Enfield was 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 Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The town was lost as a result of the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir.

History

Incorporated in 1816 from portions of

Greenwich Greenwich ( , , ) is an List of areas of London, area in south-east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London, east-south-east of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime hi ...

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 The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, was once a resident, and his grandfather was once a town leader. It was centered at the junction of the east and west branches of the Swift River, and the Athol Branch of the Boston and Albany Railroad ran through the town. The town bordered six other towns - Belchertown, Pelham, Greenwich, Prescott, Ware, and Hardwick. Enfield was disincorporated on April 28, 1938 and portions of the town were annexed to the adjacent towns of Belchertown, New Salem, Pelham, and

Ware WARE (1250 AM) is a commercial radio station broadcasting a classic hits format. Licensed to Ware, Massachusetts, United States, the station serves the Springfield radio market. The station is currently owned by Success Signal Broadcasting ...

. (Not all of the former town is now in Hampshire County: the portion ceded to New Salem is now in Franklin County.) At the town's final ball, the band played

Auld Lang Syne "Auld Lang Syne" () is a Scottish song. In the English-speaking world, it is traditionally sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on Hogmanay/New Year's Eve. It is also often heard at funerals, graduations, and as a far ...

. When the song ended, the town became a part of Belchertown. The headquarters of the Metropolitan District Commission during the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir was located in the former town hall, and was the last building razed in the Swift River Valley, in 1940. The majority of the town center now lies submerged beneath the reservoir, although the Quabbin Observatory and Enfield Lookout, located on scenic Quabbin Hill, as well as the main entrance and headquarters of Quabbin State Park, a popular tourist destination with an emphasis on state history and nature, are all within the former town's limits. Enfield House, an on-campus living facility at

Hampshire College Hampshire College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was opened in 1970 as an experiment in alternative education, in association with four other colleges ...

Amherst, Massachusetts Amherst () is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. Amherst has a council–manager form of government, and is considered a city under Massachusetts state law. Amherst is one of several Massach ...

, is named after the former town.

Enfield in popular culture

* Much of the novel '' Infinite Jest'' takes place in a city called Enfield, Mass.;

David Foster Wallace David Foster Wallace (February 21, 1962 – September 12, 2008) was an American writer and professor who published novels, short stories, and essays. He is best known for his 1996 novel ''Infinite Jest'', which ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine ...

has confirmed that he took the name from the town, but geographic cues make clear that the town in the novel is not the actual Enfield, and is instead a fictional stand-in for

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

. The Enfield Tennis Academy and Ennet House, major locations in the novel, are located there. * Mark Erelli's song "The Farewell Ball" (from the album ''Hillbilly Pilgrim'') wistfully recalls the town's final ball from the perspective of a former resident of Enfield.Lewis, Alan
"Mark Erelli: Hillbilly Pilgrim"
''The Boston Globe'', January 30, 2004. * ''Someday'' by Jackie French Koller is a children's book about the history of Enfield. It is about a girl who has to move from Enfield so they can flood the town to make a drinking water reservoir for Boston.

More Quabbin towns that were disincorporated

* Dana *

* Prescott

Notable People

* George Eugene Eager (1859-1919) - U.S. Consul

Photos

Image:Enfield Lookout, Ware MA.jpg, Image:Overlooking Quabbin Reservoir from Quabbin Hill Rd, Ware MA.jpg, File:Enfield bridge, Enfield, Mass., ca. 1935 - DPLA - 6f942359a0356383de08f4876eaced28.jpg, Enfield Bridge

References

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 {{Massachusetts Former towns in Massachusetts Submerged places in the United States Populated places in Hampshire County, Massachusetts Ghost towns in Massachusetts 1938 disestablishments in Massachusetts 1816 establishments in Massachusetts Populated places established in 1816 Populated places disestablished in 1938