Sunderland, Massachusetts | |
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 First Congregational of Sunderland, organized in 1718 | |
 Seal | |
 Location in Franklin County in Massachusetts | |
| Coordinates:42°28′0″N72°34′45″W / 42.46667°N 72.57917°W /42.46667; -72.57917 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Franklin |
| Settled | 1713 |
| Incorporated | November 12, 1718 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Open town meeting |
| Area | |
• Total | 14.7 sq mi (38.2 km2) |
| • Land | 14.2 sq mi (36.9 km2) |
| • Water | 0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 748 ft (228 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,663 |
| • Density | 250/sq mi (96/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Code | 01375 |
| Area code | 413 |
| FIPS code | 25-68400 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0618176[1] |
| Website | www |
Sunderland is atown inFranklin County, Massachusetts, United States, part of thePioneer Valley. The population was 3,663 at the2020 census.[2] It is part of theSpringfield, MassachusettsMetropolitan Statistical Area.
Sunderland was first settled in 1713 and was officially incorporated in 1718. It was first known as Swampfield, a name which is now honored by Swampfield Road, but the name was changed to attract more residents. It was renamed in honor ofCharles Spencer, theEarl of Sunderland.[3] Historically, the land was largely used for farming. Before the incorporation ofLeverett in 1774, that town was a part of Sunderland's territory.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 14.7 square miles (38.2 km2), of which 14.2 square miles (36.9 km2) is land and 0.50 square miles (1.3 km2), or 3.53%, is water.[4] Sunderland is located in thePioneer Valley on the east bank of theConnecticut River, which drains the town.Mount Toby, a prominentconglomerate mountain with a firetower lookout, stands at the east border of the town and is traversed by the 47-mile (76 km)Robert Frost Trail. The mountain, surrounded by Mount Toby State Forest, is known for its waterfalls, scenic vista, and biologically diverse ecosystem. Sunderland is home to theButtonball Tree, anAmerican sycamore famous for its size and age.
Sunderland lies on the southern edge of Franklin County, north ofHampshire County. Sunderland is bordered byMontague to the north,Leverett to the east,Amherst andHadley to the south, andWhately andDeerfield to the west. (Because of the river, there is no direct access between Sunderland and Whately.) From its town center just east of the Connecticut River, Sunderland is 10 miles (16 km) south of the county seat ofGreenfield, 28 miles (45 km) north ofSpringfield, and 90 miles (140 km) west ofBoston. Most of the town's population lies in the western part of town, along the river, though there is a small village north of Mount Toby.
There is no interstate within town, with the nearest beingInterstate 91 to the west of the town.Route 116 passes through the town, coming from Amherst and passing into Deerfield along theSunderland Bridge. The bridge is the only road crossing of the Connecticut River between theGeneral Pierce Bridge between Greenfield and Montague to the north, and theCalvin Coolidge Bridge between Hadley andNorthampton to the south, a distance of 19 miles (31 km).Route 47 also passes through the western part of town, crossing Route 116 and heading north before terminating atRoute 63 in Montague. Route 63 passes through the town for a short distance in the northeastern corner of town. Alongside Route 63, theNew England Central Railroad passes through the town, which, before the 2014 realignment, carried theAmtrakVermonter line through town towards Vermont. There was, however, no stop for the train within the town. The town is served by a route of the Greenfield-based Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) bus line, traveling south from parts of Montague to a southern terminus near the Sunderland Bridge, and two routes of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) bus line, on a corridor with service between Amherst andSouth Deerfield. The nearest general aviation airport is theTurners Falls Airport in Montague, with the nearest national air service being atBradley International Airport inConnecticut.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 462 | — |
| 1800 | 537 | +16.2% |
| 1810 | 551 | +2.6% |
| 1820 | 597 | +8.3% |
| 1830 | 666 | +11.6% |
| 1840 | 719 | +8.0% |
| 1850 | 792 | +10.2% |
| 1860 | 839 | +5.9% |
| 1870 | 832 | −0.8% |
| 1880 | 755 | −9.3% |
| 1890 | 663 | −12.2% |
| 1900 | 771 | +16.3% |
| 1910 | 1,047 | +35.8% |
| 1920 | 1,289 | +23.1% |
| 1930 | 1,159 | −10.1% |
| 1940 | 1,085 | −6.4% |
| 1950 | 905 | −16.6% |
| 1960 | 1,279 | +41.3% |
| 1970 | 2,236 | +74.8% |
| 1980 | 2,929 | +31.0% |
| 1990 | 3,399 | +16.0% |
| 2000 | 3,777 | +11.1% |
| 2010 | 3,684 | −2.5% |
| 2020 | 3,663 | −0.6% |
