Editing Shelburne, Massachusetts

{{Use American English|date=January 2024}}
{{distinguish|Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Shelburne, Massachusetts
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = 
|image_skyline            = Shelburne Town Hall.JPG
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Shelburne Memorial Hall
|image_seal               = Seal of Shelburne, Massachusetts.png
|image_flag               = 
|image_map                = Franklin County Massachusetts incorporated and unincorporated areas Shelburne 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         = 1756
|established_title2       = Incorporated
|established_date2        = 1768
|established_title3       = 
|established_date3        = 
|government_type          = [[Open town meeting]]
|leader_title             = <!--[[Executive Secretary]]-->
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = <!--Board of <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Selectmen-->
|leader_name1             = 
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 60.6
|area_total_sq_mi         = 
|area_land_km2            = 60.0
|area_land_sq_mi          = 
|area_water_km2           = 0.6
|area_water_sq_mi         = 
|population_as_of         = 2020
|settlement_type          = [[New England town|Town]]
|population_total         = 1884
|population_density_km2   = auto
|population_density_sq_mi = 
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 935
|timezone                 = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
|utc_offset               = −5
|timezone_DST             = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
|utc_offset_DST           = −4
|coordinates              = {{coord|42|35|N|72|41|W|region:US-MA|display=inline,title}}
|website                  = {{URL|www.townofshelburne.com}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
|postal_code              = 01370 ([[Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts|Shelburne Falls]])
|area_code                = [[Area code 413|413]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 25-61135
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0618175<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|618175}}</ref>
|footnotes                = 
}}
'''Shelburne''' is a [[New England town|town]] in [[Franklin County, Massachusetts|Franklin County]], [[Massachusetts]], United States. The population was 1,884 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US2501161135| title=Census - Geography Profile: Shelburne town, Franklin County, Massachusetts| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]| access-date=November 14, 2021}}</ref> It is part of the [[Springfield, Massachusetts]] [[Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts|Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

The village of [[Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts|Shelburne Falls]] is located partly in Shelburne and neighboring [[Buckland, Massachusetts|Buckland]].

== History ==
Shelburne was first settled in 1756 as part of [[Deerfield, Massachusetts]], known then as "Deerfield Northwest".  It was initially organized as the district of Shelburne in 1768, named in honor of [[William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne]], an Irish-born British politician, who later served as Prime Minister during the [[American Revolutionary War]]. Shelburne was officially incorporated as a town in 1775.  Its character has always been two-sided; the main body of town has farmland among the low hills, while the area around Shelburne Falls has mostly been a milling community.

==Geography==
[[Image:Shelburne Falls Truss Bridge.JPG|thumb|left|Shelburne Falls Truss Bridge, which carries Rte. 2A and Rte. 112 across the [[Deerfield River]]]]
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|60.6|km2|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|60.0|km2|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.6|km2|disp=flip}}, or 0.96%, is water.<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.census.gov| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Shelburne town, Franklin County, Massachusetts| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]| accessdate=August 29, 2012}}</ref> Shelburne is located in central Franklin County, and is bordered by [[Colrain, Massachusetts|Colrain]] to the north, [[Greenfield, Massachusetts|Greenfield]] to the east, [[Deerfield, Massachusetts|Deerfield]] to the southeast, [[Conway, Massachusetts|Conway]] to the south, [[Buckland, Massachusetts|Buckland]] to the west, and a short, {{convert|0.4|mi|km|adj=on}} stretch of [[Charlemont, Massachusetts|Charlemont]] to the northwest.  The town's center is located {{convert|5|mi|0}} west of Greenfield, {{convert|39|mi|km}} north of [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]], and {{convert|95|mi|km}} west-northwest of [[Boston]].

Shelburne lies along the eastern banks of the [[Deerfield River]], which flows along the town's southern and western border.  Several brooks feed into the river through the town, flowing down from several low peaks of the foothills of [[The Berkshires]]. [[Massaemett Mountain]] is the highest point in town, lying just east of Shelburne Falls, and there are several other low peaks, including Greenfield Mountain to the east.  Massaemett also is home to two small sections of the town's state forest.  In the village of Shelburne Falls are the "Glacial Potholes", a waterfall with many "potholes", traces of large rock activity along the Deerfield River.

Shelburne lies along [[Massachusetts Route 2]], commonly known as the [[Mohawk Trail]], which is the main east-west route through the northern part of Massachusetts.  The short, westernmost section of [[Massachusetts Route 2A|Route 2A]] connects the highway with the heart of Shelburne Falls, passing into Buckland before finally ending there.  Shelburne Falls is also served by [[Massachusetts Route 112|Route 112]], which follows the river southward before crossing with Route 2A across the 1890 [[truss bridge]] into Buckland, where the road bends northward before eventually continuing southward.  The nearest expressway, [[Interstate 91]], passes through neighboring Greenfield and Deerfield, and can be accessed along Route 2.

