Destination:
The Five College Area
/ Pioneer Valley
of Western Massachusetts

Shutesbury is home to Lake Wyola, the Quabbin Reservoir, and the ever-soothing spring waters of Mount Mineral. The town was originally named Roadtown in 1735 by settlers who built the massive road from Lancaster to Sunderland. But Amelia Bernard, the wife of then Governor Francis Bernard, petitioned in 1761 to have the town renamed in honor of her uncle and former Massachusetts governor Samuel Shute.

Over the years, Shutesbury evolved into a manufacturing town, and in the mid -1800's boasted more than a dozen mills powered by the Roaring Brook, Sawmill River, and Adams Brook.

Mount Holyoke College resides here across the street from the Gaylord Memorial Library, which housed graves before it housed books. The "dearly departed" of the original graveyard, South Hadley's first settlers, were relocated to the present-day Evergreen Cemetery when the old graveyard started to crumble just prior to the 20th century.

One grave, however, remains. The family of John Preston, the first settler to be buried there, refused to move his grave. His stone lies under an old tree behind the library, prompting one local historian to suggest that Preston's ghost may be a constant presence at the old library. Whether it is or not, the old library is plenty interesting in its own right. Its historical room houses such treasures as a pistol from Shay's Rebellion, a payroll ledger from the Revolutionary War, and a mirror that came across on the Mayflower. The library also features some grand old hearths and fireplaces, perfect places to cozy up to with a good book.

Here you will find the Old North School, a one-room educational facility built in 1845 and thought to be the region's only surviving schoolhouse from that time period.

The school continued to function until 1930, but was auctioned off two years later for a mere $185 and turned into a residence. The neglected schoolhouse ultimately fell into disrepair before being donated to the Historical Commission prior to 1975. That year saw the schoolhouse's relocation from its original location -- the corner of Pomeroy Road and Glendale Street -- to Conant Park

In the old days, the schoolhouse seated 12 to 22 students behind tiny wood desks set before an old wood stove. Today, the school returns to its glory days once a year when teachers bring students in for a full day of classes taught in the manner and style of the mid-1800's. The school is also open to the public every Sunday.