AREA VISITOR GUIDE 2009-2010 AMHERST AND HADLEY ANNIVERSARY EDITION AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 28 AMITY STREET • AMHERST, MA 01002 413-253-0700 www.amherstarea.com Rich in history, natural beauty, cultural attractions, and fine shopping and dining, the Amherst area is perfect for a day...a weekend getaway...a six-month sabbatical...or the rest of your life! Take in an exhibit at one of our world-renowned museums. Hike an extensive trail network through beautiful meadows and mountains. And finish your day with a gourmet meal featuring cuisine from almost any corner of the world. Spend the night at a charming Victorian Inn, a comfortable bed-and-breakfast, or a gleaming new hotel with all the amenities—the choice is yours, and all within a 10-minute drive of our vibrant downtown, with its elegant boutiques, bookstores, cafes and specialty shops. We hope that you enjoy your stay in the Amherst area. Please tell your host that the Chamber sent you! Into our Rich History....................... 3 Amherst 250th Anniversary, Hadley 350th Anniversary Into a Living Past.......................... 5 Museums, historic sites, literary heritage A Vibrant Present.......................... 8 Art museums, galleries, art events Stepping Out for Fun...................... 10 Live performance, seasonal entertainment, family attractions, health and fitness, fun on the farm Educational Resources .................... 16 Area colleges and resources Calendar of Events........................ 17 Maps ................................... 18 Town of Amherst, regional highways, interstate highways Downtown Amherst ...................... 20 Directions ............................... 22 Driving directions, transportation Get Closer to Nature ...................... 23 State- and town-sponsored parks, Table of Contents Table outdoor recreation Shopping................................... 26 Restaurants ............................. 29 Accommodations......................... 32 Advertisements .......................... 34 Enter to Win! ............................ 39 Guide Design: Rocket8DesignStudio ©2009 www.rocket8designstudio.com Cover Photo: (top) Courtesy of the Jones Library, Inc., (center) Steve Fratoni Funded in part by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Business and Technology/Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. For statewide travel information, visit www.Massvacation.com. This project was made possible by a grant administered by the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau. History of Amherst and Hadley In 1659 a dissenting Connecticut congregation under the leadership of Rev. John Russell founded Hadley as an agricultural community on the east bank of the Connecticut River. John Pynchon purchased the site of the new settlement, a fertile peninsular plain defined by a bend in the Connecticut River, from the Indians on behalf of the settlers. When the first permanent English settlements arrived in Courtesy of the Jones Library, 1727, this land and the surrounding area Inc., Amherst, Massachusetts. (including present-day Amherst. South Hadley, and Granby) belonged to the town of Hadley. It gained precinct status in 1734 and eventually township in 1776, shortly before the colonies declared their History & Hadley of Amherst independence. When East Hadley incorporated in 1759, the colonial governor named it Amherst, in honor of Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst, a hero of the French and the Indian War. In 1786, as the American Revolution was ending, many soldiers returning home found themselves in debt. Farmers who were unable to pay taxes and debts had their property and livestock confiscated by the courts. Daniel Shays, a Pelham resident, organized Shays Rebellion in protest. Amherst also opposed the War of 1812. This long tradition of anti-war resolutions continues in Amherst Town Meeting. th In the 19 century, Amherst’s population Courtesy of the Jones Library, Inc., diversified and the African American and Amherst, Massachusetts. Irish populations increased. Today, over 30% of the school’s population are students of color. Also in the 19th century, Amherst was known for its palm leaf factories, with the Hills and Burnett factories shipping hundreds of thousands of hats across the country. By the 1930’s tastes had changed and both factories went out of business. Presently the Amherst Woman’s Club occupies the former Hills mansion, and is a popular wedding and party venue. 