View source for Deerfield, Massachusetts

{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Deerfield, Massachusetts
| native_name              = Pocumtuck
| native_name_lang         = Extinct Algonquin dialect
| motto                    = "New England as you hope to find it"
| image_skyline            = Deerfield MA post office.JPG
| image_caption            = Post office in Deerfield
| image_seal               = Seal of Deerfield, Massachusetts.png
| image_flag               = Flag of Deerfield, Massachusetts.jpg
| image_map                = Franklin County Massachusetts incorporated and unincorporated areas Deerfield highlighted.svg
| mapsize                  = 250px
| map_caption              = Location in Franklin County in Massachusetts
| image_map1               = 
| mapsize1                 = 
| map_caption1             = 
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Massachusetts]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Massachusetts|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Franklin County, Massachusetts|Franklin]]
| established_title        = Settled
| established_date         = 1673
| established_title2       = Incorporated
| established_date2        = October 22, 1677
| established_title3       = 
| established_date3        = 
| government_type          = [[Open town meeting]]
| leader_title             = <!--[[Town Administrator|Town<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Administrator]]-->
| leader_name              = 
| leader_title1            = <!--Board of <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Selectmen-->
| leader_name1             = 
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 86.6
| area_total_sq_mi         = 
| area_land_km2            = 83.9
| area_land_sq_mi          = 
| area_water_km2           = 2.8
| area_water_sq_mi         = 
| population_as_of         = 2020
| settlement_type          = [[New England town|Town]]
| population_total         = 5090
| population_density_km2   = auto
| population_density_sq_mi = 
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 151
| timezone                 = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset               = −5
| timezone_DST             = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset_DST           = −4
| coordinates              = {{coord|42|32|42|N|72|36|16|W|region:US-MA_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| website                  = {{URL|www.deerfieldma.us}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]s
| postal_code              = 01342 (Deerfield)<br/>01373 ([[South Deerfield, Massachusetts|South Deerfield]])
| area_code                = [[Area code 413|413]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 25-16670
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 0618162<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|618162}}</ref>
| footnotes                = <ref name=swanton>Swanton, John R. ''The Indian Tribes of North America'', pp. 23-24. Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 145. Washington DC.: Government Printing Office, 1952.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.ma.us:80/bsb/images/Deerfield.jpg |access-date=February 7, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040207114730/http://www.state.ma.us:80/bsb/images/Deerfield.jpg |archive-date=February 7, 2004 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=County and Municipal Flags of Massachusetts (U.S.) |url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-madee.html |website=CRW Flags |access-date=August 21, 2022 |archive-date=August 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220820021516/https://www.crwflags.com/Fotw/flags/us-madee.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Rotman |first1=Deborah |author1-link=A Mysterious Century: ca. 1850's-ca. 1935 |title=Historical Archaeology of Gendered Lives |date=July 25, 2009 |publisher=Springer Science+Business Media |location=New York |isbn=978-0-387-89668-7 |page=48 |edition=1 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ec5zXBLX3qIC&dq=advertising+slogan+of+historic+deerfield+inc.+seen+on+a+sign+in+the+bradley+international+airport+in+windsor+locks+connecticut+1999&pg=PA48 |access-date=August 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821043340/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Historical_Archaeology_of_Gendered_Lives/Ec5zXBLX3qIC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=advertising+slogan+of+historic+deerfield+inc.+seen+on+a+sign+in+the+bradley+international+airport+in+windsor+locks+connecticut+1999&pg=PA48&printsec=frontcover |archive-date=August 21, 2022 |language=English |chapter-format=Ebook |chapter=3: The Village, Families and Archaeological Assemblages in this Study |quote=(advertising slogan of Historic Deerfield, Inc., seen on a sign in the Hartford/Bradley International airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut 1999)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts Historic Deerfield |url=https://www.visitnewenglandonline.com/deerfield_massachusetts.htm |website=Visit New England Online |access-date=August 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119190441/https://visitnewenglandonline.com/deerfield_massachusetts.htm |archive-date=January 19, 2021}}</ref>
}}

