Driving north on Routes 5 and 10 through Deerfield,
you pass any number of souvenir shops and candy stores trying to capitalize
on the visitors drawn by the area's biggest attractions: Historic Deerfield and the
Yankee Candle Co. flagship store.
But as you enter Greenfield, new sidewalks and street lights appear. You make a
sharp right turn, pass under the railroad bridge , come up the hill to the intersection
of Main and Federal streets , and arrive in the heart of a modern downtown rich with
historic buildings and successful local businesses.
The Town of Greenfield, established in 1753, became a city in July 2003, but the name
wasn't changed . Local historian Peter Miller grew up here and says Greenfield is
thriving, despite the odds faced by old mill towns.
"Greenfield was a major shopping center all the way up through, I guess I could say
1980," Miller said . But then retailers like Sears and JC Penney left town. Only a
few of the industries that sustained Greenfield for generations remain -- among them
BETE Fog Nozzle and Kennametal, the successor to Greenfield Tap and Die , once a big
force in town.
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A view of Main Street in Greenfield. The city of 18,000 has seen a growth in its
downtown community, with a number of small businesses sparking new life in the area.
(Photos by Lisa Poole for the Boston Globe)
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A view of Green Fields Market on Main Street in Greenfield.
(Photos by Lisa Poole for the Boston Globe)
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Miller predicts that small businesses will play a significant role in shaping
Greenfield's future. Pierce Brothers Coffee Roasters on Hope Street and The People's
Pint brew pub on Federal Street demonstrate that his prediction has some merit. And
the busy shops along Main Street also offer reason for optimism.
Mary Walsh-Martel moved her toy store , Magical Child , from nearby Shelburne Falls
to Main Street in 1995.
"Greenfield in the last 10 years or whatever has really been experiencing a bit of a
renaissance," she said. "Little by little, some wonderful shops have appeared and
Greenfield still has a viable downtown. That's hugely important to me."
Among her neighbors are Wilson's, a multilevel department store reminiscent of decades
past, the independent World Eye Bookshop, and Greenfield Games. The cooperatively-owned
Green Fields Market has a cafe and you can get your java fix at Café Koko. There's a
movie theater in the historic Garden Theater building. And just a few blocks from
downtown, Foster's offers a full-service grocery store.
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"Not many towns are fortunate to have a family-owned store that's been
there as long as Wilson's has," she said. Next spring, Wilson's will celebrate its
125th anniversary.
Drew Hutchison, 45, loves Greenfield despite what he describes as its lack of
self-confidence.
"Greenfield is like a woman who is really beautiful and doesn't realize it," he said.
"It's not that you have to have the perfect figure or the perfect features to be
beautiful. You have to have something that's a little bit different, a little bit
funky. And Greenfield has that."
Hutchison, who works at a local printing company, sees great potential in Greenfield's
blue-collar roots and its smaller size. He bought a home here last year after living
in nearby towns for decades. "It's beautiful because it's not too big, it's not too
overgrown. It's always been behind the times and by being behind the times, it's saved
itself," he said.
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Jars of candy sit in Wilson's, a family-owned department store gearing up to celebrate
its 125th anniversary this spring. Wilson's offers local shoppers a toy section,
clothes and shoes for all ages, in addition to its popular candy counter.
(Photos by Lisa Poole for the Boston Globe)
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Nearby, the Greenfield Solar Store sells energy-efficient appliances and
biodiesel fuel for the energy-conscious consumer.
(Photos by Lisa Poole for the Boston Globe)
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Greenfield made headlines in 1993 when residents prevented development of a Wal-Mart
store through a citizen initiative. But changes in zoning rules, and local attitudes,
now make the arrival of a big box discount store a question not of "if" but "when."
Many who opposed Wal-Mart are now resigned to development. Clarke, executive director
of the Franklin County Community Meals program, and her husband voted against the
super-retailer.
Doug Clarke, 53, operations manager for the Greenfield/Hadley district of the Western
Massachusetts Electric Co., says he remains concerned about the potential impact.
"It would be great if we had the best of both worlds in which you've got a discount
store nearby to shop at but you also have a fairly vibrant downtown Main Street," he
said.
Greenfield Mercantile Inc. hopes to achieve that by opening a cooperatively owned
discount department store. The US Department of Agriculture recently awarded the group
a rural business enterprise grant to pursue the project. Walsh-Martel, who serves on
the board of the Greenfield Business Association, thinks the idea could work.
"And what's important to me is they're looking to position it in the downtown area,"
she said. By keeping the downtown vibrant, the whole town stays healthy, she added.
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Outside the downtown area, Greenfield maintains considerable open space.
The Green River Festival is a big summer draw that began as a hot air balloon event.
Music has almost eclipsed ballooning as the focus of the two-day celebration each July.
At the other end of town, you can climb the steps inside Poet Seat's Tower for a
panoramic view of the Pioneer Valley.
Or, drive north on Leyden Road and you will pass through lands that have been farmed
for centuries. If you take a left turn at Eunice Williams Drive, you approach the
Green River. Near the crossing, the road is flanked by pine trees, but closed to cars.
You have to get out and walk across the covered bridge.
Markers on both sides of the road commemorate this spot because Eunice Williams, wife
of the Reverend John Williams, was killed here in the 1704 Deerfield Massacre. Another
stone recognizes the volunteer labor of 66 people who constructed this covered bridge
after its predecessor was burned. These days, the bridge sees the most traffic during
the annual Greenfield Lightlife Triathlon in August.
Bob Schilling , who helps organize the triathlon and teaches at Greenfield Community
College, said , "There's a lot of pressure to keep Greenfield a small,
community-oriented place."
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Visitors take in the view from the Poet's Seat Tower.
(Photos by Lisa Poole for the Boston Globe)
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A view of Greenfield Energy Park, created by the Northeast Sustainable Energy
Association. Here, displays on gardening, solar power and sustainability can be viewed.
(Photos by Lisa Poole for the Boston Globe)
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Groups and individuals are heeding the call. The Northeast Sustainable Energy
Association has created the Greenfield Energy Park by the shuttered train station.
The Caboose Museum shares the space with displays about gardening, solar power, and
sustainability. Stroll up the hill and you find the Greenfield Solar Store, which
sells energy-efficient appliances, compact fluorescent light bulbs , and biodiesel
fuel. Co-op Power, a local consumer-owned energy company, plans to break ground this
winter on a biodiesel plant in Greenfield.
Whether Greenfield is poised for an economic boom or has simply escaped a precipitous
decline is hard to say. But shoppers committed to buying locally and history buffs can
both find plenty to interest them in this place that remains in touch with its past.
Contact Amy Mayer, a freelance writer in Western Massachusetts, at amymayer@yahoo.com.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
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The Garden Cinema on Main Street in Greenfield shows the latest flicks.
(Photos by Lisa Poole for the Boston Globe)
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A view of Greenfield Community College, which enrolls more than 3,000 students.
(Photos by Lisa Poole for the Boston Globe)
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A man sits on a bench at sunset along the Blue Trail near Poet's Seat Tower in Greenfield.
(Photos by Lisa Poole for the Boston Globe)
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A stone arch frames the view of the Pioneer Valley from the Poet's Seat Tower.
(Photos by Lisa Poole for the Boston Globe)
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