Greenfield Reconnaissance Report - MA Heritage Landscapes ...

Town Common AreaThe area of downtown that includes the town common, Court Square and Bank Row has beenidentified as a Priority Heritage Landscape by community members because of its historicalsignificance as the center of civic activities in Greenfield. This heritage landscape includesbuildings adjacent to and visible from the common, including the Pushkin Gallery, the stretch ofbuildings on the east side of the common where Federal street meets Routes 5 and 10, a stretchof road referred to as “Bank Row”, and the unique and important buildings on the west side ofthe common which include the McCarthy Funeral Home (William Coleman House), the SecondCongregational Church and the Town Hall. This area is considered the core of downtown,centering on the common. While the downtown landscape is larger, this central core is thecomponent expressed by the community to have the most significance as a Priority HeritageLandscape. This Priority Heritage Landscape is included within a historic district on theNational Register of Historic Places. This larger area, called the Main Street Historic District,was listed in 1988 and includes Main Street between Chapman and Hope Streets and along BankRow (See page 28 for listing of other historic districts listed on the National Register of HistoricPlaces in the downtown area and elsewhere in town).Greenfield Town CommonThe town common on Main Streetin downtown Greenfield hashistorically been the focal point forcivic activities in Greenfield. Priorto the establishment of this center,the township’s common was atTrap Plain, now called FourCorners. Throughout its history,the common has played a centralrole in the daily life of Greenfield’sGreenfield Town Common and Bank Rowresidents. Firemen drew waterfrom a well on the common to fight fires, and horses drank from a public trough. County fairswere once held here, and in 1870, a monument was erected to honor Civil War veterans fromGreenfield. In the 1920s, the tradition was started of creating ice sculptures on the common forthe annual winter carnival and it has hosted a nativity scene at Christmas over the years as well. 7The common continues to be the hub of civic and commercial activity, with important town andcommercial buildings and busy streets surrounding it on all sides.In 2007, the town common was considered for intersection improvements by the townDepartment of Public Works to utilize available Massachusetts Highway Department Funds.7 Massachusetts Historical Commission form 99, 1984Massachusetts Heritage Landscape Inventory Program 6Greenfield Reconnaissance Report