Time stands still in Greenwich (Submerged to form Quabbin Reservoir), Massachusetts, where the remnants of a once-vibrant community create a haunting tableau. This ghost town, set against the backdrop of Massachusetts’s evolving landscape, provides a tangible link to the region’s past and the people who shaped it.
County: Franklin
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: 42°21’33 N 72°17’47 W
Elevation: Not available
Time Zone: Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
Established: 1739
Disestablished: April 28, 1938
Comments: Historical records indicate that the Quabbin Valley is a region of Massachusetts in the United States. The region consists of areas drained by the Quabbin Reservoir and accompanying river systems in Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties. The area is sometimes known as the Swift River Valley region, a reference to the Swift River, which was dammed to form the reservoir.
Remains: Today, the area at its most restrictive, the Quabbin-Swift River Valley includes the towns immediately bordering the reservoir and lower length of the river. These towns include Belchertown, Hardwick, New Salem, Pelham, Petersham, Shutesbury, Palmer, and Ware.
Current Status: The abandoned location is currently upon the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir, four additional towns in the valley were officially disincorporated, their area absorbed by surrounding municipalities. These towns are Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott.
Remarks: Visitors to Greenwich (Submerged to form Quabbin Reservoir) often reflect on how quickly fortunes could change in frontier communities. The site serves as an important reminder of Massachusetts’s dynamic history and the transient nature of many early settlements.
Greenwich, Massachusetts represents a significant chapter in the history of New England’s lost communities. Once a thriving rural town with a rich agricultural heritage, Greenwich now lies beneath the waters of the Quabbin Reservoir, sacrificed along with three other towns to create a water supply for Boston and its surrounding communities. The story of Greenwich illustrates the complex interplay between urban development, environmental management, and rural community life in early 20th century Massachusetts.
Origins and Early Development
The land that would become Greenwich was originally granted in 1737 to descendants of soldiers who had fought in King Philip’s War (1675-1678). Initially known as Quabbin, the name derived from a Native American word meaning “many waters,” a prescient designation given the area’s ultimate fate. The town was officially incorporated as Greenwich in 1754, taking its name from Greenwich, England.
Located in Hampshire County in the Swift River Valley of central Massachusetts, Greenwich developed as a primarily agricultural community. The town’s landscape was characterized by rolling hills, fertile valleys, and the east and middle branches of the Swift River, which provided water power for various mills and small industries that developed over time.
By the early 19th century, Greenwich had established itself as a stable, if modest, rural community. The town featured a classic New England village center with a town common, churches, schools, and various small businesses serving the local population. The surrounding countryside was dotted with farms that formed the economic backbone of the community.
Community Life and Economy
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, Greenwich maintained its agricultural character while also developing some light industry. Farming was the primary occupation for most residents, with cornfields and other crops covering much of the arable land. Mount Pomeroy Lane, one of the town’s notable locations, featured extensive cornfields that were photographed in the early 1900s, preserving images of the town’s agricultural landscape.
While agriculture dominated Greenwich’s economy, the town also supported several mills and small manufacturing enterprises that utilized water power from the Swift River. These businesses produced textiles, wood products, and other goods for local consumption and regional trade. The arrival of railway connections in the latter part of the 19th century further integrated Greenwich into the regional economy, allowing for the transport of agricultural products and manufactured goods to larger markets.
One of the most notable developments in Greenwich’s later history was the establishment of the Dugmar Golf Course. In the 1920s, developers purchased a 163-acre farm for $6,850 and transformed it into an 18-hole golf course. The clubhouse, constructed of stone, was completed in 1926—ironically, after discussions about the potential flooding of the Swift River Valley had already begun. The golf course represented a shift toward recreational land use that was occurring throughout rural New England as agricultural profitability declined and tourism increased.
Social life in Greenwich centered around its churches, schools, and community organizations. The town maintained several district schools for elementary education, and older students typically attended high school in nearby larger communities. Churches served not only as religious centers but also as social hubs where community events and gatherings took place. Seasonal celebrations, agricultural fairs, and town meetings brought residents together and reinforced community bonds.
The Quabbin Reservoir Project and Displacement
The fate of Greenwich began to change in the late 19th century as Boston and its surrounding communities faced increasing water shortages. The rapidly growing urban population, combined with the advent of indoor plumbing, created an urgent need for expanded water resources. After the completion of the Wachusett Reservoir in 1908, which had already displaced over 1,700 residents in parts of West Boylston, Boylston, Clinton, and Sterling, planners realized that even this substantial project would be insufficient to meet future water needs.
The Massachusetts Board of Health had identified the Swift River Valley as a potential reservoir site as early as 1895. After several years of planning and political debate, the Massachusetts legislature passed the Swift River Act in 1927, condemning the Swift River Valley and ordering the disincorporation of four towns: Dana, Enfield, Prescott, and Greenwich. The legislation authorized the use of eminent domain to acquire the land needed for what would become the Quabbin Reservoir.
For the residents of Greenwich, the news was devastating. Many families had lived in the town for generations and faced the prospect of losing not only their homes and livelihoods but also their community identity and connections. The state offered compensation for properties, but many residents felt the payments were inadequate. While displaced residents received an average of $108 per acre for their land, the developers of the Dugmar Golf Course engaged in a nearly decade-long legal dispute with the state, eventually receiving $179,000 for their property—approximately $1,100 per acre, more than ten times what typical residents received.
