Hawley in Franklin County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)

First Church of Hawley

Photographed By Russell C. Bixby

1. First Church of Hawley Marker

Inscription. Site of the
First Church of Hawley
Erected 1793
Reverend Jonathan Grout 1st Pastor
This memorial placed by the
sons and daughters of Hawley
August 10, 1935

Erected 1935 by Sons and Daughters of Hawley.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Churches & Religion • Colonial Era • Settlements & Settlers • War, French and Indian. A significant historical year for this entry is 1793.

Location. 42° 34.778′ N, 72° 53.505′ W. Marker is in Hawley, Massachusetts, in Franklin County. Marker is on East Hawley Road, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Charlemont MA 01339, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 7 other markers are within 14 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Shunpike (approx. 3.9 miles away); "Hail to the Sunrise" (approx. 4.3 miles away); First Permanent Settlement in Shelburne (approx. 8.3 miles away); General LaFayette (approx. 12 miles away); Peru Honor Roll (approx. 12.6 miles away); Town of Worthington Honor Roll (approx. 12.7 miles away); In Honor Of (approx. 14 miles away).

More about this marker. In 1848 a new Townhouse

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was built in the geographical center of Hawley with a second church, post office and relocated inn. The remaining 1792 buildings fell into disrepair and were eventually abandoned, over the next 30 years. Trees grew and finally the forest took over the town common and remains of the original site of the Town of Hawley.

The Sons and Daughters of Hawley and the Hawley Historical Commission are working on "Rediscovering Hawley's Old Town Common". The project scheduled for completion in August 2010 will provide an informational kiosk in the grassy area near the entrance to the Hawley Bog trail and highlight the location of original foundations for the original Hawley settlement.

The Son & Daughters of Hawley, as shown in this page link, was founded in 1900 and incorporated in 1981.

Regarding First Church of Hawley. According to Wikipedia the origins of Hawley were as follows, based on information from the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce:

Hawley was first settled in 1760 as Plantation Number 7 by a group from Hatfield. The town was called the "Hatfield Reserve" until it was officially incorporated in 1792. The town was named for Joseph Hawley of Northampton, a local leader in the American Revolution. The town's main industries were forestry and, eventually, recreation. The town originally included
Photographed By Russell C. Bixby

2. First Church of Hawley Marker
the land of its neighbor, Plainfield, which split off in the early nineteenth century

Also see . . .
1. Sons and Daughters of Hawley, Inc. The organization was founded in 1981 to stimulate interest in preserving the historical buildings and sites of Hawley, to educate people about the history of Hawley, to stimulate social interaction and provide a common meeting place for meetings and functions sponsored by the Sons and Daughters of Hawley, to preserve and display mementos and documents of historical value in Hawley and to raise funds in support of the above activities of the society. (Submitted on December 2, 2009, by Russell Chaffee Bixby of Bernardston, Massachusetts.)

2. Rediscovering Hawley's Old Town Common. Page from the Sons and Daughters of Hawley web site providing background on 2010 restoration project for Old Hawley Town Common. (Submitted on December 2, 2009, by Russell Chaffee Bixby of Bernardston, Massachusetts.)

Additional keywords. Western Massachusetts Pioneer Valley Massachusetts Deerfield River Valley

Hawley, Massachusetts image. Click for full size.

3. Hawley, Massachusetts

The picture shows an artist’s perception of what the town common might have looked like in 1818. The painting was done by Judith Russell and was commissioned by the Hawley Bicentennial Commission for its 200 bicentennial event in 1992. It was paid for, in part, with a grant from the Massachusetts Arts Lottery Council.In the picture, the meetinghouse is situated center left, the Longley Tavern is lower right and the Sanford Tavern and barn are center right.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on December 2, 2009, by Russell Chaffee Bixby of Bernardston, Massachusetts. This page has been viewed 1,492 times since then and 21 times this year. Last updated on December 26, 2009, by Russell Chaffee Bixby of Bernardston, Massachusetts. Photos: 1. submitted on December 2, 2009, by Russell Chaffee Bixby of Bernardston, Massachusetts. 2. submitted on December 3, 2009, by Russell Chaffee Bixby of Bernardston, Massachusetts. 3. submitted on December 2, 2009, by Russell Chaffee Bixby of Bernardston, Massachusetts. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.