Greenfield Reconnaissance Report - MA Heritage Landscapes ...

station and depot located in the downtown area. The Town was very prosperous through the1850s to World War II due to its central location and easy access for commerce with railroadinfrastructure. In 1811, when Franklin County was established, Greenfield, as the largestcommunity, became the official County Seat, the central location for county governmentoperations. As a result, retail and service sectors grew and Greenfield became the economic andcultural center of the County as well. 1Industrial activity took place along the Green River with a concentration of factory buildingsand surrounding worker-owned and rented houses. Beginning in 1699, water power providedsources for various types of industrial activity. Textile manufacture in Greenfield was succeededby technologically innovative cutlery products as well as precision machine tools and advancedpatent taps and dies. Local forests provided resources for the manufacture of wood productsincluding bench tools, baby carriages, rakes and shovels, and wooden planes and levels.The valley along the Green River in the western portion of town has been the main agriculturaldistrict in town, traditionally focused on dairy and tobacco. This area, referred to as “theMeadows” continues to have a significant amount of farmland in active production, today mostlyin forage and crops. Eighteenth century homes along Colrain Road have been well maintained.During the late Industrial period, affluent residential neighborhoods were developed surroundingthe downtown area from East Main Street to the Highland Park area as well as 19 th centuryneighborhoods related to nearby industry.Today, Greenfield is the most populated town in Franklin County with an estimated populationof 17,706 2 . The Town serves as an employment center for surrounding towns, with aconcentrated commercial district on Main, High, and Federal streets. Residential neighborhoodsreflecting a rich architectural legacy were built around shops and mills of the 19 th and 20 thcenturies. Today, some of the largest employers in Greenfield include the Franklin MedicalCenter, Greenfield Public Schools, the Town of Greenfield, Gentiva Health Services, Big YSupermarket, and Greenfield Community College 3 .The Town of Greenfield has approximately 13% of its land area protected 4 and the populationdensity in Greenfield is roughly 1.26 people per square mile. 5 While the population inGreenfield has not been growing in recent years 6 , open space and farmland have beendiminishing as frontage lots are sold for residential development. This has impacted the rural1 Town of Greenfield 2006 Open Space and Recreation Plan2 Annual Estimates of Population, Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau as of July, 20083 Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, 2005 in Town of Greenfield 2006 Open Space and Recreation Plan4 Mass GIS land use data open space data layer, 3/3/09, Greenfield Planning Department5 MassGIS land use data reports 14,036 total acres in town. Annual Estimates of Population from the PopulationDivision, U.S. Census Bureau report a 2007 population for Greenfield of 17,706. (17,706/14,036 =1.26)6 According to Annual Estimates of Population from the Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau, Greenfieldpopulation has decreased 2.5% from 2000 to 2007.Massachusetts Heritage Landscape Inventory Program 3Greenfield Reconnaissance Report