Northfield, Massachusetts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Northfield, Massachusetts
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Mim's Market
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Location in Franklin County in Massachusetts
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Massachusetts | |
| County | Franklin | |
| Settled | 1673 | |
| Incorporated | 1723 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Open town meeting | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 35.4 sq mi (91.6 km2) | |
| • Land | 34.3 sq mi (88.8 km2) | |
| • Water | 1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2) | |
| Elevation | 381 ft (116 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,866 | |
| • Density | 81.04/sq mi (31.288/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) | |
| ZIP Code |
01360
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| Area code(s) | 413 | |
| FIPS code | 25-47835 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0619381 | |
Northfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. It was first settled in 1673. In 2020, about 2,866 people lived there.
Northfield is part of the Springfield area. The Connecticut River flows through the town. This river divides West Northfield from East Northfield. The town hall is in the village of Northfield.
A part of the town is also known as the Northfield census-designated place.
Contents
History of Northfield
Early Settlement and Native Americans
The area where Northfield is today was once a village called Skakeat or Squakheag. It was home to the Nashaway Nipmuc and Sokoki Abenaki people.
European settlers first came to Northfield in 1673. The town was officially made a town in 1723. Native American groups successfully defended their land many times.
Conflicts and Changes
In 1675, a fight known as the Battle on Beer's Plain happened in Northfield. During King Philip's War, settlers were sometimes taken to Quebec by the French and Native Americans. This caused the town to return to Native American control a few times.
Eventually, conflicts with Native Americans ended. Many native people were displaced or sold into slavery after King Philip's War. There were also massacres of local Indian villages.
During Dummer's War, in 1723, a Native American leader named Gray Lock raided Northfield. His warriors killed two people near the town.
D.L. Moody's Influence
Much of Northfield's growth in the late 1800s came from Dwight Lyman Moody. He was an evangelist, which means he traveled and preached about religion. Moody was born in Northfield.
In 1879, he started the Northfield Seminary for Girls. This school was on a large hillside in East Northfield. Moody also held religious conferences there. Thousands of visitors came to Northfield each summer for these events.
Northfield as a Resort Town
The many visitors helped Northfield become a summer resort. The Northfield Hotel opened in 1887. A rich man from New York, Francis Schell, was interested in Moody's work. He had a fancy summer home built, called the Northfield Chateau. It looked like a French castle with towers and 99 rooms.
The Chateau later became a guest house for the Northfield Hotel. A golf course was also added. In the 1960s, the Northfield Mount Hermon School bought the hotel and Chateau. They decided to tear them down. Today, only the golf course and some old maintenance buildings remain.
Railroad and Bridges
By 1850, the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad had train service to Northfield. The railway crossed the Connecticut River in Northfield. However, the East Northfield Station was actually in West Northfield. Passengers had to cross back over the river on the lower deck of the rail bridge.
To make crossing safer, Francis Schell paid for a new steel bridge. The Schell Bridge was a very impressive bridge. It crossed the river in one long span of 515 feet (157 meters).
School Changes and Land Protection
In 1971, the Northfield Seminary merged with the Mount Hermon School for boys. This created the Northfield Mount Hermon School. The school had two campuses about 5 miles (8 km) apart. In 2005, the school moved all its operations to the Mount Hermon campus in Gill.
The former Northfield campus was bought by Hobby Lobby in 2009. This company planned to use it for a new college called C.S. Lewis College. Renovations started, but the college did not get enough money to open.
Moody's birthplace and grave are still on the Northfield campus. They are a historic site. In 2013, Hobby Lobby gave the auditorium and original school buildings to the National Christian Foundation. In 2017, Thomas Aquinas College opened its second campus on the Northfield site. Classes began there in August 2019.
In 2016, a large area of forest land (1,300 acres) that was part of the Northfield campus was protected forever. This land is now part of the Northfield State Forest. It is open to the public for recreation and is important for wildlife.
Geography and Transportation
Natural Features
Northfield covers about 91.6 square kilometers (35.4 sq mi). Most of this is land, with some water. Northfield is the only town in Franklin County that is partly divided by the Connecticut River. The river forms the town's southwestern border.
Many small streams flow into the Connecticut River. Other streams on the east side of the hills flow into the Millers River. This river also joins the Connecticut. Northfield has several mountains, including Northfield Mountain and Brush Mountain, which is the highest point in town.
Part of the town is protected as the Northfield State Forest. Another part is the Satan's Kingdom Wildlife Management Area. Most people live along the Connecticut River. Main villages include East Northfield and Northfield Farms. There is a cross-country skiing area at Northfield Mountain. The Metacomet-Monadnock Trail also runs through the town.
Location and Roads
Northfield is located where the borders of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont meet. It is about 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Greenfield.
The town does not have any major interstate highways. The closest one is Interstate 91 in nearby Bernardston. Route 10 enters Northfield and crosses the Connecticut River over the Bennett's Meadow Bridge. This is the only active car bridge in town. The older Schell Bridge is no longer used for cars.
Route 63 also passes through Northfield. Route 10 continues into New Hampshire. Most of Route 142 goes through Northfield towards Vernon, Vermont.
Public Transport and Airports
The Amtrak Vermonter train line goes through Northfield every day. However, the train no longer stops in Northfield. The closest train stops are in Greenfield and Brattleboro. There is no other public transportation within the town.
The closest small airport is Turners Falls Airport in Montague. For national flights, the nearest airport is Bradley International Airport in Connecticut, about 65 miles (105 km) away. Northfield also has a boat ramp near Schell Bridge.
Northfield is one of only four towns on the Connecticut River that is on both sides of the river.
Population of Northfield
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1840 | 1,658 | — |
| 1850 | 1,772 | +6.9% |
| 1860 | 1,712 | −3.4% |
| 1870 | 1,720 | +0.5% |
| 1880 | 1,603 | −6.8% |
| 1890 | 1,869 | +16.6% |
| 1900 | 1,966 | +5.2% |
| 1910 | 1,642 | −16.5% |
| 1920 | 1,775 | +8.1% |
| 1930 | 1,888 | +6.4% |
| 1940 | 1,975 | +4.6% |
| 1950 | 2,246 | +13.7% |
| 1960 | 2,320 | +3.3% |
| 1970 | 2,631 | +13.4% |
| 1980 | 2,386 | −9.3% |
| 1990 | 2,838 | +18.9% |
| 2000 | 2,951 | +4.0% |
| 2010 | 3,032 | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 2,866 | −5.5% |
| 2022 | 2,872 | +0.2% |
Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data. |
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As of the 2020 census, the population of Northfield was 2,866 people.
Notable People from Northfield
- James Kendall Hosmer: A soldier in the Civil War. He was also a writer and historian.
- Jonathan Hunt: The second Lieutenant Governor of Vermont.
- D.L. Moody: A famous evangelist and publisher. He founded the Moody Church.
Places to Visit in Northfield
- King Philip's Hill
- Northfield Drive-In Movie Theater
- Northfield Mount Hermon School
- Northfield Mountain
- Pioneer Valley Regional School
- Schell Bridge
- Thomas Aquinas College
Images for kids
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Northfield Chateau.jpg
The Northfield Chateau, built in 1891, was demolished in the 1960s.
