Monroe MA

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Monroe, MA is located in Franklin County, Massachusetts with a population of a little over one hundred people

Photo below shows Monroe Town Hall (Click photo for larger version which opens in new window)

Monroe MA Information and History

Monroe MA is not known to have a town website. If this is not correct or one is developed, please let us know so we can note it here.

From wikipedia:

Monroe was first settled in 1800 and was officially incorporated in 1822. The town was named for President James Monroe, who was in office at the time of incorporation. The town was mostly rural, with dairy farming taking up much of the town’s economic activity. During the mid-19th century, the town did get some business from the building of the Hoosac Tunnel, just south of town in Florida. In 1885, however, a railroad line was built between neighboring Readsboro, Vermont, and Holyoke to haul wood pulp to a paper factory. This, in turn, enticed the Ramage family to establish the James Ramage Paper Company in 1887. The company was the main industry well into the 20th century, before closing in 1984.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 10.8 square miles (28 km²), of which 10.7 square miles (28 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²), or 0.65%, is water. Monroe is located at 42° 43’18.80″N, 72° 56’29.38″W. The town is located on the northwestern corner of Franklin County along the Vermont state border, and is bordered by Berkshire County to the west and Bennington County, Vermont, to the north. It is bordered on the north by the towns of Stamford and Readsboro, Vermont, on the east by Rowe, and on the south and west by Florida. Monroe is 26 miles (42 km) northwest of Greenfield, 55 miles (89 km) north-northwest of Springfield, and 115 miles (185 km) west-northwest of Boston.

Monroe is located on the Hoosac Range, the northern end of The Berkshires. The town’s border with Rowe lies along the Deerfield River, which enters the state at this point, heading south and eastward towards the Connecticut River. The river is dammed for part of this length as the southern end of the Sherman Reservoir, which formerly supplied power to the Yankee Rowe Nuclear Power Station. There are also several brooks which run through town. Much of the central and southern part of town is covered by Monroe State Forest, which extends into neighboring Florida.

Monroe is one of a handful of towns in the state without any state highways (half of these are on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket). The nearest state highway is Massachusetts Route 2, also known as the Mohawk Trail, which runs through the neighboring towns. The nearest expressway is Interstate 91, which runs along the Connecticut River, 28 miles (45 km) east of town. The nearest regional rail, bus, and air service can be found in North Adams, and the nearest national air service is at Albany International Airport in New York.

Monroe employs the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a board of selectmen. The town has no police station, being patrolled by the Massachusetts State Police (Shelburne Falls barracks). There is a fire station, and a library connected to the regional library network. The nearest hospital, North Adams Regional Hospital, is located in North Adams.

Monroe does not have its own schools. Students attend the Abbott Memorial School in Florida between pre-kindergarten and eighth grades, and Drury High School in North Adams for ninth through twelfth grades. Students also have the option of attending C.H. McCann Technical School for high school, as well as the private and religious schools in the North Adams area for all grades.

The nearest community college, Greenfield Community College, is located in Greenfield. The nearest state college is Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, and the nearest state university is the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The nearest private college is Williams College in Williamstown.

For attractions and activities throughout Franklin County, please visit our Attractions page.

Monroe MA Photos

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