Cummington information from state agencies

mass.gov

Narrative

The Town of Cummington is a small rural community located at the western end of Hampshire County in the heart of the Berkshire Mountains. It is a residential and farming community, which takes pride in maintaining its "old time" country New England flavor. The town boasts many historical properties of significance including the William Cullen Bryant Homestead, and Kingman Tavern, the town's Historical Museum, felt by residents to be one of the finest examples of a rural town historical museum in the state. Cummington is rich in cultural diversity. It is the location of a variety of craft and art shows throughout the year. The Hillside Agricultural Society holds its highly respected fair at the fairgrounds at the end of August each year. And, while their opinion is admittedly biased, the residents of Cummington make the claim of having the most spectacular fall foliage anywhere.

Geography

Location

Western Massachusetts, bordered by Plainfield on the north, Windsor on the west, Peru and Worthington on the southwest and south, Chesterfield on the southeast, Goshen on the east, and Ashfield on the northeast. Cummington is 24 miles east of Pittsfield, 32 miles southwest of Greenfield, and 114 miles west of Boston.
Total Area:23.06 sq. miles
Land Area: 23.06 sq. miles
Population: 785
Density: 34 per sq. mile
Climate (National Climatic Data Center) (Cummington Hill Station)
Normal temperature in January.....19.9°F
Normal temperature in July........67.3°F
Normal annual precipitation.......46.0"
U.S.G.S. Topographical Plates Worthington, Goshen
Regional Planning Agency Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
Metropolitan Statistical Area (1993 Definition)

Government

Municipal Offices
Main Number: (413) 634-5354

Form of Government
Board of Selectmen
Executive Secretary
Open Town Meeting
Year Incorporated As a town: 1779
Registered Voters (Secretary of State 1994)
Total Registered 498
Democrats 80 16.1%
Republicans 62 12.4%
Other parties 0 0.0%
Unenrolled Voters 356 71.5%

Town Government

Cummington's town government is located at the Community House.
33 Main Street
Cummington, MA 01026
413-634-5354

The Town of Cummington was established in 1762 as Township #5 and incorporated on June 23, 1779. Cummington is 23.06 square miles in area with 49.2 miles of town roads and 9 miles of state highways. In 2001 there were 1016 people living in Cummington with 605 of them being registered voters.

Cummington's legislative body is the open Town Meeting requiring a quorum of 15 registered voters. Annual Town Meeting is scheduled for the first Friday in May at 7:00 p.m. A special Town Meeting is usually scheduled for the last business day of June to pay any final outstanding bills. Special Town Meetings may be scheduled from time to time by the Selectboard as the need arises.

Cummington's executive body is the Board of Selectmen consisting of 3 individuals elected to staggered 3-year terms. At the first meeting of the Board of Selectmen, the Selectmen appoint individuals to 31 committees, boards and positions

There are 18 elected boards and commissions consisting of a total of 56 individuals. These individuals are nominated at the annual Town Caucus in March and elected by secret ballot on the day of the Annual Town Meeting.

The Town's budget is determined by income from taxes on real and personal property, local receipts from licenses and fees, and from state revenue sharing as reported on the annual cherry sheets. The Finance Committee prepares a budget from these receipts in the spring and presents the budget to the voters of Cummington at the Annual Town Meeting for their approval.

DEMOGRAPHICS

HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS

Subsidized Housing Units(DHCD 1998) DHCD Subsidized Housing Inventory
Subsidized Housing Units: The number of housing units, which count toward the municipality's 10% goal for low- and moderate-income housing. It includes both subsidized affordable units and market rate units in certain eligible subsidized developments.
Public Housing Units(DHCD 2002)
Total Year Round Housing Units: 401
Chapter 40B Housing Units: 16
Rental Assistance(DHCD 2002)
State (MRVP): 0 Federal (Section 8): 0

POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS

2000 Census Data
As of the census of 2000, there are 978 people, 382 households, and 239 families residing in the town. The population density is 16.4/sq km (42.4/sq mi). There are 452 housing units at an average density of 7.6/sq km (19.6/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town is 96.42% White, 0.61% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 1.74% from two or more races. 3.27% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 382 households out of which 24.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% are married couples living together, 5.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% are non-families. 28.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.26 and the average family size is 2.77.

In the town the population is spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $42,250, and the median income for a family is $48,750. Males have a median income of $31,765 versus $27,279 for females. The per capita income for the town is $21,553. 6.6% of the population and 4.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 5.7% are under the age of 18 and 0.0% are 65 or older.

TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS

Public roads and highways in the area are generally in good condition and meet the demands of modern transportation.
Major Highways
The principal highways are State Route 9, which runs roughly E-W across Massachusetts, and State Route 112, which runs N-S.
Rail
There is no passenger or freight rail service. Rail terminals are located in Springfield, MA, Pittsfield, MA, and Renselier, NY.
Bus
Cummington is a member of the Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA). There is no fixed route service. FRTA provides paratransit services for the elderly and disabled through the Williamsburg Council on Aging.
Other
Barnes Municipal Airport, a General Aviation (GA) facility located in Northampton, is accessible via Route 9. It has a 5,000' x 100' asphalt runway. Instrument approaches available: Precision and Non-precision.

CULTURE AND RECREATION

LIBRARIES
Bryant Free Library
455 Berkshire Trail
(413)634-0109
Board of Library Commissioners On-line Library Catalog
MUSEUMS (American Association of Museums)
Kingman Tavern Historical Museum
Main Street
(413) 634-5527
William Cullen Bryant Homestead
Bryant Street
413) 643-2244

Recreational Facilities

Pettingill Memorial Field
Cummington Village
Department of Environmental Management Recreation Section

MISCELLANEOUS

HEALTH FACILITIES
Hospitals None
Long Term Care None
Hospices None
Rest Homes None

UTILITIES

Telephone Numbers for Public Utilities