Leverett seems to have it all. Sandwiched between Montague, Sunderland, Shutesbury and Amherst, yet removed from major highways (except for Route 63, which slices down its western border), this town of 2,000 (give or take a few) has close proximity to major areas of commerce but maintains a definite country feel. Its land has a natural beauty that comes from the juxtaposition of valleys, glacial ravines and wooded hillsides. It’s a setting that promotes individuality and creativity, both qualities cherished by Leverett residents.

Leverett's roots go back to the late 1600s, when brave settlers moved from the center of Sunderland to the northern section of town known as Swampfield Plantation. But it wasn't until the 1730s, when the Lancaster Road was built, that the area became accessible, and in 1750, the first permanent settlement was established in what is now Leverett Center. By 1773, the hardy settlers longed for their own community, so they petitioned Sunderland to form their own town and Sunderland granted separation in 1774. According to local history, the settlers took their name from Sir John Leverett, a former Massachusetts Bay Colony governor distinguished by his history of opposition to British rule and religious prosecution.

With mills powered by the Sawmill River and Roaring Brook, fertile soil and deep woods, 19th century Leverett was a self-sufficient community of farmers, mill workers, lumbermen and shop hands. Artisans of all types also plied their trade, and their decorative arts work inspired one early resident to become an artist himself.

Erastus Salisbury Field, born in Leverett in 1805, was a self-taught portrait painter who, like many itinerant artists of the day, made a good living for himself travelling town to town painting likenesses of rural middle class citizens. But if that's all he accomplished in his artistic career, he probably wouldn't even have rated a footnote in history. But in his late 30s, after Field had moved to New York City, he began to produce subject paintings on political and historical themes. And in the later years of the Civil War, his political leanings inspired him to begin his masterpiece, a very odd work entitled The Historical Monument of the Republic. A work of monumental (no pun intended) proportions, the painting depicts ten towers like darkly bizarre wedding cakes, connected by steel bridges supporting steam engines. On each of the towers, Field represented periods of American history, from the early settlements to the post Civil War period. The incidents he chose reflected his moral and philosophical beliefs, which he described in detail in a guide and catalogue to the work published in 1876. Though the catalogue suggests that Field actually intended for the incomprehensible structure to be built, he never saw that dream realized. But the complex and intriguing work survives, a testament to a man with a truly unique perspective on his times. It's much too difficult to describe, so I urge you to check it out yourself — it's part of the permanent collection of the Springfield Museum of Fine Arts.

Today's Leverett still attracts artists and craftspeople. The nonprofit Leverett Crafts & Arts, in the town center, offers studio space, a gallery and a gift shop, and many other artisans work in the privacy of home studios. The town also has its share of educators, entrepreneurs and other businesspeople, whose paths intersect at the Village Co-op (a well-stocked, community-owned store that will soon offer beer and wine, I'm told by residents), the elementary school, the town dump and the post office.

Leverett also beckons to those wishing to live a more reflective life. Though the town has its traditional churches, it is also home to a Friends Meeting House as well as the huge white Peace Pagoda. Built 16 years ago by young Americans under the auspices of Japanese Buddhist monks and nuns of the Nipponzan Myohoji order, the Pagoda sits atop a hill, a gentle but commanding presence dedicated to the prospect of global peace. Open to the public (access is from Cave Hill Road), the magnificent structure is a haven for quiet contemplation, especially in these turbulent times.

If you're more in the mood for exploration than reflection, stop by Rattlesnake Gutter, site of scenic rock formations left behind by glacial ice, Charcoal Kilns (on old Coke Kiln Road near Moores Corner) where vast amounts of charcoal were produced 200 years ago, or Leverett Pond, which offers boating, swimming and fishing.

Beautiful, tranquil, private and independent (yet friendly), Leverett exemplifies all that's good about life in the Pioneer Valley. Detour off the highway and visit sometime. It's a place that's definitely worth a trip.

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