'''Deerfield''' is a [[New England town|town]] in [[Franklin County, Massachusetts]], United States. Settled near the [[Connecticut River]] in the 17th century during the colonial era, the population was 5,090 as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US2501116670 |title=Census - Geography Profile: Deerfield town, Franklin County, Massachusetts |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=November 14, 2021 |archive-date=November 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211114201719/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US2501116670 |url-status=live }}</ref> Deerfield is part of the [[Springfield, Massachusetts]] [[Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts|Metropolitan Statistical Area]] in [[western Massachusetts]], lying {{convert|30|mi|km}} north of the city of Springfield.

Deerfield includes the villages of [[South Deerfield, Massachusetts|South Deerfield]] and [[Deerfield (CDP), Massachusetts|Old Deerfield]], which is home to two museums: Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association and Historic Deerfield, Inc. [[Historic Deerfield]] is designated as a [[National Historic Landmark]] district, and the organization operates a museum with a focus on decorative arts, early American material culture, and history. Its eleven house museums offer interpretation of society, history, and culture from the colonial era through the late nineteenth century. The Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association operates [[Memorial Hall Museum]], which opened in 1880, as well as the Indian House Memorial Children's Museum and Bloody Brook Tavern. The site of early 18th century colonial battles including the [[Raid on Deerfield]], the town is a center of [[heritage tourism]] in the [[Pioneer Valley]].

Deerfield has numerous schools, including [[Deerfield Academy]], a private secondary [[University-preparatory school|preparatory school]]; [[Frontier Regional School|Frontier Regional High School]]; [[Deerfield Elementary School|Deerfield Elementary]]; and two separate private [[junior boarding school]]s, Bement School, which is co-ed, and [[Eaglebrook School]], which is a school for boys.

==History==
{{see also|Deerfield embroidery movement}}

===Pre-colonial history===

For several decades during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, Deerfield was the northwesternmost outpost of New England settlement. It occupies a fertile portion of the upper [[Connecticut River Valley]] now known as the [[Pioneer Valley]]. It was vulnerable to attack because of its position near [[the Berkshires]] highlands. For these reasons it was the site of intertribal warfare and several Anglo-French and Indian skirmishes during its early history.<ref name="quote">{{cite book |title=Exploring America's Historic Places |last=National Geographic Society |publisher=National Geographic Society |year=1997}}</ref>

At the time of the English colonists' arrival, the Deerfield area was inhabited by the [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]]-speaking [[Pocomtuc|Pocumtuck]] nation, who settled a major village by the same name.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Coleman |first1=Emma Lewis |title=A Historic and Present Day Guide to Old Deerfield |date=1907 |publisher=Plimpton Press |location=Norwood, MA |page=15 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3j1Y_wW6y_QC&q=pocumtuck |language=en}}</ref>

===Settlement and incorporation===

After the [[History of Dedham, Massachusetts, 1635–1699#Praying Indians|"Praying Indians"]] were given {{convert|8000|acres|km2}} in what is today [[Natick, Massachusetts|Natick]], the General Court gave the Dedham proprietors {{convert|8000|acres|km2}} in compensation.{{sfn|Lockridge|1985|p=84}}{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=63}} The question of how to handle the additional grant puzzled the town for some time.{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=75}} There were those who wanted to sell the rights to the land and take the money, while others wanted to find a suitable location and take possession.{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=75}}

The Town sent Anthony Fisher, Jr., Nathaniel Fisher, and Sgt. Fuller to explore an area known as "Chestnut Country" in 1663.{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=74}} They reported back two weeks later that the area was hilly, with few meadows, and was generally unsuitable for their purposes.{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=74}} After a potential location was claimed by others before Dedham could do so, a report was received about land at a place known as [[Pocomtuck]], about 12 or 14 miles from [[Hadley, Massachusetts|Hadley]].{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=75}} It was decided to claim the land before others could do so.{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=75}}