The process of displacement occurred gradually throughout the 1930s. Engineers and surveyors arrived first, followed by thousands of workers hired through various Depression-era work programs to clear the landscape. As residents departed, their homes and buildings were either relocated, dismantled, or prepared for demolition. The project provided between 3,000 and 5,000 much-needed jobs during the Great Depression, though it appears that little priority was given to hiring the newly unemployed residents of the condemned towns.
The Final Days
As the deadline for evacuation approached, the remaining residents of Greenwich prepared for their final departure. On April 28, 1938, Greenwich was officially disincorporated along with the other three towns in the Swift River Valley. The night before, on April 27, many residents from all four towns gathered at the Enfield Town Hall for a “farewell ball” sponsored by the Enfield fire department. The event featured bands, dancing, and theatrical performances, allowing residents one final community celebration before their towns legally ceased to exist.
After the residents departed, workers systematically dismantled the town. Every structure was either relocated, demolished, or burned. Trees and vegetation were cleared to the ground. The valley was reportedly “on fire for months” as workers burned buildings and cleared debris. Even the town’s cemeteries were affected, with graves exhumed and relocated to the newly established Quabbin Park Cemetery in Belchertown.
By the time the Swift River was dammed in 1939 and the valley began to fill with water, little remained of Greenwich and its neighboring towns. The reservoir took seven years to fill completely, from 1939 to 1946, gradually submerging the cleared landscape that had once been home to thriving communities.
Legacy and Current Status
Today, Greenwich lies largely beneath the waters of the Quabbin Reservoir, which serves as the primary water supply for Boston and 40 surrounding communities. The reservoir holds up to 412 billion gallons of water across 25,000 acres within a 120,000-acre protected watershed. Due to Greenwich’s relatively low elevation compared to the surrounding landscape, most of the town is completely submerged.
However, some of the higher elevations in Greenwich, including the hilltops of Curtis Hill, Mount Lizzie, and Mount Pomeroy, remain above water as islands within the reservoir. These uninhabited islands are the only physical remnants of Greenwich that remain visible, serving as silent monuments to the town that once existed.
The memory of Greenwich is preserved through various historical collections and documentation efforts. The Swift River Valley Historical Society, founded in 1936 before the towns were disincorporated, maintains a museum in New Salem that houses artifacts, photographs, and records from Greenwich and the other lost towns. The collection includes items such as furniture, household goods, business records, and personal memorabilia donated by former residents before their departure.
Historical photographs of Greenwich, including images of its cornfields, village center, and daily life, provide visual documentation of the town that was lost. These photographs, along with maps, diaries, letters, and other primary sources, help historians and descendants understand what life was like in Greenwich before its disappearance.
For the descendants of Greenwich residents, there remains a sense of loss and disconnection. Unlike residents of most abandoned or declining towns, the families from Greenwich cannot return to visit their ancestral homes or show their children and grandchildren where their families once lived. As one descendant expressed in a documentary about the lost towns, “It feels like I lost my heritage.”
The Quabbin Reservoir area itself has become a place of natural beauty and ecological significance. The Department of Conservation and Recreation manages the watershed, which supports diverse wildlife and offers limited recreational opportunities such as hiking, fishing, and bird watching, though with strict regulations to preserve water quality.
Historical Significance
The story of Greenwich and the other lost towns of the Quabbin represents a significant chapter in Massachusetts history. The creation of the reservoir was one of the largest public works projects in New England during the Great Depression, employing thousands of workers and fundamentally altering the geography and hydrology of central Massachusetts.
The displacement of Greenwich’s residents highlights the human cost of infrastructure development and the often unequal distribution of that cost. While the reservoir has benefited millions of Massachusetts residents over the decades by providing clean drinking water, the sacrifice was borne primarily by the rural communities of the Swift River Valley, who received little direct benefit from the project.
Greenwich also has connections to earlier periods of Massachusetts history. Some of its early residents were descendants of farmers who had participated in Shays’ Rebellion, the 1786-1787 uprising led by Daniel Shays against what farmers perceived as unfair tax and debt collection practices. This connection links Greenwich to the broader currents of post-Revolutionary War social and economic tensions in rural New England.
Today, the story of Greenwich and the Quabbin Reservoir continues to be told through books, articles, documentaries, and museum exhibits. These efforts ensure that despite its physical erasure from the landscape, Greenwich remains part of Massachusetts’ historical memory—a community sacrificed for the greater good, but not forgotten.
Sources:
1. Vitabrevis American Ancestors. “Lost Towns of the Quabbin.” https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2019/09/lost-towns-of-the-quabbin
2. New England. “Lost Towns of the Quabbin Reservoir.” https://newengland.com/yankee/history/lost-towns-quabbin-reservoir/
3. NBC Boston. “The Dividing Scar: Massachusetts and The Four Lost Towns.” https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/the-dividing-scar-massachusetts-and-the-four-lost-towns/2702103/
4. Harvard Magazine. “Journey into Quabbin Reservoir’s Hidden Past.” https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2023/08/quabbin-reservoir-lost-towns-elena-palladino
5. Massachusetts State Library. “The Quabbin Reservoir and its Lost Towns.” http://mastatelibrary.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-quabbin-reservoir-and-its-lost-towns.html