Town of BERNARDSTON

Bernardston is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,102 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Bernardston, Massachusetts, initially known as Falls Fight Township, was a frontier settlement created by and for the families of soldiers who had fought in King Phillips War, specifically in the Battle of Turner's Falls, a major engagement under Captain Turner in 1676. Major John Burke was an early settler of the town, his father was one of the veterans granted land in Falls Fight, as was the son of Hope Atherton.

Bernardston was originally part of the town of Colrain. Bernardston separated from Colrain and was officially incorporated in 1762, with the town of Leyden being separated from it in 1784 (it was not incorporated until 1809, however). Bernardston is named for Governor Francis Bernard, who was royal governor at the time of incorporation. In early maps of Massachusetts, Bernardston is shown as 'Bernard's Town'. For much of the town's history, Bernardston has been an agricultural community, producing rye, corn, cider, and was one of the first communities to produce maple syrup.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 23.4 square miles, all land. Bernardston lies along the northern state line, south of Windham County, Vermont. The town is bordered by Guilford and Vernon, Vermont, to the north, Northfield to the east, Gill to the southeast, Greenfield to the southwest, and Leyden to the west. The town center lies 7 miles north-northeast of Greenfield, 43 miles north of Springfield, and 89 miles west-northwest of Boston.

Source: Wikipedia