Old Deerfield Travel Guide

As the name suggests Old Deerfield goes way back. In a town first settled in the 1660s, there's lots of history to absorb. A walk down Main Street takes you past houses built in the 1700s, with their dark facades, and Deerfield Academy, with its flurry of prep- school students. A walk in autumn surrounded by yellow leaves is especially pleasant.

If you are short on time, at least visit the Memorial Hall Museum, which sums up tidily the town's history through photographs, paintings, and historic costumes. Most celebrated in its collection is the doorway of the John Sheldon House, which was razed in the mid-19th century. The door, however, warranted saving because it had survived the February 1704 Indian attack -- hatchet marks and poundings are still evident, still capable of sending shivers down your spine. It's all housed in a stolid brick building, built in 1798 for Deerfield Academy.

About four miles south of Historic Deerfield is the village of South Deerfield. Here you'll find a traditional New England village with everything you need--restaurants, a cafe with free WiFi, hair salons, lumber yard, pharmacy, general stores and many other businesses in a compact downtown. There's even a town common with a small fountain.