Editing Rowe, Massachusetts

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Rowe, Massachusetts
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = 
|image_skyline            = Rowe-Adams Mountain.JPG
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Adams Mountain, with the Village Green and Mill Pond in the foreground
|image_seal               = Seal of Rowe, Massachusetts.png
|image_flag               = 
|image_map                = Franklin County Massachusetts incorporated and unincorporated areas Rowe highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location in Franklin County in Massachusetts
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Massachusetts]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Massachusetts|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Franklin County, Massachusetts|Franklin]]
|established_title        = Settled
|established_date         = 1762
|established_title2       = Incorporated
|established_date2        = 1785
|established_title3       = 
|established_date3        = 
|government_type          = [[Open town meeting]]
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = <!--Board of <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Selectmen-->
|leader_name1             = 
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 62.2
|area_total_sq_mi         = 
|area_land_km2            = 60.7
|area_land_sq_mi          = 
|area_water_km2           = 1.5
|area_water_sq_mi         = 
|population_as_of         = 2020
|settlement_type          = [[New England town|Town]]
|population_total         = 424
|population_density_km2   = auto
|population_density_sq_mi = 
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 1467
|timezone                 = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
|utc_offset               = −5
|timezone_DST             = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
|utc_offset_DST           = −4
|coordinates              = {{coord|42|41|36|N|72|54|00|W|region:US-MA|display=inline,title}}
|website                  = {{URL|www.rowe-ma.gov}}
|postal_code_type         = ZIP Code
|postal_code              = 01367
|area_code                = [[Area code 413|413]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 25-58335
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0618174<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|618174}}</ref>
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''Rowe''' is a [[New England town|town]] in [[Franklin County, Massachusetts]], United States. The population was 424 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US2501158335| title=Census - Geography Profile: Rowe town, Franklin County, Massachusetts| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]| access-date=November 14, 2021}}</ref>

==History==

[[Image:Yankee Rowe Entrance.JPG|thumb|left|The entrance to Yankee Rowe Nuclear Power Station]]
Rowe was the site of fishing and foraging for local [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tribes.  The area was first visited by white settlers in 1744, and was the site of a fort to guard against raids.  In 1762, the town lands were purchased by the Rev. Cornelius Jones, who named it "Myrifield" after the [[Greek language|Greek]] word for "thousand".  The town had enough settlers by 1785 to have it incorporated as a town, renamed by the [[Massachusetts General Court]] after John Rowe, a prominent Boston merchant.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=3110 |title=Profile for Rowe, Massachusetts|publisher=[[ePodunk]]|accessdate=April 24, 2010}}</ref>

The town of Rowe grew around mills on the river, but also had other industries, including [[sulfur]], [[talc]] and [[soapstone]] mining.  This was nowhere more evident than in the now abandoned settlement at the [[Davis, Massachusetts|Davis Mine]].  In the late 1880s, with the addition of the railroad along the river, the area had become somewhat of a small resort town.  But, by the advent of the 1900s, most industry had begun to dry up, leaving the town fairly rural until the 1950s.  At that point, with the "baby boom" underway, Rowe became the site of [[Yankee Rowe Nuclear Power Station]], the first [[nuclear power plant]] in New England, near the Sherman Dam along the Vermont border.  The plant was in operation from 1960 to 1992, and the plant is now completely decommissioned, with the nuclear waste planned to be transported to [[Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository|Yucca Mountain's]] containment facilities, or another facility in the event that Yucca Mountain remains closed as a result of [[Harry Reid#Political positions|Harry Reid]]'s lobbying to keep the planned nuclear waste repository closed permanently.<ref>[http://www.rowe-ma.gov/Pages/RoweMA_WebDocs/facts Town of Rowe, Massachusetts - A Brief Town History]</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Railroad Bridge over the Deerfield River between Florida and Rowe, MA.jpg|thumb|left|{{center|Railroad bridge across the [[Deerfield River]] between [[Monroe, Massachusetts|Monroe]] and Rowe}}]]

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|62.2|km2|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|60.7|km2|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|1.5|km2|disp=flip}}, or 2.41%, is water.<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.census.gov| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Rowe town, Franklin County, Massachusetts| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]| accessdate=August 29, 2012}}</ref> Rowe lies along the northern border of Franklin County and Massachusetts, bordered by [[Windham County, Vermont|Windham County]], [[Vermont]], to the north and [[Berkshire County, Massachusetts|Berkshire County]] to the west. The town is bordered by [[Whitingham, Vermont]], to the north, [[Heath, Massachusetts|Heath]] to the east, [[Charlemont, Massachusetts|Charlemont]] to the south, and [[Florida, Massachusetts|Florida]] and [[Monroe, Massachusetts|Monroe]] to the west.  Rowe is located {{convert|23|mi}} west-northwest of [[Greenfield, Massachusetts|Greenfield]], {{convert|53|mi}} north-northwest of [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]], and {{convert|112|mi}} west-northwest of [[Boston]].

