 Areas: 300 Years of Community
Stylish Neighborhoods: Architecture
Industrial Buildings
Meadows Historic Farms: 250 Productive Years
Fertile land along the Green River, presumed in Native American use, drew sons of Deerfield families here in the late 1600s. 250 years later this prime farmland and natural resource continues to provide the town and area with local food and fiber products. In addition, Meadows farmers preserve some of the town's best scenic vistas, help maintain air and water quality, habitat for wildlife, and settlement era historic houses and barns in this irreplaceable landscape and community asset. The Greenfield Meadows is part of the Connecticut Valley's agricultural area known as the state's most valuable farmland.
From south to north they are:
The Smead-Scott Farmstead: seen from the Colrain Street overpass, this Woodard Road farmstead was moved from the corner of Colrain Road next to the South Meadows cemetery where a heritage tree marks its location. The Federal house and large New England barn with gable-end doors is now home to the Nims Tree Farm, grower of holiday trees and greens.
The Arms-Myers Farm: merchant Ebenezer Arms built this Federal farmhouse in 1777 for his son, Moses, a Revolutionary War veteran. Successive owners include Ebenezer Thayer in 1846, and John Wilson (founder of Wilson’s Department Store) 1910-37. The Myers family operated a dairy farm here for 66 years and is developing the south fields. The protected north fields are now owned by a dairy farm and used for feed corn, while the house and two new barn-style buildings house the Four Rivers Public Charter School.
The Unaitis Family Farm at the 1839 Albert Nims farmhouse and its classic New England connected farm buildings includes one of four large dairy barns on the street. Now leased for feed corn, until recently its meticulous fields grew row crops and the farm was known for its sweet melons.
The Butynski Farmstand for vegetables, fruit and flowers is at the earliest example of Meadows barns. Moved by Thomas Nims from the Jeremiah Hull place across the road around 1810, it was probably enlarged on this site to serve the dairy farm, and still contains a haylofts and stables. Coupled with its many outbuildings, this may be the sole surviving example of the early Greenfield farm layouts. One of four 20th century Meadows tobacco barns is also in use here.
The Merriam Farm at the road fork, was once part of the 50 acre Nims Farm across Plain Road. Today, the red Greek Revival style house and rare English barn compose an unchanged and unified farmstead with its adjacent cornfield.
Hatch's Patch Farm on the east side of Plain Road offers spring greenhouse plants. Its fields are planted in alfalfa that, until recently, produced a strawberry crop coveted by residents.
The Potter Farm is a prime example of 19th century connected farm buildings. Built by Henry Handforth in 1854, this Century Farm (in the same family since 1899) raises vegetables sold at a new farmstand and includes a stylish farmhouse, shed, New England barn, wood silos, milk house and other outbuildings. The hayfields are separated by classic hedgerows while across the road a large field preserves pristine Meadows vistas to the northeast.
Clover Nook Farm: The ca. 1850 Mather Farm presenting a classic view of New England connected farm buildings includes a milking barn, gable front hay barn, milk house and a later tobacco barn. The farm's fields of forage corn and hay with red and white buildings under a green hill makes this a most scenic part of the Meadows.
The 1813 Menard Farm, an outstanding example of Greenfield's farms, includes one of the town’s finest Federal style houses, a connected shed and cupola-topped dairy barn. The milk shed and newer hay storage barns tell the story of agricultural business evolution. Also a Century Farm, its fields produce top quality hay as well as small-fruit and vegetables sold at roadside.
South of the Upper Cemetery, the Bostrom Farm at the 1920s gambrel barn originally the Smith-Fairbanks Farm produces dressed turkeys, organic vegetables, plants, hay and raw milk sold from its farmstand. Its cows graze the fields behind the barn.
The Graves Dairy Farm raises feed corn in the large field behind the Upper Cemetery and the 1813 Smead family farmhouse. This land was part of the former 300 acre Smead Brothers Dairy, a large and successful local processor and direct sale farm until the 1960s.
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