Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts


Shelburne Falls is a historic village in the towns of Shelburne and Buckland in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The village is a census-designated place with a population of 1,731 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Notable features include the Bridge of Flowers, a former trolley bridge over the Deerfield River that is now maintained by the Shelburne Falls Women's Club as a floral display from April through October, the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum; and the glacial potholes of the Deerfield River. Bill and Camille Cosby are well known residents of the area, though they keep a relatively low profile. The downtown is alive and well, including an independently owned pharmacy with a soda fountain, one coffee shop, a trolley museum, several restaurants, two pizza parlors, three bookstores, a newsstand, a country doctor, a grocery store, a natural foods store, many artists' galleries, and the second oldest bowling alley in the country, the Shelburne Falls Bowling Alley candlepin. A community newspaper, the West County Independent, serves Shelburne Falls and the surrounding towns. On the Shelburne side of town is the Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School, with over 200 students. On the Buckland side of town is Mohawk Trail Regional Middle School/High School with approximately 500 students.

Historic district

A area, including the commercial center of the village, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Shelburne Falls Historic District in 1988, and the Odd Fellows' Hall was also NRHP-listed in 1979.

Geography

The Deerfield River bisects Shelburne Falls, and Massaemett Mountain rises east of the village.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 6.8 km². 6.6 km² of it is land and 0.3 km² of it is water. Shelburne Falls is served by Massachusetts Route 2, also known as the Mohawk Trail, as well as Routes 2A and 112, the former being the main route through the village.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,951 people, 815 households, and 466 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 296.6/km². There were 878 housing units at an average density of 133.5/km². The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.92% White, 0.26% African American, 0.67% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.82% of the population.
There were 815 households out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the CDP, the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $36,333, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $32,403 versus $26,534 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $18,367. About 7.4% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

In May 2007, selectmen from the towns of Buckland and Shelburne inked a memorandum of agreement with officials from Mutianyu, a village in China, making the two the first known "sister villages".

Gallery