Living In Massachusetts Cities and Towns: Ashfield, Massachusetts

Ashfiled is a 40 square mile town in the Berkshire foothills situated in the southwestern corner of Franklin County. This town was originally named Huntstown in 1736. It was incorporated under the name of Ashfield in 1765.

Ashfield, Massachusetts was a center of the peppermint industry from about 1812 to 1830. By 1825 several hundred acres of peppermint were under cultivation. This peppermint cultivation yielded up to forty pounds of oil per acre. The value was nearly $8 per pound.

There were other small industries in Ashfield, Massachusetts during the 19th century that included pottery making. There is an exhibit of Ashfield’s pottery at the Smithsonian Institute. Wooden medical splints, a creamery and several sawmills, gristmills, woodworking mills, tanneries and maple sugaring industries also flourished during the 19th century in Ashfield, Massachusetts. Of all these industries, only the maple sugaring industry flourishes making this town very well known for its maple products.

Ashfield, Massachusetts was a quiet farming community for decades. Dozens of dairy and apple farms dotted the hillsides and lowlands. However, over the past 40 years, several farms have disappeared and the open fields and pastures have returned to wooded areas. In the last 20 years more people started to move into Ashfield rather than leaving the town.

Most new residents have been lured to Ashfield, Massachusetts by its cool breezes and scenic vistas. People from all walks of life have moved from the bigger cities to experience this small town’s peace and tranquility. Bankers, attorneys, artisans, craftspeople, writers, artists, tradesmen, technicians and others have turned Ashfield, Massachusetts into a cultural center.

Throughout all the years, Ashfield’s common theme has been that “small is better.” The community residents have created a special haven from the rest of the world.

Ashfield, Massachusetts is 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.

The form of government in Ashfield, Massachusetts is Board of Selectmen, Administrative Assistant, and Open Town Meeting.

Transportation and access:

The major axes of transportation in Franklin Coutny, where Ashfield is located are State Route 2 and Interstate Route 91, which follows the Connecticut River. This region is well served by rail. The Springfield Terminal Railway lines (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. The principal highways are state Routes 116 and 112.

There is no fixed bus route service; however, the FRTA provides limited paratransit services for the elderly and disabled through the Shelburne Council on Aging.

There are no libraries, hospitals, long term care services, hospices services or rest homes in Ashfield, Massachusetts. There is a department of public health.

Notable residents include:

• Alvan Clark, astronomer, telescope make
• William S. Clark, member of the Massachusetts Senate, president of Massachusetts Agricultural College now University of Massachusetts Amherstn • Cecil B. DeMille, filmmaker of the early 20th century, born in Ashfield while his parents were vacationing there.

The community was named after Lord Thurlow of Ashfield, England.

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