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 COMMUNITY PROFILE FOR THE TOWN OF ASHFIELD
(from the Massachusetts, Franklin County website, a county-
by-county survey of towns in our Commonwealth)
http://www.co.franklin.ma.us/ashfield.htm
Note: historically, Massachusetts is a Commonwealth, not a State

General Description of the Town:

Ashfield is a 40 square mile town in the Berkshire foothills in the southwestern corner of Franklin County. The town was originally named Huntstown in 1736 as a land grant plantation, but was incorporated under its present name in 1765 under the auspices of Lord Thurlow of Ashfield, England.

From about 1812 to 1830, Ashfield was a center of the peppermint industry and by 1825 several hundred acres of peppermint were under cultivation, yielding up to forty pounds of oil per acre at a value of nearly $8 per pound. Other small industries during the 19th century included pottery making (an exhibit of which is at the Smithsonian Institute), production of wooden medical splints, a creamery and several sawmills, gristmills, woodworking mills, tanneries and maple sugaring. Of these, only maple sugaring continued to flourish and Ashfield has become well known for its maple products.

 
For decades, Ashfield was a quiet farming community with dozens of dairy and apple farms dotting the hillsides and lowlands. In the past 40 years, however, several farms have disappeared and the open fields and pastures have returned to wooded areas. It is only in the last 20 years that more people have been moving to Ashfield than leaving it. Lured by the cool breezes and the scenic vistas, people from all walks of life have moved from the cities. These bankers, attorneys, artisans, craftspeople, writers, artists, tradesmen, technicians and others have turned Ashfield into a cultural center.
 
Through all the years, the common theme has been that "small is better" and that Ashfield's role in the world is to be a haven from the world.
..........(Read more about Ashfield's early history by clicking here)
 
Location and Characteristics:
 
Western Massachusetts, bordered by Goshen and Cumington on the south and southwest, Plainfield on the west, Hawley on the northwest, Buckland on the north, and Conway on the east. Ashfield is 20 miles southwest of Greenfield, 21 miles north of Northampton, 109 miles west of Boston, and 175 miles from New York City.
 
SIZE
Total Area: 40.42 sq. miles
Land Area: 40.30 sq. miles
Population: 1,715
Density: 43 per sq. mile
 
CLIMATE
(National Climatic Data Center and Cummington Hill Station)
Normal temperature in January.....19.9°F
Normal temperature in July...........67.3°F
Normal annual precipitation..........46.0"
 
U.S. GEOLOGIC SURVEY
Topographical Plates:
Ashfield, Goshen, Shelburne Falls, Plainfield

REGIONAL PLANNING AGENCY

Franklin County
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT
Board of Selectmen
Administrative Assistant
Open Town Meeting
 
YEAR INCORPORATED
As a town: 1765
 
REGISTERED VOTERS (Secretary of State 1994)
Total Registered 1,087
Democrats 253 23.3 %
Republicans 175 16.1 %
Other parties 1 0.1 %
Unenrolled Voters 658 60.5 %
 
HOUSING FACILITIES: (Units, occupancy, value, structure type, year built, etc.) -
U.S. Census Bureau Tables
Home Sales
Residential Building Permits
(New single and multi family; monthly, YTD & historical) - U.S. Census Bureau Tables
Subsidized Housing Units (DHCD 1998)
Subsidized Housing Units: The number of housing units which count toward the municipality's 10% goal for low- and moderate-income housing. It includes both subsidized affordable units and market rate units in certain eligible subsidized developments.
Public Housing Units (DHCD 1998)
Rental Assistance(DHCD 1999)
State (MRVP: 0
Federal (Section 8): 0
 
From the Department of Housing and Community Development,
Paul Cellucci, Governor, Jane Wallis Gumble, Director
 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Massachusetts Department of Revenue FY99 Estimated Receipts
Massachusetts Division of Employment and Training Employment and Wages
Retail Sales by Retail Group
(US Census of Retail Trade 1992)
 