Rowe lies along the eastern bank of the [[Deerfield River]], which is dammed near the Vermont border to form the Sherman Reservoir.  The town has two other large bodies of water: the Upper Bear Swamp Reservoir and Pelham Lake, which feeds Pelham Brook, a tributary of the river.  The town is hilly, with two main ridges on either side of Pelham Brook.  Near the southwestern corner of town is Negus Mountain, along the western ridge, and along the eastern ridge lies Todd Mountain and Adams Mountain, the highest point in town.  Much of the land southeast of Pelham Lake is part of Pelham Lake Park, which extends to the mountains.  There are also two small units of Monroe State Forest in town.

Rowe is one of a handful of small towns in Massachusetts which has no state highways.  (Nearly half of these towns are on [[Martha's Vineyard]] and [[Nantucket]], with the majority of the rest in central and western Massachusetts.)  The nearest state highways are [[Massachusetts Route 8A]], which runs through neighboring Heath, and [[Massachusetts Route 2|Route 2]] (the [[Mohawk Trail]]), which runs through Charlemont and Florida.  The nearest expressway, [[Interstate 91]], passes through the center of the county, near the junction of the Deerfield River and the [[Connecticut River]]. A short section of railroad tracks leading westward to the [[Hoosac Tunnel]] passes through the southwestern corner of town, but the town is otherwise not served by rail, bus or air service.  The nearest bus and small air service is in [[North Adams, Massachusetts|North Adams]], the nearest [[Amtrak]] service is in [[Pittsfield, Massachusetts|Pittsfield]], and the nearest national air service can be reached at [[Albany International Airport]] in [[New York (state)|New York]].

=== Neighborhoods ===
The following are locally known neighborhood/village areas within the Rowe town borders:

* [[Camp Rowe, Massachusetts|Camp Rowe]] {{Coord|42.690|N|72.898|W}}
* [[Davis, Massachusetts|Davis]] {{Coord|42.683|N|72.865|W}}
* [[Monroe Bridge, Massachusetts|Monroe Bridge]] {{Coord|42.722|N|72.941|W}}
* Rowe {{Coord|42.693|N|72.900|W}}
* [[Zoar, Massachusetts|Zoar]] {{Coord|42.653|N|72.931|W}}

=== Climate ===
{{Weather box
|location = Rowe 3 NE, Massachusetts, 1991–2020 normals: 1735ft (529m)
|single line = Yes

|Jan high F = 28.9
|Feb high F = 31.3
|Mar high F = 38.6
|Apr high F = 50.9
|May high F = 62.9
|Jun high F = 70.4
|Jul high F = 75.1
|Aug high F = 74.6
|Sep high F = 68.3
|Oct high F = 56.2
|Nov high F = 44.3
|Dec high F = 34.4
|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 20.0
|Feb mean F = 22.0
|Mar mean F = 29.3
|Apr mean F = 41.2
|May mean F = 52.4
|Jun mean F = 61.1
|Jul mean F = 65.9
|Aug mean F = 64.6
|Sep mean F = 57.9
|Oct mean F = 46.2
|Nov mean F = 36.0
|Dec mean F = 26.5
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 11.1
|Feb low F = 12.6
|Mar low F = 19.9
|Apr low F = 31.5
|May low F = 41.8
|Jun low F = 51.8
|Jul low F = 56.6
|Aug low F = 54.6
|Sep low F = 47.5
|Oct low F = 36.2
|Nov low F = 27.6
|Dec low F = 18.6
|year low F =

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 4.25
|Feb precipitation inch = 3.71
|Mar precipitation inch = 4.39
|Apr precipitation inch = 4.37
|May precipitation inch = 4.01
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.65
|Jul precipitation inch = 4.82
|Aug precipitation inch = 4.82
|Sep precipitation inch = 4.60
|Oct precipitation inch = 4.99
|Nov precipitation inch = 3.88
|Dec precipitation inch = 4.66
|year precipitation inch =


|source 1 = NOAA<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00196989&format=pdf
|title =  Rowe 3 NE, Massachusetts 1991-2020 Monthly Normals 
|access-date = October 28, 2023
}}
</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations | type=USA
 | 1840|700
 | 1850|659
 | 1860|619
 | 1870|581
 | 1880|502
 | 1890|541
 | 1900|549
 | 1910|456
 | 1920|333
 | 1930|298
 | 1940|233
 | 1950|199
 | 1960|231
 | 1970|277
 | 1980|336
 | 1990|378
 | 2000|351
 | 2010|393
 | 2020|424
 | 2022|421
 | footnote= {{Historical populations/Massachusetts municipalities references}}<ref>{{cite web | title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2022| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] | access-date=November 23, 2023 | url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html}}</ref>
}}

At the 2000 [[census]],<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> there were 351 people, 154 households and 105 families residing in the town. By population, Rowe ranks 24th out of the 26 cities and towns in Franklin County, and 344th out of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The [[population density]] was 14.9 per square mile (5.8/km{{sup|2}}), which ranks 24th in the county and 345th in the Commonwealth. There were 209 housing units at an average density of 8.9 per square mile (3.4/km{{sup|2}}). The racial makeup of the town was 99.72% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.28% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]]. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.14% of the population.

