Longmeadow

History

Longmeadow was first settled in 1644, and officially incorporated October 17, 1783. The town was originally farmland within the limits of Springfield. It remained relatively pastoral until the street railway was built , when the population tripled over a 15-year period. After Interstate 91 was built in the wetlands on the west side of town, population tripled again between 1960 and 1975. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Longmeadow was best known as the site from which Longmeadow brownstone was mined. Several famous American buildings, including Princeton University's Neo-Gothic library, are made of Longmeadow brownstone. In 1894, the more populous and industrialized "East Village" portion of the town containing the brownstone quarries split off to become East Longmeadow. Designed by famed golf course architect Donald Ross in 1922, the Longmeadow Country Club was the proving ground for golf equipment designed and manufactured by the Spalding Co. of Chicopee. Bobby Jones, a consultant for Spalding, was a member in standing at LCC and made a number of his instructional films at LCC in the 1930s.

Geography

Longmeadow is located in the western part of the state, just south of the city of Springfield, and is bordered on the west by the Connecticut River and Agawam, to the east by East Longmeadow, and to the south by Enfield, Connecticut. It extends approximately north to south and east to west. It is approximately north of Hartford. More than 30% of the town is permanent open space. Conservation areas on the west side of town include more than bordering the Connecticut River. The area supports a wide range of wildlife including deer, beaver, wild turkeys, foxes, and eagles. Springfield's Forest Park, which at is the largest city park in New England, forms the northern border of the town. The private Twin Hills and public Franconia golf courses, plus town athletic fields and conservation land, cover nearly 2/3 of the eastern border of the town. Two large public parks, the Longmeadow Country Club, and three conservation areas account for the bulk of the remaining formal open space. Almost 20% of the houses in town are in proximity to a "dingle", a tree-lined steep-sided sandy ravine with a wetland at the bottom that provides a privacy barrier between yards. Longmeadow has a town common, commonly referred to as "The Green", located along U.S. Route 5 on the west side of town. It is approximately long. Roughly 100 houses date back before 1900, most of which are in the historic district, are located near the town green. Longmeadow's Town Green is a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places, and it is surrounded by a number of buildings dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Longmeadow is unique as the town green has maintained its residential purpose and has resisted commercial pressure. The current function as listed by the National Register of…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  22,055
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  18,801
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  18,681
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  18,537
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  17,998
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  16,026
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  15,684
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  15,582

Largest nearby schools

• Springfield Central High
  High · Springfield · 2,095 students · 13.1:1 ratio
• Springfield International Charter School
  Other · Springfield · 1,520 students · 22.7:1 ratio
• Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy
  High · Springfield · 1,360 students · 11.1:1 ratio
• Chicopee Comprehensive High School
  High · Chicopee · 1,206 students · 11.4:1 ratio
• West Springfield High
  High · West Springfield · 1,186 students · 12.8:1 ratio
• High School Of Commerce
  High · Springfield · 1,103 students · 7.9:1 ratio
• Springfield High School of Science and Technology
  High · Springfield · 1,087 students · 12.2:1 ratio
• Agawam High
  High · Agawam · 1,052 students · 11.1:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2015-01-13
  2 km E of Wauregan, Connecticut
• M 3.3 — 2015-01-12
  0 km NE of Wauregan, Connecticut
• M 2.66 — 2014-08-14
  6 km SW of Deep River Center, Connecticut
• M 2.5 — 2002-06-07
  3 km NNW of Hopedale, Massachusetts