Cummington, Massachusetts

Cummington, Massachusetts
Town
Former Cummington Fire Department headquarters
Seal
Location in Hampshire County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°27′42″N 72°53′40″W / 42.46167°N 72.89444°W / 42.46167; -72.89444Coordinates: 42°27′42″N 72°53′40″W / 42.46167°N 72.89444°W / 42.46167; -72.89444
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Hampshire County
Settled	1762
Incorporated	1779
Government
• Type	Open town meeting
Area
• Total	23.1 sq mi (59.7 km2)
• Land	23.1 sq mi (59.7 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	1,010 ft (308 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	872
• Density	42.4/sq mi (16.4/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	01026
Area code(s)	413
FIPS code	25-16040
GNIS feature ID	0618198
Website	www.cummington-ma.gov

Cummington is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 872 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Cummington was first settled in 1762 and was officially incorporated in 1779. It was named after Colonel John Cumings, the original landholder.

The first Congregational Church minister was Rev. James Briggs (1743 - 1825) of Norton, Massachusetts, and a graduate of Yale College around 1775. Briggs was the son of Deacon James and Damaris (White) Briggs, and the husband of Anna Wiswall.

Although a small town, several Revolutionary War patriots are buried there, including Nathaniel Holbrook, Seth Wilder, Sr., and Seth Wilder, Jr.

Noted poet and newspaper editor William Cullen Bryant was born in Cummington, and returned for many years to summer in the town. His house is now preserved and open to the public as the William Cullen Bryant Homestead. The town hosts the Cummington Fair every August on the town's fairgrounds. The fair features many events including adult and 4-H exhibition halls, a craft barn, vaudeville stage, antique car parade, oxen pull, and an assortment of fair rides, games, and food stands.

The town was the subject of a 1945 documentary film, The Cummington Story, about the welcome given to a group of European refugees.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 23.0 square miles (60 km²), all land. The East Branch of the Westfield River flows through Cummington.

The mineral cummingtonite was first found in this town and was named after it.

As of the census of 2000, there were 978 people, 382 households, and 239 families residing in the town. The population density was 42.4 people per square mile (16.4/km²). There were 452 housing units at an average density of 19.6 per square mile (7.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.42% White, 0.61% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.51% from other races, and 1.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.27% of the population.