I admit it. I've never thought much
about Williamsburg. In fact, it's just been one of the
towns we passed through while traveling the back roads
from Northwest Connecticut to Northampton. But on our
deliberate trip to this small town last Sunday, Don and
I discovered a place that's definitely worthy of not
just one, but many visits.
Bordered by Conway on the north,
Whately and Hatfield on the east, Chesterfield and
Goshen on the west, and only 8 miles from Northampton on
the south, Williamsburg is a quiet place of around 2500
where one can enjoy the peace and tranquility of small
town life. Settled by farmers, industrialists and
immigrant mill workers who made their way up the river,
the area suffered a drastic blow in 1874 when a poorly
constructed reservoir burst, demolishing much of the
community. But thanks to good old Yankee stubbornness
and the heroic efforts of hundreds of volunteers, the
town rebounded from its tragedy. Many of the factories,
however, did not survive, but were rebuilt in other
towns, taking the labor force with them. Today, the two
villages, Williamsburg and Haydenville, are largely
populated by educators and professionals who make their
living in the five college area. But you can still see
the vestiges of the industrial era in the Greek Revival
architecture of the homes and public buildings on the
main streets. Sturdy white columns adorn the churches, a
sign that some structures here survived the ravages of
the flood.
The first stop on our self-guided tour
was the Brassworks in Haydenville, an impressive
converted factory that is home to (among other things)
the Hilltown Cooperative Charter School. Founded in 1994
as a non-discriminatory, rural learning environment, the
school uses the innate curiosity and creativity of
children to stimulate exploration of the arts and
sciences and guide the curriculum. Classes are small but
the waiting list is long, an indication that the school
provides a very attractive alternative to a traditional
K-6 education.
We then ventured further down Route 9
and made a stop at the Williamsburg General Store, which
by itself is worthy of a trip to this New England town.
Every square inch of real estate inside is packed with candles,
jewelry, kitchen utensils, pottery, toys, cookbooks,
Christmas ornaments, spices, coffee, tea, condiments,
greeting cards, traditional penny candy and on and on.
But the store's main attraction is its bakery counter,
where you'll find such delicacies as warm cheddar cheese
bread, blueberry cream cheese coffee cake and Wrapples,
a store-devised concoction of fresh apples and sweet spice wrapped in
flaky pie dough. And those are only a few of the fifty
or so homemade goodies made fresh every day of the week
in this intriguing corner of Americana.
Suddenly overcome by hunger brought on
by the delicious smells of fresh baked goods, we headed
to the Mill River Tavern at the Williams House, an 1813
inn that provides an elegant setting for a creative menu
of seafood, meats and poultry. Jessie, our server, was
friendly and accommodating as she brought us our clam
chowder appetizer and dinners of George's Bank scrod
with lemon-hazelnut crust and pan-seared jumbo scallop
over crisp crab and crawfish hash. A chocolate torte for
dessert was equally impressive. The portions were just
the right size and the prices reasonable. What more can
you ask?
Satiated, we headed for home. But
we'll be back — I hope soon. There's a few hundred
things I didn't get to see at the Williamsburg General
Store. And another twenty or so entrees to savor at the
Williams House.
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