Skip to main content

Travel New England: Deerfield Village


Deerfield is one of the oldest Massachusetts settlements within the Connecticut River Valley. Settled in 1673, Deerfield was one of the furthest outposts of the early Colonial period. Deerfield and its surrounding areas were heavy in agriculture in the fertile fields of what is now known as the Pioneer Valley.

Old Main Street - Deerfield Village

Within modern day Deerfield is the Historic Old Deerfield Village.  A New England version of Colonial Williamsburg, Deerfield Village is a walk through to 18th Century New England.   Much of the old village sits along a one mile stretch of Old Main Street.  Here numerous historic homes and farmhouses from the 18th centuries can be found.  


With a basic admission of $18 per adult, you are able to walk inside and tour the grounds and many of the homes within Historic Deerfield.  Some homes have guided tours while others are self guided.  At various places with in town, you can see woodworking or cooking demonstrations or take a stop at the Carriage Barn.  When I visited in 2006, a wonderful 91 year old man, who did not look a day of it, tells stories about carriages and farm equipment from the 17th to the early 20th century.

One of the many 18th century homes within Historic Deerfield.

Most of the guided tours are on the hour by members of Historic Deerfield.  Parking is easy and for the most part, it is on either side of the quaint town road.  There is also a gift shop and bookstore.  The Visitor's Center is located within Hall Tavern.  The tavern was built in 1760 in Charlemont and moved to Deerfield.  The Tavern will sometimes host cooking demonstrations and also is home to a cook's garden.

An old fire call box and weathered American flag on the exterior of the Deerfield Fire Station.

Visitors that want to fully immerse themselves within the town can stay overnight at the historic Deerfield Inn which has been operating since 1884.  Or if passing through, enjoy lunch at Champney's Restaurant & Tavern.

The Deerfield Inn offers lodging and meals at Champney's Restaurant and Tavern.

Old Deerfield is a National Historic District and also listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  The preservation of the village under Historic Deerfield began in 1952 as a continuation of the work of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Flynt. 

Deerfield Academy

Deerfield today is a town of just over 5,000 residents.  It is home to the Yankee Candle Flagship store in South Deerfield which attracts thousands.  Deerfield Academy, a private preparatory high school, is located within Historic Deerfield.  The highly prestigious school has been in operation since 1797.

All photos taken by post author - September 30, 2006.

Further Reading:

How To Get There:

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Old River Lock & Control Structure (Lettsworth, LA)

  The Old River Control Structure (ORCS) and its connecting satellite facilities combine to form one of the most impressive flood control complexes in North America. Located along the west bank of the Mississippi River near the confluence with the Red River and Atchafalaya River nearby, this structure system was fundamentally made possible by the Flood Control Act of 1928 that was passed by the United States Congress in the aftermath of the Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927 however a second, less obvious motivation influenced the construction here. The Mississippi River’s channel has gradually elongated and meandered in the area over the centuries, creating new oxbows and sandbars that made navigation of the river challenging and time-consuming through the steamboat era of the 1800s. This treacherous area of the river known as “Turnbull’s Bend” was where the mouth of the Red River was located that the upriver end of the bend and the Atchafalaya River, then effectively an outflow

Interstate 10S and the original Interstate 110 in California

Interstate 10S is a short spur of Interstate 10 along San Bernardino Freeway in downtown Los Angeles.  Interstate 10S begins at the Santa Ana Freeway (US Route 101) and extends east to Interstate 5 where it merges into mainline Interstate 10.  Interstate 10S is one of the oldest freeway segments in Los Angeles having been part of US Routes 60, 70 and 99 when it was part of the corridor of the Ramona Expressway.  The current corridor of Interstate 10S was assigned as Chargeable Corridor H following the passage of the 1956 Federal Highway Aid Act.  Interstate 110 was a short-lived designation which comprised the segment San Bernardino Freeway from US Route 101 to Interstate 5 between 1964-1968.  The original Interstate 110 was dropped as a Chargeable Corridor during 1965 and consolidated as Interstate 10S during 1968.   The original Interstate 110 can be seen as the blog cover photo as it was featured on the 1964 Division of Highways Map.  Below the entire 0.65-mile length of Interstate

Vicksburg Bridge (Vicksburg, MS)

  Located a few hundred feet downriver from the Old Vicksburg Bridge, the Vicksburg Bridge, or the “New” Bridge, serves as the city’s vehicular crossing of the Mississippi River on the main highway connecting Vicksburg with northeastern Louisiana to the west and the state capital of Jackson to the east. The completion of the original Vicksburg Bridge in 1930 was seen as a huge success and the bridge proved to be a profitable entity for both road and railroad interests along the path of the Dixie Overland Highway and the subsequent US Highway 80 corridor. In the years after the creation of the National Interstate Highway System, planning commenced on a new bridge at the site that would relieve the congestion on the existing bridge while providing for a more modern crossing of the river that would be safe for all vehicles. The construction of the new bridge at Vicksburg was completed in 1973 and its design intentionally mimics that of its predecessor nearby. This was due in large part