The middle of October is high leaf-peeping season in New England. And the Connecticut River Valley is a wonderful place to peep those colorful leaves. A recent trip to the area gave me the chance to visit two historic towns and see some great scenery.
Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts
The town of Shelburne Falls was founded in 1756 where the Deerfield River goes over the Salmon Falls. The falls were a traditional fishing spot for native peoples and are well known for their glacial potholes. These rock formations were created by water flowing out from under glaciers, carrying along small stones. As the stones became caught in whirlpools under the falls, they carved out dozens of holes in the rocks.
The falls provided a source of power for a factory owned by Silas Lamson, whose mill produced blades for knives and scythes. The company still exists today, and maintains a factory store in town.
In 1910, a dam was built across the falls as part of the Deerfield District electrical generating project. While the turbine is not at this site, the dam helps control the flow of water through the system. One interesting feature is the wooden wall over the top of the dam. It is designed to collapse on hinges if the water level becomes too high, allowing the excess to flow out, but protecting the main dam.
Shelburne Falls is also home to the Bridge of Flowers. The bridge was built in 1908 to carry trolleys and small freight trains. The railroad went bankrupt in 1927 due to the increased use of cars and trucks, and the bridge fell into disrepair. If it wasn’t for the water main that it also carried, the bridge probably would have been torn down. In 1929 the Shelburne Falls Women’s Club received permission to create gardens on the length of the bridge, and they have maintained the flower beds ever since. Crossing the bridge offered some wonderful views of the town reflected in the smooth water behind the dam.
Deerfield, Massachusetts
Deerfield was settled by Europeans in 1666, and several buildings that date back to the 17th and 18th centuries still line Old Main Street. Many of these historic homes have been brought together as the Historic Deerfield museum, a living museum, similar to Williamsburg, Virginia, offering guided and self-guided tours of the homes and bringing people who recreate aspects of the lives that people led in colonial times.
Deerfield is also home to the Flynt Center of Early New England Life. This is a combination art, design, and history museum, When I visited, there were three special exhibits. One was a display of artwork from the collection of Deerfield Academy, a fancy private school in town.
Second was and exhibit on the history of clothing styles through the past 200 years. The exhibit shows both the styles worn, and the types of supportive undergarments that these clothes required.
Finally, there was and exhibit that explored the craft of wood-working and furniture building from the early years of the Americas.
All three are good examples of the types of exhibits brought by they Flynt. Unfortunately the season of the museum is over, and all three have closed.
Central Massachusetts is always a wonderful place to visit, and during fall leaf season it is especially beautiful. The towns of Shelburne Falls and Deerfield are places that should be on travelers list to visit.
Nuts and Bolts
Historic Deerfield is open from May through November, Wednesday – Sunday, 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM. Entrance is $20 Adults/ $15 Teens
Wonderful tour of a beautiful state!