[[Joshua Fisher (Massachusetts politician)|Joshua Fisher]], Ensign John Euerard, and Jonathan Danforth were assigned by the selectmen to go and map the land in return for 150 acres.{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=75}}<ref>{{cite book |title=The Fisher Genealogy: A Record of the Descendants of Joshua, Anthony, and Cornelius Fisher, of Dedham, Mass., 1630-1640 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8kNMAAAAMAAJ |access-date=April 18, 2021 |year=1898 |publisher=Massachusetts Publishing Company |isbn=978-0-608-32125-7 |page=12 |archive-date=February 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229073637/https://books.google.com/books?id=8kNMAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> Two weeks later he appeared before the board, demanding 300 acres instead.{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=75}} The selectmen agreed, provided that he provide a plot map of the land.{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=75}} Fisher's map and report were submitted to the General Court, and they agreed to give the land to Dedham provided that they settle the land and "maintain the ordinances of Christ there" within five years.{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=75}}{{sfn|Lockridge|1985|p=84}}{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=63}}

[[Daniel Fisher (Massachusetts politician)|Daniel Fisher]] and [[Eleazer Lusher]] were sent to purchase the land from the [[Pocomtuc]] Indians who lived there.{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=75}} They contracted with John Pynchon, who had a relationship with the native peoples there, and he obtained a quitclaim deed from them.{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=75}} Pynchon signed a treaty with the Pocumtuck, including a man named Chaulk. But Chaulk had no authority to deed the land to the colonists and appeared to have only a rough idea of what he was signing. Native Americans and the English had different ideas about property and land use; this, along with competition for resources, contributed to conflicts between them.

Pynchon submitted a bill for £40 in 1666 but a tax on the cow commons to pay it was not imposed until 1669.{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=75-76}} By that time the bill had risen to over £96, and he was not paid in full until 1674.{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=76}}

The drawing of lots took place on May 23, 1670, by which time many rights had been sold to people from outside of Dedham or one of her daughter towns.{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=76}} Before that even happened, [[Robert Hinsdale]]'s son Samuel moved into the area and began squatting on the land.{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=76}} He was eventually joined by his father and brothers.{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=77}}

Hard feelings arose at the distance of the new settlement from Dedham and the fact that the proprietors were not strictly "a Dedham company."{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=76}} On May 7, 1673, the General Court separated the town of Deerfield, with additional lands, provided they establish a church and settle a minister within three years.{{sfn|Hanson|1976|p=76}}

===Post-incorporation===

The Pocumtuck were much reduced in number by the time the settlers arrived, as they had been victims of infectious diseases and war with the more powerful [[Mohawk people|Mohawk]]. The settlers forcibly expelled the few Pocumtuck who remained; the Pocumtuck in turn sought [[France|French]] protection in Canada from the English colonists. At the [[Battle of Bloody Brook]], on September 18, 1675, during [[King Philip's War]], the dispossessed [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indians]] destroyed a small force under the command of Captain Thomas Lathrop before being driven off by reinforcements. Colonial casualties numbered about 60. At dawn on May 19, 1676, Captain William Turner led an army of settlers in a surprise retaliatory attack on Peskeompskut, in present-day [[Montague, Massachusetts|Montague]], then a traditional native gathering place. Turner and his men killed 200 natives, mostly women and children. When the men of the tribe returned, they routed Turner's forces; Turner died after being wounded at Green River.

In the predawn hours of February 29, 1704, during [[Queen Anne's War]], joint French and Indian forces (including 47 [[Canadiens]] and 200 [[Abenaki people|Abenaki]], along with some [[Mohawk people|Kanienkehaka (Mohawk)]], [[Wyandot people|Wyandot]], and a few Pocumtuck, all under the command of Jean-Baptiste Hertel de Rouville) attacked the town in what became known as the [[Raid on Deerfield]]. They razed much of the settlement and killed 56 colonists, including 22 men, 9 women, and 25 children. The attackers took 112 captives, including women and children, and forced them on a months-long trek to [[Montreal]], nearly 300 miles to the north. Many died along the way; others were killed because they could not keep up.

