Whately, MA
Mass
Communities
Whately
About
Description
Description of Whately, Massachusetts
The modern history of the town has shown a shift in its economy toward recreational uses with agriculture, especially the production of maple sugar products, as one of the major remaining businesses. Servicing campers is a seasonal business for townspeople, there are bed and breakfast operators and there is potential for developing winter vacation homes close to area ski areas. br>
Whately is the home of the Smith College Observatory, which is located at the summit of Poplar Hill. The observatory is used by the students of the Five College Program which involves distinguished colleges and universities in the western part of the state, including Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith and the University of Massachusetts. Presently, Whately has become the home of a number of artists and craftsmen who value its beauty and small town character. The town is proud of its local history exhibits at the S. White Dickinson Library and its monthly displays of the artworks and crafts of local artists. br>
Western Massachusetts, bordered by Hatfield on the south, Williamsburg on the southwest and west, Conway and Deerfield on the north, and separated by the Connecticut River from Sunderland on the east. Whately is 11 miles south of Greenfield and 99 miles west of Boston. br>
Narrative compiled by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (
DHCD
).
