Editing Chesterfield, Massachusetts (section)

==History==
Chesterfield was first settled in 1760 and was officially incorporated in 1762. It was named after the [[Earl of Chesterfield]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=2907|title=Profile for Chesterfield, Massachusetts|publisher=[[ePodunk]]|accessdate=May 18, 2010}}</ref> The town center, established after the [[American Revolution|Revolution]], has well-preserved [[Federal period]] houses along Main Road. In its early days, the town supported a largely agricultural economy, with wool from [[Merino]] sheep as a major product. However, there were sawmills and tanneries in operation as well as cloth dressing mills, and in the early 19th century these superseded farming and brought in a small immigrant population that was mostly [[Irish Americans|Irish]]. Progress wiped out most of the industry in Chesterfield, and by the start of the 20th century a re-emerging agricultural economy developed alongside the growing trade from summer residents.