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Plainfield is a town on the northwestern edge of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, about 25 miles east of Pittsfield and 30 miles northwest of Northampton. The population was 633 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. [edit] History
Plainfield was first settled in 1770, primarily by settlers from the town of Bridgewater, and was officially incorporated as a district within the Town of Cummington in 1785, and as a town on June 15, 1807. Plainfield is the youngest town in Hampshire County. In the 1800s, Plainfield was a thriving agricultural community, primarily producing sheep and leather for tanning. With the widespread adoption of the steamship, and the resultant globalization in the 1870s, the expense of importing both mutton and leather from Australia and New Zealand was greatly reduced. Consequently, the agricultural industries in Plainfield became less profitable, and the population declined substantially over the following decades. Sixty-one men from Plainfield joined the Union Army late in the American Civil War. Six were killed in battle, or died as a consequence of their service, including resident Michael Bashaw who died of dysentery at the battle of Wilson's Creek. Of those who survived, many settled elsewhere after the war. After over a century of population decline, modern Plainfield has experienced population growth since 1950. [edit] Research Tips
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