Dana was a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an o ...
located in
Worcester County, Massachusetts
Worcester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the population was 862,111, making it the second-most populous county in Massachusetts while also being the largest in area. The largest city and tr ...
. Dana was lost as a result of the formation of the
Quabbin Reservoir.
History
Formed from parts of
Petersham,
Greenwich
Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
, and
Hardwick, it was incorporated in 1801. The town was named for Massachusetts statesman
Francis Dana. The town was disincorporated on April 28, 1938, as part of the creation of the
Quabbin Reservoir. Upon disincorporation, all of the town was returned to the adjacent town of Petersham. The majority of the land of the former town is still above water.
As with the nearby town of
Prescott, after the disincorporation, houses were moved or razed, but cellar holes remained. The public is only allowed to visit the former town of Dana by foot, as the old narrow road is blocked off to cars. In the town center (which is still somewhat maintained by the
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. The DCR's mission i ...
), a stone marker has been installed, which reads: "SITE OF DANA COMMON 1801-1938 To all those who sacrificed their homes and way of life (Erected by Dana Reunion, 1996)". The common and a area encompassing the former town center has been listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
Other Quabbin towns
*
Greenwich
Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
*
Enfield
*
Prescott
See also
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Worcester County, Massachusetts
External links
* https://web.archive.org/web/20161017095551/http://menotomymaps.com/quab_1.html. Map showing the towns buried under Quabbin as they looked in 1912 with original house locations and current reservoir water level.
References
* Tougias, Michael. ''Quabbin: A History And Explorer's Guide''. Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts: On Cape Publications, 2002.)
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Defunct towns in Massachusetts
Ghost towns in Massachusetts
Geography of Worcester County, Massachusetts
1938 disestablishments in Massachusetts
Forcibly depopulated communities in the United States
National Register of Historic Places in Worcester County, Massachusetts
1801 establishments in Massachusetts
Populated places on the National Register of Historic Places
Populated places established in 1801
Populated places disestablished in 1938
Petersham, Massachusetts