In this period, there was an active trade in ransoming captives among both the English and French. Deerfield and other communities collected funds to ransom the captives, and negotiations were conducted between the colonial governments. When the Massachusetts Bay Colony released the French pirate [[Pierre Maisonnat dit Baptiste]], Canada arranged redemption of numerous Deerfield people, among them the prominent minister [[John Williams (New England minister)|John Williams]]. He wrote a [[captivity narrative]] about his experience, which was published in 1707 and became well known.<ref name="demos">[[John Putnam Demos|John Demos]], ''The Unredeemed Captive: A Family Story from Early America'', New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994</ref> One of those captured and ransomed was Mehuman Kellog, the first white child born in Deerfield and a descendant of [[Robert Hinsdale]].{{Sfn|Hanson|1976|p=97}}

In addition to ransoming captives, because of losses to war and disease, families of the Mohawk and other tribes often adopted younger captives into their tribes. Such was the case with Williams's daughter [[Eunice Kanenstenhawi Williams|Eunice]], who was 8 years old when captured. She became thoroughly assimilated and at age 16 married a Mohawk man. They had a family and she stayed with the Mohawk for the rest of her life. Most of the Deerfield captives eventually returned to [[New England]]; others remained by choice in French and Native communities, such as Kahnawake, for the rest of their lives.<ref name="demos"/>

As the frontier moved north, Deerfield became another colonial town with an unquiet early history. In 1753 [[Greenfield, Massachusetts|Greenfield]] was set off and incorporated. During the early nineteenth century, Deerfield's role in Northeast agricultural production declined. It was overtaken by the rapid development of the [[Midwestern United States]] as the nation's [[breadbasket]], as transportation to eastern markets and New York City was enhanced by construction of the [[Erie Canal]] and later railroads.
[[File:Sheldon Homestead, Deerfield, MA.jpg|thumb|right|Sheldon homestead, {{circa|1912}}]]

During the [[Colonial Revival Movement|Colonial Revival movement]] of the late nineteenth century, Deerfield citizens rediscovered the town's past. Residents founded the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association in 1870 and erected monuments to commemorate various events, including the Bloody Brook and 1704 attacks. In 1890 Charlotte Alice Baker returned to Deerfield to restore her family home, the Frary House.<ref>Coleman, Emma Lewis (1912). ''A Historic and Present Day Guide to Old Deerfield'', p. 54. Boston: Emma Lewis Coleman</ref> Baker was assisted by the Boston architectural firm [[Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge|Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge]], and her project was one of the first in [[historic preservation]] in western Massachusetts.

Local historian George Sheldon wrote an account of the town's early history that was published in the late nineteenth century.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=W2wWAAAAYAAJ Sheldon, George (1896). ''A History of Deerfield, Massachusetts''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229073532/https://books.google.com/books?id=W2wWAAAAYAAJ |date=February 29, 2024 }}, Greenfield, Massachusetts: E. A. Hall & Co.; full text online</ref> By this time South Deerfield and other New England villages were already absorbing a new wave of [[Eastern Europe]]an immigrants, particularly from [[Poland]]. The new people influenced Deerfield's demographics and culture. They were mostly [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] [[peasant]]s, who built their own churches. Working first as laborers, they formed a community later known as Old Polonia. Twentieth-century immigrants from Poland tended to be more educated but settled in the larger cities. Immigrants in smaller communities followed different paths, and their descendants often moved to cities for more opportunities.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=EpOeEETswywC Elzbieta M. Gozdziak, "Eastern Europeans"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206162648/https://books.google.com/books?id=EpOeEETswywC |date=December 6, 2021 }}, in David W. Haines, (ed.), (1996). ''Refugees in America in the 1990s: A Reference Handbook'', pp. 124-130. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood Publishing Group</ref>

