Heath, Massachusetts

The Heath Center Historic District encompasses a rural village with predominantly 18th- and 19th-century structures in Heath, a small agricultural town in hills of northwestern Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The district is centered on the junction of several roads, around which the center of the town grew. South Road arrives from the south, East Main Street and Bray Road from the east, Ledge Road from the north, and West Main Street from the west. The first European settlement in what is now Heath was Fort Shirley, built in 1744 to defend the frontier of Massachusetts against French and Native American attacks. Permanent residents began to settle the area in the 1750s, and what is now Heath Center began to organize in 1765, when the area was still part of Charlemont. Originally known as Charlemont Hill, Heath was incorporated in 1785. In 1789 the nucleus of its civic center was determined by the placement of the meetinghouse and common on land of Benjamin Maxwell. The center includes a cluster of well-preserved late colonial (Georgian) and early Federal style homes, and a number of institutional buildings that date from the 19th century. The only major Greek Revival building is the Old Town Hall, built in 1835. All of the village's churches date to later periods: the Union Evangelical Church is a Gothic Revival structure built in 1835, and the Methodist Church was built in 1872 in the Italianate style. The dominant style of the district's houses is Federal, although there are a few examples of later 19th-century and early 20th-century styles also to be seen. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007, and was increased in size in 2017.

Should not be confused with the Pocumtuck Range (Pocumtuck Ridge) of Deerfield and Greenfield, MassachusettsPocumtuck Mountain, a mountain peak in Charlemont, Massachusetts, located west of the abandoned Catamount settlement. Its summit ledge features wide views of western Franklin County and northern Berkshire County. Pocumtuck Mountain is often confused with the nearby Pocumtuck Range in Deerfield, Massachusetts. The mountain was named after the Pocumtuc Indians on October 16, 1855 during one of Catamount's Old Homes Days Festival. Such festivals were held often on the scenic mountain - including one visited by Massachusetts Governor John Davis Long.Except for areas belonging to Catamount State forest, the ledges and surrounding land are privately owned. Trespassing for any reason is not permitted.

Davis, Massachusetts, is the abandoned location of the Davis Pyrite Mine, located in the town of Rowe, Massachusetts. Once the largest iron pyrite mine in Massachusetts, Davis grew to be a decent sized mining village at the beginnings of the Second Industrial Revolution (1870–1915). But in 1911, a non-fatal collapse of the mine due to "poor mining practices" ended the nearly 30-year run. By 1937, the mining camp had faded, and all that remained was a blacksmith shop and about 150 cellar holes.

The Academy at Charlemont is a small, private, college-preparatory day school, located on the Deerfield River in Charlemont, Massachusetts, that serves grade 6 through postgraduate. The school was founded by Eric Grinnell, Dianne Grinnell, David W. McKay, Patricia D. W. McKay, Margaret J. Carlson, and Lucille Joy in 1981 as an experiment in bringing classical and community-oriented education to rural Western Massachusetts—specifically Franklin County, Massachusetts.

The East Charlemont District School is a historic district school building at 1811 Massachusetts Route 2 in Charlemont, Massachusetts, United States. Built in 1828, it is one of a small number of surviving brick district schoolhouses in the state of Massachusetts. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

The former Deerfield Valley Agricultural Society Fairgrounds or Charlemont Fairgrounds, now known as Memorial Park, is a public park in Charlemont, Massachusetts, United States. The 24-acre (9.7 ha) property occupies a plateau above the town, and is reached via an access road (Park Road) from Massachusetts Route 8A near the Bissell Bridge. Now a passive recreation facility managed by the town, it is one of the least-altered 19th-century fairgrounds in the state, with a grandstand, exhibition building, and racetrack built in the late 19th century. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

The Bissell Bridge is a historic covered bridge on Heath Road (Massachusetts Route 8A) over Mill Brook in Charlemont, Massachusetts. The TECO Enhanced Long through truss bridge was built in 1951 by the T. J. Harvey Company, to a design by the Timber Engineering Company (TECO) and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (DOT). The bridge is 92 feet (28 m) long, and rests on stone-faced reinforced concrete abutments. Mill Brook passes fifteen to twenty feet below the bridge at normal water levels. It was the first covered bridge to be built in Massachusetts in the 20th century, replacing an earlier covered bridge that dated to about 1881.The bridge is sited near an old mill dam and pond, and is not far (about 200 feet (61 m)) from the house of Henry W. Bissell, for whom it is named. The town appropriated $1000 for its construction in 1880, and it is assumed to have been built not long afterward. By the mid 20th century the bridge was deteriorating, and the DOT condemned it. The town vehemently opposed the construction of a modern steel-and-concrete structure as its replacement, and the matter drew a great deal of media attention. The design that resulted from the decision-making process was a near replica of the original bridge. It was built at a cost (shared by all levels of government) of $50,000 to $55,000. The only major deviations from the original design were made to accommodate modern roadway requirements. By the end of the 20th century, the new bridge was also deteriorating, and was closed and rehabilitated. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

Charlemont is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,185 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The Charlemont Village Historic District is a historic district on Massachusetts Route 2 between South Street and Harmony Lane, encompassing much of the village center of Charlemont, Massachusetts, United States. The district's properties represent the growth of the village center from its rural origin through a period of 19th century industrialization, including 18th and 19th century farmsteads, Greek Revival buildings of the mid 19th century, and later 19th century Victorian architectural styles. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Hawlemont Regional Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Charlemont, Massachusetts, United States. The school's name is a portmanteau derived from the two towns it serves, Hawley and Charlemont. In addition to those two towns, students from other nearby towns attend Hawlemont via school choice.

Catamount is a former village of Colrain, Massachusetts. In 1812, the schoolhouse that once stood in Catamount was the first schoolhouse to fly the United States Flag.From the mid 18th century until the late 19th century, Catamount was mainly a farming community. Nearby Pocumtuck Mountain was often a popular destination for people around the state. In 1880, the Old Home Days festival on Pocumtuck Mountain was visited by Massachusetts Governor John Davis Long. Due in part to the remote, mountainous location, Catamount was abandoned in the early 20th century. Much of the land was acquired by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1967, leading to the creation of the Catamount State Forest. Catamount is currently accessible to hikers and snowmobilers. McLeod Pond is a popular destination for local fishers and canoers. Catamount State Forest is managed by the Mohawk Trail State Forest.

Adamsville is a settlement in the municipality of Colrain, Massachusetts.