The Meeting House bell in Greenfield rang 225 times on Wednesday, June 15, the town’s 225th birthday.
There was birthday cake and live music. Residents dropped their gifts into a time capsule. First-grade students gave praise in “My favorite thing about Greenfield” essays.
“My favorite thing about Greenfield,” began the winning essay by Lydia Russell, “is my house and Sunset Lake.”
She was also the first to ring the bell, which pulled back so hard she was routinely lifted off the ground.
Joining her to ring the bell from the second story of the 18th-century meeting house that is the town’s most recognizable landmark was almost a dozen other Greenfield residents.
The names of the bell ringers were written to be marked in the town’s history: Lydia Russell, Mary Ann Grant, George Rainier, Adele Hale, Ray Cilly, David Gilmore, Nori Odoi, Bailey Guinn, Randy Beltz, Nate Brown, Margo Bliss (Chair of the Select board) and Kathie Beltz.
Not every resident got a chance to contribute to the 225 rings, but all present were invited to sign a scroll, like a communal birthday card, feast on cupcakes, and enjoy the music.
June 15 was the true anniversary, 225 years to-the-day since Greenfield’s incorporation, but the celebration will roll right along.
The 225th Anniversary committee of Dorene Adams, Maureen Caron, Robert Caron, Adele Hale, Katherine Heck and Carele Mayer was formed in 2014 to plan the celebration.
“We’ve been working on this for a long time,” said Adams.
The big day will be Saturday, with attractions bringing the whole town to Oak Park.
The parade, which features a marching band and specially designed floats, begins at East Road and Forest Road. It will process west on Forest Road through the heart of Greenfield’s business district for about 1.5 miles, ending at Oak Park.
The floats make up one of the most anticipated parts of the event. They were uniquely crafted by different groups from Greenfield and will be judged, with a winner named.
Lenny Cornwell, president of the Greenfield Historical Society, says the float competition is to be taken seriously.
“I don’t think I should show you, in case any pictures get out,” he told me, adamant about keeping the historical society’s design under wraps.
Oak Park, once home to some of the region’s grandest fairs and festivals, will be the epicenter of the celebration.
The town will raise a flag on the long-empty Oak Park flag pole. (It was unoccupied because until recently there was no way of lighting it at night.)
At the far end of Oak Park is an old express railway hut that was relocated from along the train tracks. It has been fashioned into a rail history museum, just for the anniversary.
Among the exhibitions will be stations set up by countless groups, ranging from the Recycling Center to the Stephenson Library. Each will hold raffles, present history, or otherwise promote its place in the culture of Greenfield.
It is fitting that this celebration be held at Oak Park. According the Cornwell, the once annual Oak Park fair was such a significant regional event that transportation would be offered to carry people into Greenfield from Boston.
It was also the site of the town’s previous anniversary celebrations, dating back at least to its 100th in 1891.
It will likely host the 250th in 2041, as well. At the June 15 celebration, residents placed items in a time capsule, along with their names. It will be opened on June 15, 2041.
Perhaps on that day they will ring the bell 250 times.
Brandon Latham can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 228 or blatham@ledgertranscript.com. He is also on Twitter @blathamMLT.