| 2022 | 3,647 | −0.4% |
Source:United States census records andPopulation Estimates Program data.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] | ||
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As of the census[15] of 2000, there were 3,777 people, 1,633 households, and 765 families residing in the town. The population density was 262.5 inhabitants per square mile (101.4/km2). There were 1,668 housing units at an average density of 115.9 per square mile (44.7/km2). There were 1,633 households, out of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.1% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.93.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,147, and the median income for a family was $53,021. Males had a median income of $36,779 versus $30,526 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,024. About 4.2% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
In July 2009, at a high turnout election, the town voted to not allow taxes to rise more than 2.5%. The vote wasrequired by state law because towns are not allowed to raise taxes by more than 2.5% a year without voter approval. The town requested more money for education to ameliorate cuts in state funding because of therecession.[16][17] In 2009 the town adopted a 0.75% sales tax on meals and hotels, bringing the total including the state sales tax to 7%.[18]
Sunderland is a member of theFrontier Regional andUnion 38 School Districts, which also includesConway,Whately andDeerfield. Each town operates its own elementary school, withSunderland Elementary School serving the town's students frompreschool through sixth grades. All four towns send seventh through twelfth grade students toFrontier Regional School in Deerfield. Frontier's athletics teams are nicknamed the Redhawks, and the team colors are red and blue. There are many art programs available during and after school at Frontier. There are several private schools in the area, including the Bement School (a coeducational boarding school serving students from kindergarten through ninth grades), the Eaglebrook School (a private boys' school for grades 6–9), and theDeerfield Academy, a private prep school.
Sunderland boasts many businesses and restaurants, many of which are located along Amherst Road (Rt. 116). Sunderland is also the home of the seasonal Mike's Maze Corn Maze.[19]Cooks Source magazine was based in Sunderland.[20]
The town makes use of an agricultural preservation restriction program. The development rights to farmland are bought up for 80% of the assessed value of the land. This allows farming to continue on the land but prevents residential and commercial development of the land.[21] Such actions have resulted in negative economic consequences, and this is something that economists are becoming increasingly concerned about.[22] According to theOffice of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, between 1980 and 2003, the nation's largest overall percentage increase in housing prices occurred in Massachusetts. The cost of rental housing has grown similarly. A study by theNational Low Income Housing Coalition rated Massachusetts as being the least affordable state in which to rent an apartment in 2003.[23]The town, however, has a significant number of rental housing units that are home to many students from the neighboring colleges. These rental units are affordable to low and moderate income residents, but are not qualified as "affordable" under Chapter 40B, the state's stringent affordable housing law which requires deed restrictions to assure affordability in perpetuity. Sunderland has more rental units per capita than nearly every other municipality in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.[citation needed]
According to the 2007 Annual Report, upwards of 40 programs and events were made available to the residents of Sunderland through the support of the Recreation Department. Events and programs include craft lessons,UMassice hockey andfootball events, adult and youth sports, an annual Easter Egg Hunt, hikes, dance lessons, and many other activities in Sunderland and the surrounding areas. The town holds annual fall festivals in mid-October and a Memorial Day parade and ceremony.[24]
TheMount Toby state reservation is on the northern edge of Sunderland, hosting a large trail network that is open to hiking, jogging, mountain biking, skiing, snowmobiling, and hunting. The Sunderland Boat Ramp on theConnecticut River allows for swimming, fishing, and boating.[25]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Municipalities and communities ofFranklin County, Massachusetts,United States | ||
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| Towns | ||
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| Other villages | ||
| Ghost town | ||
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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