3 Amherst has become the quintessential college town. Amherst College was founded in 1821 “for the classical education of indigent young men of piety and talents for the Christian ministry.” It became coeducational in 1975. The University of Massachusetts, originally named Massachusetts Agricultural College, was founded in 1863 under the provisions of the Federal Morrill Land- Grant Colleges Act to provide instruction to Courtesy of the Jones Library, Inc., Massachusetts citizens in the “agricultural, Amherst, Massachusetts. mechanical, and military arts.” In 1931 it became the Massachusetts State College and, in 1947, the University of Massachusetts. Hampshire College was founded in 1970. Today more than 29,000 students swell the population during the school year. Hadley History In 1792 broomcorn was the dominant crop in Hadley, making it the nation’s broomcorn and broom manufacturing capital. Broom and brush making were a thriving industry, exporting across New York and New England, and as far as Ohio. As the soil depleted, tobacco became the major crop along with seed onions and other crops. In the late 1800’s a large number of Irish and, later, Polish immigrants were recruited from Ellis Island for labor purposes. The Polish immigrants are credited with saving Hadley’s farmland Courtesy of the Jones Library, Inc., by working the fine Hadley soil back Amherst, Massachusetts. into fertility. By 1920, asparagus was the popular crop in Hadley, making it the asparagus capital of the world until the 1950s when disease wiped out much of the crop. At this time, even with commercial development along Route 9, Hadley remains largely agricultural and residential. It has the largest number of acres in agriculture in the Pioneer Valley, which includes crops of corn, potatoes, tobacco and scores of other vegetables. 4 mily Dickinson and Robert Frost called Amherst home. Abolitionist leader Sojourner Truth, health food crusader Sylvester Graham, and fire-and- �brimstone preacher Jonathan Edwards all lived nearby. Amherst College was cofounded by Noah Webster of dictionary fame. And much of Amherst’s history can be seen today. The area tradition of conservation extends not only to land preservation, but to the historic homes and business blocks that still line area streets. Amherst Strong House 67 Amity Street 413-256-0678 www.amhersthistory.org Housed in the 1750-era Strong House. Knowledgeable tour guides lead visitors through several period rooms, detailing both the vibrant history of the Town of Amherst and the families who have lived in the Strong House. Also features a gallery of rotating local history exhibits. Photo: Steve Fratoni, Amherst Strong House Into a Living Past . a Living Past Into Jones Library 43 Amity Street 413-259-3090 www.joneslibrary.org On the same block as the Amherst History Museum, the Jones has been called one of the most inviting libraries in New England. A fine community library, its special collections house thousands of Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost items, and include original handwritten poems, signed first editions, manuscripts, an exhaustive collection of photographs and Amherst Area memorabilia dating back to the 18th-century. Consider also a visit to… West Cemetery, Triangle Street, Amherst This historic cemetery contains the graves of Emily Dickinson, her family, and many of Amherst’s earliest settlers. Many gravestones from the 1700s. 5 Emily Dickinson Museum 280 Main Street, Amherst 413-542-8161 www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org The Emily Dickinson Museum consists of two historic houses, The Homestead and The Evergreens, closely associated with the poet Emily Dickinson and members of her family. The Homestead was the poet’s birthplace and home. The Evergreens, next door, was home to her brother Austin, his wife Susan, and their three children. Emily Dickinson was born at the Homestead on December 10, 1830. Her quiet life here was infused with a creative energy that produced almost 1,800 poems and a profusion of vibrant letters. Her increasing withdrawal from public life limited her audience during her lifetime to family and friends, and her work remained virtually unpublished until after her death on May 15, 1886. The Museum, which includes both homes is open March through December, Wednesday- Sunday, 10 am -5 pm. with extended summer hours, 11 am - 6 pm, June through August. Call or visit the Museum’s web-site (emilydickinsonmuseum.org) for additional information on tour schedule and special events. In addition to guided tours, visitors can enjoy the beautiful grounds and browse in the Museum Shop. The Dickinson Homestead (1858), Image courtesy of the Emily Dickinson Museum 6 National Yiddish Book Center Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Building 1021 West St, Amherst 413-256-4900 www.yiddishbookcenter.org The National Yiddish Book Center offers year-round programs that celebrate modern Jewish literature and culture. The Center's architecturally distinctive home, adjacent to the Eric Carle Museum, offers weekly films, concerts, performances, and readings; exhibitions; art galleries; and a bookstore stocked with contemporary