in 1900, the first automobile factory built in the United States.

Visit Orange's town website.

Rowe is a small hilltown in northwestern Massachusetts, with a population of 390. The town is one of scenic beauty, with wooded mountains, clear brooks, and the Deerfield River on its border. Rowe is close to ski areas and enjoys great hiking, fishing, hunting, kayaking, rafting and canoeing.

Rowe has its own elementary school and tuitions grades 7-12. The close-knit community enjoys a solid low tax base provided mainly by the Bear Swamp pumped storage hydro-electric plant. Several smaller hydro dams and stations.

The Town is known for its beautiful landscape and well maintained roads.  Property owners enjoy the benefits of the pristine Pelham Lake and Park making this a special community.

Visit Rowe's town website.

 Shutesbury is bordered by the Quabbin Reservoir, and the town's proximity to the huge body of water ensures preservation of some of its rural character because of the restrictions placed on development within the watershed of the Quabbin. 

Today the town of Shutesbury is very rural with lots of natural scenery and a population under 2,000 people.  It is located only 20 minutes from Amherst and is known for its picturesque landscape.

Lake Wyola is a gorgeous swimming hole in Shutesbury. It is also known for boating, paddling, fishing or just some relaxing sunbathing. Many people live year round or have second homes along the lake.  

Visit Shutesbury's town website.

Sunderland lies on the southern edge of Franklin County, north of Hampshire County. The town has a total area of 14.7 square miles and It has a population of approximately 3600.

Sunderland has long been a thriving agricultural community that benefits from the rich Connecticut River Valley soil. It has beautiful farmland, borders the Connecticut River and is well known for biking.  It is conveniently located near Amherst, Hadley and not far from I-91.   The main routes of 116 & 47 intersect at the center.   

Sunderland is considered one of the most desirable places to live in Franklin County. 

Visit Sunderland's town website.

Warwick lies in the northeastern corner of Franklin County, along the border of Worcester County, Massachusetts and Cheshire County, New Hampshire. Warwick is a fairly isolated and rural town. The only state highway that runs through is Route 78 and about one third of the land is protected as part of Warwick State Forest.

Visit Warwick's town website.

Wendell was incorporated in 1781. During that time, residents were very dependent on farming for their livelihoods. They grew grain and flax and raised cattle, sheep, and swine. In the winter, they made shingles, broom handles, and staves. Logging was also a large industry and is still today due to the extensive forest in Wendell.

Wendell is one of the hilltowns of eastern Franklin County. It is located south of Erving and east of Montague and State Route 2 runs along its northern border. The town has two post offices and therefore two zip codes.

Visit Wendell's town website.

Whately was incorporated in 1771 and was originally part of Hatfield.  It is the site of the first gin distillery in Massachusetts, as well as other mills including grist, cider, woolen, chair and coffin factories. Above all, Whately has been and continues to be an agricultural area with commercial crops including apples, cider, hay, maple products, tobacco, and vegetables.

Whately lies on the southern border of Franklin County, north of Hampshire County. Whately is bisected by Interstate 91 and is 26 miles north of Springfield and 11 miles south of Greenfield.

Visit Whately's town website.