Cummington, Massachusetts

Cummington, Massachusetts
Town
Former Cummington Fire Department headquarters
Flag Seal
Location in Hampshire County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°27′42″N72°53′40″W / 42.46167°N 72.89444°W / 42.46167; -72.89444
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Hampshire
Settled	1762
Incorporated	1779
Government
• Type	Open town meeting
Area
• Total	23.1 sq mi (59.7 km2)
• Land	22.9 sq mi (59.3 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation [1]	1,519 ft (463 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	829
• Density	36/sq mi (14/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Code	01026
Area code	413
FIPS code	25-16040
GNIS feature ID	0618198 [1]
Website	www.cummington-ma.gov

Cummington is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 829 at the 2020 census, ^[2] a decline from the figure of 872 tabulated in 2010. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Cummington was first settled in 1762 and was officially incorporated in 1779. It was named after Colonel John Cumings, the original landholder. ^[3]

The first Congregational Church minister was Rev. James Briggs (1743–1825) of Norton, Massachusetts, and a graduate of Yale College around 1775. ^[4] Briggs was the son of Deacon James and Damaris (White) Briggs, and the husband of Anna Wiswall.

Although a small town, several Revolutionary War patriots are buried there, including Nathaniel Holbrook, Seth Wilder Sr., and Seth Wilder Jr.

Noted poet and newspaper editor William Cullen Bryant was born in Cummington, and returned for many years to summer in the town. His house is now preserved and open to the public as the William Cullen Bryant Homestead. The town hosts the Cummington Fair every August on the town's fairgrounds. The fair features many events, including adult and 4-H exhibition halls, a craft barn, vaudeville stage, antique car parade, oxen pull, and an assortment of fair rides, games, and food stands.

The town was the subject of a 1945 documentary film, The Cummington Story, about the welcome given to a group of European refugees. ^[5]

Geography

Cummington is in northwestern Hampshire County. It is bordered to the west by the towns of Peru and Windsor in Berkshire County, to the north by Plainfield in Hampshire County, and to the northeast by Ashfield in Franklin County. To the east is the town of Goshen, to the southeast is Chesterfield, and to the south is Worthington, all in Hampshire County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 23.1 square miles (59.7 km²), of which 22.9 square miles (59.3 km²) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²), or 0.56%, are water. ^[6] The Westfield River (sometimes referred to as the East Branch) flows through Cummington. Massachusetts Route 9 runs through the town, following the Westfield River for most of its way. Route 9 leads southeast 20 miles (32 km) to Northampton and west 22 miles (35 km) to Pittsfield. Massachusetts Route 112 leads west, then south, 21 miles (34 km) to Huntington.

The mineral cummingtonite was first found in this town and was named after it. ^{[7] [8]}

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1850	1,172	—
1860	1,085	−7.4%
1870	1,037	−4.4%
1880	881	−15.0%
1890	787	−10.7%
1900	748	−5.0%
1910	637	−14.8%
1920	489	−23.2%
1930	531	+8.6%
1940	608	+14.5%
1950	620	+2.0%
1960	550	−11.3%
1970	562	+2.2%
1980	657	+16.9%
1990	785	+19.5%
2000	978	+24.6%
2010	872	−10.8%
2020	829	−4.9%
2022*	818	−1.3%
* = population estimate. Source: United States census records and Population Estimates Program data. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19]

As of the census ^[20] of 2000, there were 978 people, 382 households, and 239 families residing in the town. The population density was 42.4 inhabitants per square mile (16.4/km²). There were 452 housing units at an average density of 19.6 per square mile (7.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.42% White, 0.61% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.51% from other races, and 1.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.27% of the population.

There were 382 households, out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.77.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.9% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $42,250, and the median income for a family was $48,750. Males had a median income of $31,765 versus $27,279 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,553. About 4.2% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Education

Cummington is part of the Central Berkshire Regional School District, along with Becket, Dalton, Hinsdale, Peru, Washington, and Windsor. Elementary school students attend Craneville School, middle school students attend Nessacus Regional Middle School, and high school students attend Wahconah Regional High School.

Government

The town is part of the First Hampshire District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and the Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin, and Hampshire Senate district.

Points of interest

• William Cullen Bryant Homestead
• Greenwood Music Camp

Notable people

• William Cullen Bryant, poet
• Katherine Frazier, musician and arts administrator
• Sergei Isupov, artist
• Rachel Maddow, MSNBC host
• Zalmon Richards, educator
• William Jay Smith, poet
• Worcester Reed Warner, engineer
• Alan Weisman, author
• Richard Wilbur, poet

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Cummington, Massachusetts
2. "Census - Geography Profile: Cummington town, Hampshire County, Massachusetts". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved November 14, 2021.
3. Town of Cummington - History
4. William W. Streeter and Daphne H. Morris, Editors, The Vital Records of Cummington, Massachusetts 1762-1900 (Hartford, CT: William W. Streeter and D. H. Morris, 1979)
5. Arthur Knight. The Liveliest Art: A Panoramic History of the Movies, New York: Mentor, n.d. p. 254.
6. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Cummington town, Hampshire County, Massachusetts". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
7. http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/cummingtonite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy, 2001, Mineral Data Pub.
8. http://www.mindat.org/min-1170.html Mindat data
9. "Total Population (P1), 2010 Census Summary File 1". American FactFinder, All County Subdivisions within Massachusetts. United States Census Bureau. 2010.
10. "Massachusetts by Place and County Subdivision - GCT-T1. Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
11. "1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics: Massachusetts" (PDF). US Census Bureau. December 1990. Table 76: General Characteristics of Persons, Households, and Families: 1990. 1990 CP-1-23. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
12. "1980 Census of the Population, Number of Inhabitants: Massachusetts" (PDF). US Census Bureau. December 1981. Table 4. Populations of County Subdivisions: 1960 to 1980. PC80-1-A23. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
13. "1950 Census of Population" (PDF). Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, Pages 21-10 and 21-11, Massachusetts Table 6. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1930 to 1950. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
14. "1920 Census of Population" (PDF). Bureau of the Census. Number of Inhabitants, by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions. Pages 21-5 through 21-7. Massachusetts Table 2. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1920, 1910, and 1920. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
15. "1890 Census of the Population" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. Pages 179 through 182. Massachusetts Table 5. Population of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1880 and 1890. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
16. "1870 Census of the Population" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
17. "1860 Census" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1864. Pages 220 through 226. State of Massachusetts Table No. 3. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
18. "1850 Census" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1854. Pages 338 through 393. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
19. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020−2022". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved November 24, 2023.
20. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.

External links

• Official Site
• MHC Survey Reconnaissance Town Report: Cummington Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982.