The nearest freight rail service is in Buckland, with the nearest [[Amtrak]] service being in Greenfield.  There is regional bus service in Greenfield, as well as the Campus West route of the Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA), which extends towards Charlemont with a scheduled stop in Shelburne Falls. The nearest general aviation airport is in nearby [[Montague, Massachusetts|Turners Falls]], with the nearest national air service being at [[Bradley International Airport]] in [[Windsor Locks, Connecticut]].

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations | type=USA | align=left
 | 1840|1183
 | 1850|1239
 | 1860|1448
 | 1870|1582
 | 1880|1621
 | 1890|1558
 | 1900|1508
 | 1910|1498
 | 1920|1436
 | 1930|1544
 | 1940|1636
 | 1950|1756
 | 1960|1739
 | 1970|1836
 | 1980|2002
 | 1990|2012
 | 2000|2058
 | 2010|1893
 | 2020|1884
 | 2022|1886
 | 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 4, 2023 | url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html}}</ref>
}}
[[Image:Bridge of Flowers.JPG|thumb|The [[Bridge of Flowers (bridge)|Bridge of Flowers]]]]
As of the [[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> of 2000, there were 2,058 people, 834 households, and 517 families residing in the town.  By population, Shelburne ranked eighth out of the 26 towns in Franklin County, and 290th out of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts.  The population density was {{convert|88.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|adj=off}}, which ranked tenth in the county and 291st in the Commonwealth.  There were 886 housing units at an average density of {{convert|38.1|/sqmi|/km2|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 97.28% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.49% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.44% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.24% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.05% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.39% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.12% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.58% of the population.

There were 834 households, out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were [[marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $42,054, and the median income for a family was $51,364. Males had a median income of $39,018 versus $28,550 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $20,329.  About 8.7% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.

==Government==
[[Image:Shelburne-Arms Library.JPG|thumb|Arms Library]]
Shelburne employs the [[open town meeting]] form of government, and is led by a [[board of selectmen]].  All of the town offices, except for the Shelburne Volunteer Fire Department, are located within the area of Shelburne Falls, including the police department (which shares the town hall), a post office (which also serves the Buckland side of Shelburne Falls), and the Arms Library, which is connected to the regional library networks.  The town's main cemetery, Arms Cemetery, is also located near Shelburne Falls.  The nearest hospital, Franklin Medical Center, is located in Greenfield, as are most of the nearest state offices.

On the state level, Shelburne is represented in the [[Massachusetts House of Representatives]] as part of the Second Berkshire district, represented by Paul Mark, which covers central Berkshire County, as well as portions of Hampshire and Franklin Counties. In the [[Massachusetts Senate]], the town is part of the Hampshire and Franklin district, represented by Stan Rosenberg, which includes most of eastern Franklin County and much of eastern Hampshire County.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mass.gov/legis/city_town.htm |title=List of Massachusetts Legislators by City and Town |publisher=Mass.gov |accessdate=April 29, 2010}}</ref>  The town is home to the Second Barracks of Troop "B" of the [[Massachusetts State Police]].<ref>{{cite web|url=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 |title=Station B-2, SP Shelburne Falls |publisher=Mass.gov |accessdate=April 29, 2010}}</ref>

On the national level, Shelburne 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 [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]] since January 2013. Massachusetts is represented in the [[United States Senate]] by senior Senator [[Elizabeth Warren]] and junior Senator [[Ed Markey]].

==Education==

Shelburne is a member of the Mohawk Trail / Hawlemont Regional School District, which covers six towns on the elementary level and the majority of western Franklin County on the upper levels of education.  Buckland-Shelburne Regional Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grades for the two towns, and students from grades 7–12 attend [[Mohawk Trail Regional High School]] in [[Buckland, Massachusetts|Buckland]].  There are several private, religious and charter schools located in the Greenfield area, with the most prominent being [[Deerfield Academy]] in [[Deerfield, Massachusetts|Deerfield]], [[Northfield Mount Hermon School]] in [[Gill, Massachusetts|Gill]] and the [[Academy at Charlemont]] in [[Charlemont, Massachusetts|Charlemont]].

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 colleges, including members of the [[Five Colleges (Massachusetts)|Five Colleges]] and [[Seven Sisters (colleges)|Seven Sisters]], are located southeast in the Northampton area.

The town is a supporter of the Peaceful Solution Character Education Program.

==Notable people==

* [[Catherine Coleman|Cady Coleman]]
* [[Bill Cosby|William Henry "Bill" Cosby Jr.]]
* [[Augustus O. Dole]]
* [[Mary Phylinda Dole]]
* [[Silas Lamson]]
* [[Josh Simpson (glass artist)|Josh Simpson]]

==References==

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

==External links==
*[http://www.townofshelburne.com Town of Shelburne official website]

{{Franklin County, Massachusetts}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Shelburne, Massachusetts| ]]
[[Category:1756 establishments in the Province of Massachusetts Bay]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1756]]
[[Category:Towns in Franklin County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Towns in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne]]