Today, heritage tourism is Deerfield's principal industry and is important to the Pioneer Valley. "Historic Deerfield" has been designated as a [[National Historic Landmark]] district, containing eleven house museums and a regional museum and visitors' center. It focuses on decorative arts, early American material culture, and history. Its eleven house museums offer interpretation through the late nineteenth century. The Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association operates the Memorial Hall Museum, which opened in 1880; and the Indian House Memorial Children's Museum and Bloody Brook Tavern. Deerfield is a center of [[heritage tourism]] in the [[Pioneer Valley]] near the [[Connecticut River]]. The [[Yankee Candle Company]] is an example of one of many commercial businesses associated with this history.

<gallery class="center" widths="200px" heights="130px">
Image:The Frary House, Deerfield, MA.jpg|Frary House {{circa|1905}}
Image:Old Main Street Looking North, Deerfield, MA.jpg|Old Main Street {{circa|1910}}
Image:Post Office, Old Deerfield, MA.jpg|Post office {{circa|1910}}
Image:Mountain Road, Deerfield, MA.jpg|Mountain Road {{circa|1910}}
</gallery>

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|86.6|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|83.9|km2|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|2.8|km2|order=flip}}, or 3.17 percent, is water.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/ |title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Deerfield town, Franklin County, Massachusetts |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=August 27, 2012 |archive-date=December 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218204847/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Deerfield is located in the northern [[Pioneer Valley]] and is bordered by [[Greenfield, Massachusetts|Greenfield]] to the north, [[Montague, Massachusetts|Montague]] to the northeast, [[Sunderland, Massachusetts|Sunderland]] to the southeast, [[Whately, Massachusetts|Whately]] to the south, [[Conway, Massachusetts|Conway]] to the west, and [[Shelburne, Massachusetts|Shelburne]] to the northwest. The town center is located {{convert|8|mi|0}} south of Greenfield, {{convert|29|mi}} north of [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]], and {{convert|93|mi}} west of [[Boston]].

Deerfield's northern point is located at the confluence of the [[Deerfield River|Deerfield]] and [[Connecticut River|Connecticut]] rivers, with the former flowing through the northwestern corner of the town and the latter forming the eastern border of the town. Several brooks and the Mill River also flow through the town. [[Sugarloaf Mountain (Franklin County, Massachusetts)|North Sugarloaf Mountain]] rises above the Connecticut in the southeastern corner, providing a panoramic view of the valley and the town center. The [[Pocumtuck Range]] rises along the eastern side of town north of Sugarloaf.

[[Interstate 91]] passes from south to north through the central part of town, crossing the Deerfield River near the river's southernmost bend. The interstate is paralleled by [[U.S. Route 5 in Massachusetts|U.S. Route 5]] and [[Massachusetts Route 10]], which run concurrently through the town. [[Massachusetts Route 116|Route 116]] also passes through town, combining with Routes 5 and 10 for a one-mile stretch, briefly passing into [[Whately, Massachusetts|Whately]] before separating and crossing through the southern part of town and over the Connecticut River at the [[Sunderland Bridge (Massachusetts)|Sunderland Bridge]]. All three routes historically crossed through the center of the village prior to the construction of I-91 but were rerouted to a more direct route, closer to the highway.

A portion of the Springfield Terminal freight rail line passes through the town before branching off eastward and westward around Greenfield. The nearest [[Amtrak]] passenger service is in Springfield; a stop in Greenfield is in operation as part of the rerouting of Amtrak's [[Vermonter (train)|Vermonter]] route. Deerfield has bus service through [[Peter Pan Bus Lines]]; the nearest small air service is in [[Gill, Massachusetts|Gill]] and [[Northampton, Massachusetts|Northampton]]. The nearest national air service is [[Bradley International Airport]] in [[Windsor Locks, Connecticut]].
[[File:Panoramic View of Deerfield from Pocumtuck Rock.jpg|thumb|500px|center|{{center|View of [[Historic Deerfield]] and [[Deerfield Academy]] from Pocumtuck Rock.}}]]
==Demographics==

