Charlemont is a
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
in
Franklin County,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
, United States. The population was 1,185 at the
2020 census.
It is part of the
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, and its county seat. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ea ...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Charlemont was first colonized by Moses Rice (1694–1755) who purchased on April 23, 1743, that been previously set off as Boston Township Number 1 in 1735 by the
Great and General Court. The town was along the distant frontier at the time, and was the subject of several raids by Native Americans. While plowing in the fields one day, Rice was shot and wounded by Indians lying in ambush. They also shot and killed another man, Phineas Arms, at the same time and captured Moses' eight-year-old grandson Asa, who had been riding the plow horse. Moses was taken to the adjoining woods, scalped, and left for dead, but Asa was carried off to Canada. The town was incorporated as Charlemont in 1765, most likely named for the
town in County Armagh, Ulster, Ireland. The town was mostly rural, with farming being the main industry until the advent of the railroad, which traveled through town towards the
Hoosac Tunnel. Today the town industry also includes tourism, with a ski area and other tourist areas along the
Mohawk Trail.
In the years preceding the
Revolutionary War, as Charlemont's citizens grew increasingly dissatisfied with
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
rule, Rev.
Jonathan Leavitt was installed as the minister of Charlemont's
Congregational Church. Born in
Walpole, New Hampshire
Walpole is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,633 at the 2020 census.
The town's central village, where 573 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as the Walpole census-designated place (CDP) a ...
, and graduate of
Yale College
Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...
, Rev. Leavitt arrived in Charlemont in 1767, but his
Loyalist sympathies grated on his congregation.
By 1777 the situation came to a stand-off: Leavitt refused to accept his salary in rapidly depreciating colonial currency. So the town voted to simply close the church, and it stationed a constable at the door to bar the offending reverend. But Leavitt would not be deterred: He moved his sermons to the schoolhouse, where he held forth until 1785, when he was finally dismissed. He sued for his salary, as well as his loss on the depreciated colonial currency, and was awarded £700.
Leavitt's descendants continued to remain in Charlemont and the surrounding region, and several—including Col.
Roger Hooker Leavitt, who represented Charlemont in the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into ...
, and his brother
Hart Leavitt—became notable operators of stations on the
Underground Railroad, sheltering many escaped slaves on their journeys northward.
Revolutionary War soldier and historian
Lemuel Roberts helped his father establish a farm in Charlemont before leaving to fight in the
Siege of Boston.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.55%, is water. Charlemont is located in the western part of the county, with a small portion making up the western county line with
Berkshire County. The town is bordered by
Rowe to the northwest,
Heath to the northeast,
Colrain and
Shelburne to the east,
Buckland to the southeast,
Hawley to the southwest, and
Savoy
Savoy (; ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Vall ...
and
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
to the west. Charlemont is west of
Greenfield, north-northwest of
Springfield, and west-northwest of
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
.
Charlemont's eastern border is marked by the junction of the
North River and the
Deerfield River, the latter flowing eastward through town. The majority of town lands lie north of the river, except for a strip along the entire Hawley town border. The town is surrounded by the eastern
Berkshires, with the western part of town being dominated by Todd Mountain and the
Mohawk Trail State Forest. Several other lower peaks dot the land north and town of the river, including Bald Mountain and Westfield Mountain north of the center of town, and, just over the Hawley town line, Mount Peak and
Mount Institute. There are also several brooks through town, with Mill Brook lying near the town center (the site of a
covered bridge).
Much of the length of the Deerfield in town is followed by the
Mohawk Trail, also known as
Massachusetts Route 2. Near the center of town, the road also junctions with, and shares a short, concurrency with
Route 8A. Along the southern bank of the river, a stretch of the
Guilford Rail System leads freight trains from Greenfield towards the
Hoosac Tunnel in neighboring
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, towards
New York. The nearest interstate,
Interstate 91, is several miles to the east along Route 2. The town lies at the westernmost point of the Charlemont-Greenfield line (Route 41) of the
Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA), with a scheduled stop at the Federated Church. The nearest regional bus and air service is in Greenfield and
North Adams, the nearest
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
rail service is in Greenfield, and the nearest national air service is at
Albany International Airport in New York.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 1,358 people, 524 households, and 353 families residing in the town. By population, Charlemont ranks eighteenth of the 25 towns in Franklin county, and 314th out of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was , which ranks fifteenth in the county and 310th in the commonwealth. There were 628 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.07%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.29%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.66%
Native American, 0.74%
Asian, 0.07%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.44% from
other races, and 2.72% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 1.99% of the population.
