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Belchertown Massachusetts,
situated on Route 9 just ten miles southeast of Amherst, is the second
largest town, in area, in Massachusetts. First settled in 1731, it is the
perfect blend of a quaint old New England town and a modern bedroom community.
Its striking town green, ringed with white churches and colonial homes,
is the site of band concerts, festivals and community activities throughout
the year.
The annual Belchertown Fair, one
of the oldest continuously operated fairs in the country, takes place there
each October. Over a half-million visitors every year hike the trails and
fish the waters of the Quabbin Reservoir. Five Connecticut River Valley
towns were flooded in the 1930s to make way for this domestic-use reservoir,
one of the largest and most spectacular in the country. Wildlife lovers
flock there each winter to catch glimpses of the Quabbin's resident eagle
population; they are also welcome at the state's McLaughlin Fish Hatchery
just down the road, to learn about trout and salmon culture.
Residents feel that the jewel in
Belchertown's crown is the Stone House Museum, a gracious 1827 stone structure
containing period Connecticut Valley antiques and furnishings. Owned and
operated by the Belchertown Historical Association, the museum is open
two days a week from May through October and hosts social and educational
events throughout the year. Along with a traveler's own discoveries about
scenic Belchertown, stone walls, ancient elms and maples and lovely homes
can be found along the town's 180 miles of paved roads.
Belchertown Massachusetts is located
in Central Massachusetts, bordered by Palmer and Ludlow on the south, Granby
and Amherst on the west, Pelham on the north, and the Quabbin Reservoir
and Ware on the east. Belchertown is 13 miles east of Holyoke, 19 miles
north of Springfield, 77 miles west of Boston. |