Establishments Sales
($,000)
Bldg. materials, garden supplies 0 0
General merchandise 0 0
Food stores 0 0
Automotive dealers 0 0
Gasoline service stations 0 0
Apparel, accessories stores 0 0
Furniture, home furnishings 0 0
Eating & drinking places 0 0
Drug & proprietary stores 0 0
Misc. retail stores 0 0
 
 
Retail Establishments & Sales: Data is reported for municipalities of 10,000 inhabitants or more. Sales is withheld (indicated with a "D") where it would disclose the operations of individual companies or businesses.
 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS
(Supplied by community 1993)
 
Franklin County Regional Housing Authority
Franklin Community Development Corporation
Franklin Land Trust
Franklin County Chamber of Commerce
 
TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS
The major axes of transportation in Franklin County, where Ashfield is
located, are State Route 2 and Interstate Route 91, which follows the
Connecticut River. The region is well-served by rail. The Springfield
Terminal Railway lines (the former Boston and Maine Railroad) parallel the
two major highways, and the Central Vermont Railway's main line passes N-S
through the eastern portion of the county.
MAJOR HIGHWAYS
Principal highways are State Routes 116 and 112.
RAIL
There is no passenger or freight rail service available, but the network of
intermodal facilities serving Massachusetts is easily accessible.
BUS
Ashfield is a member of the Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA).
There is no fixed route service, but FRTA provides limited paratransit
services for the elderly and disabled through the Shelburne Council on
Aging.
OTHER
The Turners Falls Municipal Airport, a General Aviation (GA) facility, is
accessible from Ashfield. It has a 3,013'x 75' asphalt runway. Instrument
approaches available: Non-precision.
 
LAND USE CLASSIFICATION
(Office of Environmental Affairs 1985)
Acres
Residential 701 2.7%
Commercial 20 0.1%
Industrial 10 0.0%
Transportation 0 0.0%
Agriculture 3,182 12.3%
Urban Open Land 23 0.1%
Recreation 31 0.1%
Water 77 0.3%
Other 21,759 84.3%
 
ZONING REGULATIONS
(Supplied by community 1993)
Single Two Multi
Family Family Family
Minimum lot size (sf) 87,120 87,120 special permit
Minimum lot width
or frontage (ft) 200 200
 
GROWTH MANAGEMENT
(Supplied by community 1993)
Comprehensive Plans No
Rent Control No
Condominium Controls No
Groundwater Protection No
Subdivision Control Laws Yes
Site Plan Approval Required No
Other Growth Limits No
 
CULTURE AND RECREATION
LIBRARIES
Board of Library Commissioners On-line Library Catalog
MUSEUMS
(American Association of Museums)
Ashfield Historical Society
P.O. Box 61
457 Main Street
Ashfield, MA 01330
(413) 628-4541
RECREATION
Telephone Numbers for Public Information
Recreational Facilities
(Recreational sites and activities) Department of Environmental Management Recreation Section
 
HEALTH FACILITIES
(Dept. of Public Health 1992)
Hospitals
None
Long Term Care
None
Hospices
None
Rest Homes
None

WELFARE ASSISTANCE

(Department of Public Welfare 1994)
Cases
Cash Assistance
Refugee Assistance.....................................................0
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Aged..............6
Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)...10
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Disabled.......20
Emergency Aid (formerly General Relief)..................1
 
Medicaid Only
Aged ..........................................................................1
Families....................................................................12
Disabled.....................................................................1
Children................................................................... ..1
Food Stamps Only................................................ ...10
Total.................................................................... .....62
 
DPW caseloads are compiled by zip code. The cases shown are for the zip code(s) in which the community is located, and may include cases for other communities with the same code.
 
NOTE: The COMMUNITY PROFILE draws information from a diversity of sources. The main source of information is listed under each section. In some instances comments submitted by the municipality were incorporated to correct and/or enhance the information obtained from the main source. However, no changes were made to those data bases which must be consistent throughout the state. DHCD has made efforts to ensure the accuracy of all data in the COMMUNITY PROFILES, but cannot take responsibility for any consequences arising from the use of the information contained in this document.