There were 524 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $46,548, and the median income for a family was $50,962. Males had a median income of $37,500 versus $26,667 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $19,577. About 6.5% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Charlemont employs the
open town meeting form of government, and is led by a
Select board. The town has its own police, fire and public works departments. The town's library, Tyler Memorial Library, is connected to the regional library network. Charlemont lies halfway between hospitals in North Adams (North Adams Regional Hospital) and Greenfield (Franklin Medical Center). Greenfield is also the site of most of the county's public services, courthouses and the county jail.
On the state level, Charlemont is represented in the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into ...
as part of the Second Berkshire district, represented by Paul Mark, which covers central Berkshire County, as well as portions of Hampshire and Franklin Counties. In the
Massachusetts Senate, the town is part of the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes all of Berkshire County and the western portions of Hampshire and Franklin Counties. The town is patrolled by the Second (Shelburne Falls) Station of Troop "B" of the
Massachusetts State Police.
On the national level, Charlemont is represented in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
as part of
Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, and has been represented by
Richard Neal of
Springfield since January 2013. Massachusetts is currently represented in the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
by Senators
Ed Markey and
Elizabeth Warren.
Education
Charlemont is a member of the Mohawk Trail Regional School District, along with
Ashfield,
Buckland,
Colrain,
Hawley,
Heath,
Plainfield,
Rowe, and
Shelburne. Students attend Hawlemont Regional Elementary School, which also serves the neighboring town of
Hawley which serves K–6. High school students then attend
Mohawk Trail Regional High School. There is a private academy in town, the
Academy at Charlemont, and other private and religious schools in nearby towns.
The nearest community college,
Greenfield Community College, is located in Greenfield. The nearest state college is
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, and the nearest state university is the
University of Massachusetts Amherst. The nearest private college is
Williams College
Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim ...
in Williamstown, with several others located southeast in the Northampton area.
Points of interest
*Alpine skiing: Charlemont is well known for its alpine ski area,
Berkshire East Ski Area. Other ski areas once located in Charlemont include Sawmill Hill, the Mohawk Trail Skiers Project, and Snow White. Berkshire East is open from late fall until early spring and features snowmaking and night skiing.
*Camping: Country Aire Campground/RV Park is located on Route 2 in Charlemont, on the Mohawk Trail.
*Hiking: There are multiple popular mountain hikes in Charlemont, accessible via official and unofficial trails, such as
Mount Institute, Negus Mountain,
Pocumtuck Mountain, and Todd Mountain.
*Water rafting: White water rafting is very popular in Charlemont. Crabapple Whitewater and Berkshire Whitewater are two popular whitewater rafting operations on the Deerfield River. The scenic
Mohawk Trail passes through the community.
*Mohawk Park: This small roadside park along Route 2 features
Hail to the Sunrise, a statue in tribute to the area's
Native American heritage.
*Mountain Biking: In the summer of 2015, the lift accessed, Thunder Mountain Bike Park will open on the slopes of Berkshire East Ski Area.
*Zip Lines: Since 2009, there have been four zip line canopy tours operated in Charlemont, Berkshire East Canopy Tours features three tours, Zoar Outdoor, one tour, and
Experience Based Learning also operations zip-lines.
Notable people
*
Catharine Webb Barber (1823–1893), newspaper editor, author
*
Robert S. Houston (1820–1902), Wisconsin state legislator, stonemason, and dairy farmer, was born in Charlemont
['Wisconsin Blue Book 1874, Biographical Sketch of Robert Samuel Houston, pg. 462]
*
Celeste M. A. Winslow (1837–1908), author
References
External links
Town of Charlemont official websiteScenic assessment
{{authority control
Towns in Franklin County, Massachusetts
Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts
Towns in Massachusetts