Bernardston, Massachusetts
The former Powers Institute, now the town's Historical Society
Location in Franklin County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°40′15″N 72°33′00″W / 42.67083, -72.55
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Franklin
Settled	1738
Incorporated	1762
Government
- Type	Open town meeting
Area
- Total	23.4 sq mi (60.6 km²)
- Land	23.4 sq mi (60.6 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation	360 ft (110 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	2,155
- Density	92.0/sq mi (35.5/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	01337
Area code(s)	413
FIPS code	25-05560
GNIS feature ID	0619378

Bernardston is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,155 at the 2000 census.

History

Bernardston was first settled in 1738 as a part of "Fall Town," which also included Colrain and Leyden. Bernardston separated from Colrain and was officially incorporated in 1762, with the town of Leyden being separated from it in 1784 (it was not incorporated until 1809, however). Bernardston is named for Governor Francis Bernard, who was governor at the time of incorporation. The town's lands were originally set off for the officers and soldiers (or their descendants) involved in the "Falls Fight," a battle loosely related to King Philip's War, in 1676. During the later years of the French and Indian War, the area was the site of raids.

For much of the town's history, Bernardston has been an agricultural community, producing rye, corn, cider, and was one of the first communities to produce maple syrup. The town also has the unusual distinction of having once sent the largest animal ever to the New York meat markets, a 2,473-pound ox nicknamed "Constitution" or "Hero."^[1]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 23.4 square miles (60.6 km²), all of it land. Bernardston lies along the northern state line, south of Windham County, Vermont. The town is bordered by Guilford and Vernon to the north, Northfield to the east, Gill to the southeast, Greenfield to the southwest, and Leyden to the west. The town center lies seven miles north-northeast of Greenfield, 43 miles north of Springfield, and 89 miles west-northwest of Boston.

Bernardston lies in the Pioneer Valley, on the edge of the Pocumtuck Range. Several mountains, including Wildcat Mountain, West Mountain, Bald Mountain, East Mountain and Pond Mountain, dot the landscape, on either side of the Fall River, a tributary of the nearby Connecticut River. Several other brooks flow through town as well. To the northeast, portions of the Satan's Kingdom Wildlife Management Areapass into the town, mostly around Pond Mountain.

Bernardston lies along the path of Interstate 91 and U.S. Route 5, both of which pass from Greenfield through town towards the Vermont state line. Additionally, Route 10 leaves its concurrency with Route 5 in the southern part of town, before passing eastward towards the Connecticut River towards New Hampshire. The town also lies along the north-south portion of the Springfield Terminal railway, which roughly follows the path of Route 10. The "Campus North" route of the Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) passes through town on its way towards the Northfield-Mount Hermon School, but does not have any "official" stops in town. The nearest regional bus service is in Greenfield, with the nearest general aviation airport in Montague. The nearest Amtrak station is in Springfield, and the nearest national air service is at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 2,155 people, 848 households, and 603 families residing in the town. By population, Bernardston ranked seventh of the twenty-six cities and towns in Franklin County, and 287th of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was 92.0 people per square mile (35.5/km²), which ranked ninth in the county and 289th in the Commonwealth. There were 879 housing units at an average density of 37.5/sq mi (14.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.03% White, 0.09% African American, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.46% of the population.

There were 848 households out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the town the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $45,259, and the median income for a family was $53,125. Males had a median income of $35,071 versus $22,377 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,959. About 2.8% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Bernardston Town Hall

Bernardston employs the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a board of selectmen and an administrative assistant. Bernardston has its own police, fire and public works departments, as well as a post office and the Cushman Library, which is connected to the regional library network. The nearest hospital, Franklin Medical Center, is located in Greenfield, as are most of the nearest state offices.

On the state level, Bernardston is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by the Second Berkshire district, which covers central Berkshire County, as well as portions of Hampshire and Franklin Counties. In the Massachusetts Senate, the town is represented by the Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes most of eastern Franklin County and much of eastern Hampshire County.^[3] The town is patrolled by the Second (Shelburne Falls) Station of Troop "B" of the Massachusetts State Police. ^[4]

On the national level, Bernardston is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, and has been represented by John Olver of Amherst since June of 1991. Massachusetts is represented in the United States Senate by senior Senator Ted Kennedy and junior Senator John Kerry.

Education

Bernardston is a member of the Pioneer Valley Regional School District, which includes several northern border towns to the east. The district is essentially operated in two portions; the towns each have their own semi-independent elementary schools, with students attending Pioneer Valley Regional High School in Northfield from seventh through twelfth grades. Students in Bernardston attend the Bernardston Elementary School from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. The Full Circle School, a naturalistic-based school for students through seventh grade, is located in the town. There are also private, parochial and charter schools in Greenfield and other nearby communities, with the most prominent private schools being Northfield Mount Hermon School in nearby Gill and the Stoneleigh-Burnham School in Greenfield.

The nearest community college, Greenfield Community College, is located in Greenfield. The nearest state college is Westfield State College, and the nearest state university is the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The nearest private colleges, including members of the Five Colleges and Seven Sisters, are located southeast in the Northampton area.

Notable residents

• Samuel Clesson Allen, (1772-1842), United States Congressman from Massachusetts, Congregationalist minister^[5]

References

1. ^ Town of Bernardston - Franklin County Chamber of Commerce
2. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
3. ^ List of Massachusetts Legislators by City and Town
4. ^ Station B-2, SP Shelburne Falls
5. ^ (1967) Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Marquis Who's Who. 

v â€¢ d â€¢ e Municipalities and communities of Franklin County, Massachusetts City Greenfield Towns Ashfield | Bernardston | Buckland | Charlemont | Colrain | Conway | Deerfield | Erving | Gill | Hawley | Heath | Leverett | Leyden | Monroe | Montague | New Salem | Northfield | Orange | Rowe | Shelburne | Shutesbury | Sunderland | Warwick | Wendell | Whately CDPs Millers Falls | Northfield | Orange | Shelburne Falls | South Deerfield | Turners Falls Village Lake Pleasant