{{Historical populations| type=USA
| 1840|1934
| 1850|2421
| 1860|3073
| 1870|3632
| 1880|3543
| 1890|2910
| 1900|1969
| 1910|2209
| 1920|2803
| 1930|2882
| 1940|2684
| 1950|3086
| 1960|3338
| 1970|3850
| 1980|4517
| 1990|5018
| 2000|4750
| 2010|5125
| 2020|5090
| 2023|5176
| footnote= {{Historical populations/Massachusetts municipalities references}}<ref>{{cite web | title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020−2023| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] | access-date=May 19, 2024 | url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/ |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=April 6, 2017 |title=U.S. Census website |archive-date=December 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218204847/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> of 2010, there were 5,125 people, 2,053 households, and 1,350 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|158.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,181 housing units. The racial makeup of the town was 95 percent [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.8 percent [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.1 percent [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.9 percent [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.5 percent from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.8 percent from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] people of any race were 2.6 percent of the population.

There were 2,053 households, out of which 26.3 percent had their own children under the age of 18 living with them; 52.4 percent were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.4 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2 percent were nonfamilies. Individuals made up 26.3 percent of all households. The average household size was 2.33, and the average family size was 2.83.

As of the [[American Community Survey]]<ref name="GR2"/> of 2015, the median income for a household was $74,853, and the median income for a family was $83,859. Men who worked full-time year-round had a median income of $70,873 versus $49,115 for similar females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $38,379. Four percent of families and 7.5 percent of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 6.6 percent of those under age 18 and 7.8 percent of those age 65 or over.

==Government==

Deerfield employs the [[open town meeting]] form of government and is led by a [[board of selectmen]]. The town has its own police, fire, and public works departments. The fire department and the post office both have two branches, in South Deerfield (where most of the town offices are) and in Old Deerfield Village, near Memorial Hall and the Old Town Hall. The town's Tilton Library is connected to the regional library network and is located in South Deerfield. The nearest hospital, Franklin Medical Center, is located in Greenfield, as are many regional state offices.

Deerfield is represented in the [[Massachusetts House of Representatives]] by the First Franklin district, which includes the southeastern third of Franklin County and towns in north central Hampshire County. The town is represented in the [[Massachusetts Senate]] by the Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes much of eastern Franklin and Hampshire Counties.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mass.gov/legis/city_town.htm |title=List of Massachusetts Legislators by City and Town |access-date=March 23, 2008 |archive-date=May 13, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513100138/http://www.mass.gov/legis/city_town.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The town is patrolled by the Second (Shelburne Falls) Barracks of Troop B of the [[Massachusetts State Police]].<ref>[http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eopsterminal&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Law+Enforcement+%26+Criminal+Justice&L2=Law+Enforcement&L3=State+Police+Troops&L4=Troop+B&sid=Eeops&b=terminalcontent&f=msp_divisions_field_services_troops_troop_b_msp_field_troop_b_station_b2&csid=Eeops Station B-2, SP Shelburne Falls] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720234145/http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eopsterminal&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Law+Enforcement+%26+Criminal+Justice&L2=Law+Enforcement&L3=State+Police+Troops&L4=Troop+B&sid=Eeops&b=terminalcontent&f=msp_divisions_field_services_troops_troop_b_msp_field_troop_b_station_b2&csid=Eeops |date=July 20, 2008 }}, Executive Office of Public Safety, Massachusetts State Gov.</ref>

Deerfield is represented in the [[United States House of Representatives]] as part of [[Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district]] and has been represented by [[Jim McGovern (American politician)|Jim McGovern]] of [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]]. Massachusetts is currently represented in the [[United States Senate]] by senators [[Ed Markey]] and [[Elizabeth Warren]].

