| Hadley is a small town of 4,200, located
in the Pioneer Valley, in Western Massachusetts. Despite its small
population, it has a reasonable commercial strip that harbors a few malls,
providing a more mainstream shopping experience than it's larger neighbor,
Amherst. According to the town profile, Hadley is a growing
residential community with a strong agricultural base. This scenic community
is bordered on the west by the Connecticut River and on the south by the
Mount Holyoke Range. One of the oldest settlements in the Commonwealth,
Hadley was founded by English colonists in 1659 and grew into an active
farming and trading center which today has the most acreage of farmland of
any Pioneer Valley town. Hadley has two village centers; North Hadley, a
picturesque New England settlement, and Hadley Center, with its notable
historic homes. The Porter Phelps-Huntington House Museum, built in 1752,
hosts folk music concerts and storytelling. Hadley became the birthplace of
broom-making in 1797 and an important cultivator of broom corn thereafter.
The Hadley Farm Museum houses a large collection of early New England farm
machinery which illustrates the area's early way of life. The town center,
with its old stately colonial homes clustered around the large village green
is a contrast to the economically vital commercial strip along Route 9. The
Joseph Skinner State Park, on the Mount Holyoke Range, boasts a spectacular
view from its 930 feet summit and from Summit House, which was originally
built in 1851. (Narrative supplied by community)
Get In
Rail
Amtrak's passenger rail service between Montreal and Washington, D.C. is
accessible from neighboring Amherst. Freight rail service is available from
the Springfield Terminal Railway. Contact number: (508) 663-1073
Bus
Hadley is a member of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA), which
offers fixed route service between Northampton, Hadley, Amherst, and
Williamsburg. The PVTA also offers paratransit services to the elderly and
disabled through the Council on Aging. Hadley participates in the PVTA
Under-60 Program, which provides work trip transportation for the disabled.
Air
The LaFleur Airport, a General Aviation (GA) facility located in nearby
Northampton, has a 3,506'x 50' asphalt runway. Instrument approaches
available: Non-precision. |
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Major Highways
Principal highways are State Routes 9, 47, and 116. Interstate Route 91
is easily accessible in the neighboring city of Northampton.
Hadley is located in the Pioneer Valley, known as the
crossroads of New England because of its strategic position along the
Connecticut River and its excellent transportation facilities.
The Massachusetts Turnpike connects the region to Boston and
to Albany, New York. Interstate 91 provides direct access to Hartford,
Connecticut, and to Brattleboro and points north in Vermont.
Links
• Official Town WWW Site
• State
Fact Sheet
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