Old Deerfield

Historic Massachusetts village with 18th-century houses lining a tree-shaded Main Street and academy life.

Old Deerfield goes way back. In a town first settled in the 1660s, there is plenty of history to absorb. A walk down Main Street takes you past houses built in the 1700s, their dark facades set along a wide, tree-lined road, and past Deerfield Academy, with its flurry of prep-school students. A walk in autumn surrounded by yellow leaves is especially pleasant.

If you are short on time, at least visit Memorial Hall Museum, which sums up the town's history through photographs, paintings, and historic costumes. The most celebrated object in its collection is the doorway of the John Sheldon House, saved when the house was demolished in the mid-19th century. The door had survived the February 1704 Deerfield Raid — hatchet marks and poundings are still visible, still capable of sending shivers down your spine. The museum is housed in a brick building constructed in 1798 for Deerfield Academy.

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Getting There

Old Deerfield is in the Connecticut River Valley in western Massachusetts, about 100 miles west of Boston. The nearest city is Greenfield, 5 miles north. There is no useful public transport to Deerfield itself — a car is essential.

From I-91 take Exit 24 (Deerfield) and follow signs south on Route 5/10 into the village. From Boston, the drive takes about 90 minutes via I-90 west to I-91 north. From New York, allow about 3 hours. The town is also within day-trip range of Springfield (30 miles south) and Northampton (20 miles south), both of which have more accommodation options.

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Things to Do

Old Deerfield is one of the best-preserved 18th-century streetscapes in New England. Most of what there is to do centres on The Street — the mile-long main road lined with period houses — and the museums and historic buildings that line it.

The Historic Deerfield museum complex occupies most of the significant buildings, and an admission ticket gives access to 11 furnished houses along The Street. Beyond the museum, the town has a history that goes back to one of colonial New England's most violent episodes: the 1704 raid in which French and Native American forces attacked the settlement and killed or captured most of the population. Memorial Hall Museum holds the most direct artifacts from that event. For those wanting to get outside, the Pocumtuck Ridge to the east offers hiking with good views over the Connecticut River Valley.

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When to Go

Autumn — late September through October — is the peak time. The Connecticut River Valley turns spectacular colours and the town is at its most photogenic. The combination of period architecture, wide tree-lined streets, and New England foliage is about as good as this part of the world gets.

Spring and summer are quieter and equally pleasant. Many historic house tours run from May through October; check ahead in winter as some properties close and hours are reduced. Historic Deerfield's houses are at their most welcoming in the cooler months when the light inside is softer and the guides have more time for questions.