==Education==

Deerfield is the central member of [[Frontier Regional School|Frontier Regional]] and [[Union 38 School District]]s, which also includes Conway, Whately, and Sunderland. Each town operates its own elementary school, with [[Deerfield Elementary School]] serving the town's students from kindergarten through sixth grades. All four towns send seventh through twelfth grade students to [[Frontier Regional School]] in the town. Frontier's athletics teams are nicknamed the Red Hawks, and the team colors are red and blue. There are many art programs available during and after school at Frontier. Private schools in the town include the Bement School (a coeducational boarding school for grades K–9), the [[Eaglebrook School]] (a private boys' boarding school for grades 6–9), and [[Deerfield Academy]], a private school for grades 9–12. There are other private schools in the Deerfield area.

The nearest community college, [[Greenfield Community College (Massachusetts)|Greenfield Community College]], is located in Greenfield. The nearest state college is [[Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts]] in North Adams and the nearest state universities are the [[University of Massachusetts Amherst]] and [[Westfield State University]]. The nearest private colleges are [[Amherst College]], [[Hampshire College]], [[Mount Holyoke College]], and [[Smith College]].

== Notable people ==
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* [[Frank Boyden]] (1879–1972), Headmaster of Deerfield Academy
* [[Mark Chmura]] (1969), Played tight end for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) (1992-1999) 
* [[Alon Bement]] (1876–1954), an American artist, [[Arts administration|arts administrator]], [[author]], and [[Teacher|educator]], whose family helped found Deerfield<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=November 24, 1954 |title=ALON BEMEMT, A PAINTER, IS DEAD; Former Dean of Traphagen School of Fashion Had Led Art and Industry Alliance |url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1954/11/24/84439333.html?pageNumber=23 |url-access=subscription |access-date=February 23, 2021 |website=Times Machine |publisher=The New York Times |page=23 |language=en |archive-date=February 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229073645/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1954/11/24/84439333.html?pageNumber=23 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Francis John Higginson]] (1843–1931), rear admiral in U.S. Navy, raised in Deerfield
* [[Irwin Rose]] (1926–2015), biologist, Nobel prizewinner, died in Deerfield
* [[George Sheldon (preservationist)|George Sheldon]] (1818–1916), Deerfield town historian and justice of the peace; leader of one of the first preservation societies in the United States
* [[Jennie Maria Arms Sheldon]] (1852–1938), curator of Deerfield's Memorial Hall Museum
* [[Lucy Terry]] ({{circa|1730}}–1821), African-American poet, slave in Deerfield
* [[John Williams (bishop of Connecticut)|John Williams]] (1817–1899), Episcopal bishop, born in Deerfield

== Citations ==

{{Reflist|30em}}

==Works cited==

* {{Cite book |last=Hanson |first=Robert Brand |year=1976 |title=Dedham, Massachusetts, 1635–1890 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4oslAQAAMAAJ |publisher=Dedham Historical Society}}
* {{Cite book |last=Lockridge |first=Kenneth |year=1985 |title=A New England Town |url=https://archive.org/details/newenglandtown00lock |url-access=registration |location=New York |publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |isbn=978-0-393-95459-3}}

== Further reading ==

* {{Cite book |last=Luey |first=Beth |title=At Home: Historic Houses of Central and Western Massachusetts |date=2019 |publisher=Bright Leaf |isbn=9781625344656 |chapter=Another Country: Deerfield}}

==External links==
{{Sister project auto}}
* [https://www.deerfieldma.us/ Town of Deerfield official website]
* [http://deerfield-ma.org/ Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association]
* [https://www.deerfieldattractions.com/ Deerfield Businesses and Attractions]

{{Franklin County, Massachusetts}}
{{Connecticut River}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Deerfield, Massachusetts| ]]
[[Category:1673 establishments in the Massachusetts Bay Colony]]
[[Category:Massachusetts populated places on the Connecticut River]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1673]]
[[Category:Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Towns in Franklin County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Towns in Massachusetts]]