Granby, MA
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Granby
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Description of Granby, Massachusetts
The Town of Granby is a rural suburban town on the outskirts of the Holyoke metropolitan area. Settled around 1727, the town is dominated in the north by the Holyoke range of hills and has a rugged terrain which hampered agricultural development as the limited water resources hampered industrial development. However, despite these obstacles, settlers developed farms and some limited industries which made up the town's economic foundation.
They grew grains, turnips, pumpkins and hops, and small distilleries were open by 1812 using the surplus grain produced. Dairy farming, making buttons and palm leaf hats followed these in economic importance in the 19th century.
However, by 1875, local industry was gone and agriculture, primarily dairy farming, was the staple in Granby. The town still retains the huge, well-known milk bottle which houses a dairy bar.
Granby retains its original meeting house green and the period character that this section of town gives it as well as a fine neoclassical library and a good stock of Greek revival houses.
West central Massachusetts, bordered by Amherst on the north, Belchertown on the east, Ludlow and Chicopee on the south, and South Hadley on the west. Granby is about 15 miles north of Springfield, 46 miles west of Worcester, 85 miles west of Boston, and 152 miles from New York City.
Narrative compiled by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (
DHCD
).
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