Charlemont, Massachusetts
Population: 1,358
Located in Franklin County
Charlemont (pronounced Char'-la-mont) was incorporated in 1752, by a dozen families. The town was named after Lord Caulfield, Baron of Charlemont, and uses his coat of arms as the town seal to this day. Like many other towns in Franklin County, the existence of a river- in this case, the Deerfield River- has charted the economic history of the village. Most of the town's residents have their homes, farms and small businesses somewhere along the 12-mile stretch of the Deerfield River, which runs through town. The town center has a town hall, municipal garage and fire station, post office, library and the regional elementary school. A gas station, convenience store/gas station and 2 general stores are located here as well, all serving both locals and residents of several neighboring towns which lack these amenities. One of the stores, A.L. Avery's has received press around the state as being one of the only remaining family stores-now being run by the fifth generation. A couple of restaurants and/or coffee shops and the Charlemont Inn (offering rooms, tavern, restaurant and entertainment) fill out the village center while a couple of restaurants, antique shops and motels greet visitors from the east. Charlemont's only major industry is its geography based tourism. Berkshire East Ski Area, just over the river and through the woods, attracts a steady flow of traffic in the winter in recent years. The opening of 2 whitewater-rafting establishments has drawn tens of thousands of tourists in the spring and summer, including statewide recognition when the Governor booked a trip down the river. The Mohawk Trail State Forest offers cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and hiking trails, camping, fishing and guided nature tours-plus a river swimming spot. Charlemont's old-fashioned covered Bissell Bridge, the Little Red Schoolhouse and the "Hail to the Sunrise" Indian Statue in Mohawk Park are familiar post card images to travelers in Western Massachusetts. The region's rich Native American heritage is brought to life at POW WOWS - dance, music and craft gatherings of numerous tribes held at the Mohawk Plaza several times a year. The Academy at Charlemont sponsors a very well attended craft fair each summer. Charlemont has also made quite a name for itself among the musicians of the country with the Mohawk Trail Concert Series in the summer and recently the Reggae Music Festival was added to the summer calendar. Charlemont is one of those towns that if you just take a few moments to stop, have a cup of coffee and look around, you just might find it offers a whole lot more than you thought.
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