There were 154 households, of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. Of all households 26.0% were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.75.

Of the population 19.7% were under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 36.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.

The [[median household income]] was $41,944 and the median family income was $53,750. Males had a median income of $32,143 compared with $28,438 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $28,134. None of the families and 2.8% of the population were living below the [[poverty line]], including no under-eighteens and 3.1% of those over 64.

==Government==
[[Image:Rowe Town Hall.JPG|thumb|left|Rowe Town Hall]]
Rowe employs the [[open town meeting]] form of government, and is led by a three-person [[Board of Selectmen]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Board of Selectmen |url=https://www.rowe-ma.gov/g/42/Board-of-Selectmen |publisher=Town of Rowe |access-date=13 July 2024}}</ref>

The town has a police station, which also patrols neighboring Monroe,{{fact|date=January 2024}}<!-- not mentioned by [[Monroe, Massachusetts]] --> as well as a fire station, a library connected to the regional library network, and a post office, all of which are located near the Town Hall at the center of town.  The nearest hospital, North Adams Regional Hospital, is located in North Adams.

On the state level, Rowe is represented in the [[Massachusetts House of Representatives]] as part of the First Franklin district, represented by [[Natalie Blais]].  In the [[Massachusetts Senate]], the town is part of the Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire district, represented by [[Paul W. Mark]]. The town is patrolled by the Second (Shelburne Falls) Station of Troop "B" of the [[Massachusetts State Police]].<ref>[http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eopsterminal&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Law+Enforcement+%26+Criminal+Justice&L2=Law+Enforcement&L3=State+Police+Troops&L4=Troop+B&sid=Eeops&b=terminalcontent&f=msp_divisions_field_services_troops_troop_b_msp_field_troop_b_station_b2&csid=Eeops Station B-2, SP Shelburne Falls]</ref>

On the national level, Rowe is represented in the [[United States House of Representatives]] as part of [[Massachusetts's 1st congressional district]], and has been represented by [[Richard Neal]] of [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]] since January 2013. Massachusetts is represented in the [[United States Senate]] by Senator [[Elizabeth Warren]] and Senator [[Ed Markey]]

Rachel Lewis is the Rowe town nurse.

==Education==
Rowe's school system is a sub-system in the nine-town Mohawk Trail / Hawlemont Regional School District, which serves much of western Franklin County.  Town students attend the Rowe Elementary School from pre-kindergarten through sixth grades, and all students in the district attend [[Mohawk Trail Regional High School]] in [[Buckland, Massachusetts|Buckland]].  There is a private academy in neighboring Charlemont, and other private and religious schools in nearby [[North Adams, Massachusetts|North Adams]].

The nearest community college, [[Greenfield Community College (Massachusetts)|Greenfield Community College]], is located in Greenfield.  The nearest state college is [[Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts]] in North Adams, and the nearest state university is the [[University of Massachusetts Amherst]].  The nearest private college is [[Williams College]] in Williamstown, with several others located southeast in the Northampton/Amherst area.

==Points of interest==
The Rowe Center is a [[Unitarian Universalist]] organization that began in 1924. It offers a variety of [[summer camp]] options for youth, as well as adult workshops and [[Retreat (spiritual)|spiritual retreat]]s.<ref name="Rowe Camp and Conference Center">[http://www.rowecenter.org/ Rowe Camp and Conference Center]</ref> The summer camp was founded by Reverend Anita Pickett in 1924 for young people.<ref name="Rowe Camp and Conference Center"/>

The Rowe Historical Society, located at 282 Zoar Road, operates the Kemp-McCarthy Museum. Information on the museum, its collections and the calendar of special events is available at www.rowehistoricalsociety.org.

The former mining village, and current [[ghost town]], of [[Davis, Massachusetts]], is located in the eastern part of town, near Pelham Lake.

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130616014034/http://rowe-ma.gov/ Town of Rowe official website]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120321140520/http://www.rowehistoricalsociety.org/home.html Rowe Historical Society]}}
* [https://archive.org/details/historyofrowemas00brow ''History of Rowe, Massachusetts'', by Percy Whiting Brown (1921)]

{{Franklin County, Massachusetts}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Towns in Franklin County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Towns in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:1785 establishments in Massachusetts]]