Colrain, Massachusetts
Population: 1,757
Located in Franklin County
Colrain has 43 square miles of mountain, farms and rivers and is the second largest town by area in Franklin County. It has a distinctly rural character and sheep, cows and llamas (yes, llamas) dot its meadows. Be sure on your way down into town, from Route 2, to keep your eye out for the permanent panther suspended on the rocks, it may startle you at first, but is actually quite harmless and worth a second look and a chuckle! In the spring, smoke curls into the air from the tops of Colrain's 12 maple sugar farms. An agri-tourism destination is growing on the Colrain-Shelburne Road, where an apple orchard, petting farm, restaurant, store and apple winery attract visitors from around the region as well as locals, for it is a nice spot to stop in for fresh baked goodies and a quiet lunch. Colrain was originally called Boston Township and was first settled by French Canadian, Irish and Scottish immigrants. The first schoolhouse in the US to fly the American flag sat atop Catamount Hill. Today the Catamount area is preserved for mountain climbing and bicycling. The town's old bridges are beloved landmarks and fiercely protected. Two New England churches are still used. Concert performances and special events are held in the former Community Church, now known as the Brick Meeting House, which also offers the MUST STOP gallery filled with local artisans crafts. The old Methodist church now houses a restaurant, The Green Emporium, which was featured in Bon Appetite Magazine. The central village also holds a post office, the Griswold Library and a new town office building. The third Saturday in September is the town's busiest day, when the annual fair showcases the crafts of local artisans and merchants. In the past 20 years, many "transplanted city folk" have arrived to retire in Colrain, or have established cottage industries and home offices among these hills. Certain aspects of town life have changed dramatically in response. A sign of the times, perhaps is the new larger elementary school. Still, nobody sipping espresso at The Green Emporium blinks an eyelash when local farmers drive by with his yoked oxen.
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