Greenfield Reconnaissance Report - MA Heritage Landscapes ...
Greenfield Reconnaissance Report - MA Heritage Landscapes ...
Greenfield Reconnaissance Report - MA Heritage Landscapes ...
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The MeadowsThe Meadows is located in the western part of <strong>Greenfield</strong>, and offers some of the mostspectacular scenic landscapes within the city. Well preserved historic homes surrounded byrolling fields of active farmland offer a stunning display of the historic and agriculturalsignificance of this area. The Meadows area includes farmland along Green River Road, ColrainRoad, Plain Road, Meadow Lane, and Nashs Mill Road and contains Punch Brook, HinsdaleBrook, and Allen Brook, which all flow into the Green River. The Green River is roughly theeastern boundary of the Meadows.The Meadows region was the first area settledin <strong>Greenfield</strong>, predominantly by Deerfieldresidents granted homesteading rights in theearly 18 th century. Samuel Hindsdale, thoughtto be the first white settler in <strong>Greenfield</strong>, cameto the meadows in the early 1700s, establisheda home and farm, and later, a tavern. Originalsettlers of the Meadows formed troops toprotect themselves against Native Americanraids in the mid 1700s and were extremelyactive in town government and civic andEbenezer Wells House ca. 1747cultural affairs, contributing to theeducational, cultural and commercial development of the Town. Historic farmhouses andoutbuildings within the north and south area of the Meadows have been well preserved,including the Allen Brook House (1766), Arms House (1775), Ebenezer Wells House (1747),Old Tavern Farm, and the Thadeus Coleman House (1813), as well as two cemeteries.The Green River contributes to the prime, fertile soils that haveprovided the natural resources to support sustained, viableagriculture in this corridor over the years that is still very activetoday. There are a variety of types of farm operations currently inthe Meadows, including dairy, nursery, vegetable, hay and foragecorn operations, most of which utilize large acreages. Farms are invarious status of protection. Some land, such as the Myers Farm,is permanently protected with an Agricultural PreservationRestriction (APR) with the state Department of AgriculturalResources. Other land is temporarily protected under the Chapter Clover Nook Farm in the Meadows61A program, which requires the City to reduce assessments onfarm property in return for the landowners keeping their land in active agricultural production.Massachusetts <strong>Heritage</strong> Landscape Inventory Program 26<strong>Greenfield</strong> <strong>Reconnaissance</strong> <strong>Report</strong>