Haydenville is a tiny village along the Mill River, in the town of Williamsburg, just northwest of Northampton, Massachusetts. In the mid-1800s, many factories were built here, and reservoirs were placed upstream to store water sufficient to power the mills in the summer. In 1874, one of the dams broke and wiped out most of the town, and killed almost 140 people. Among the factories was the Brass Works, which was rebuilt shortly after, and now is used for a charter school and several businesses. Walk around and explore this modest little village.

“Your photos of Haydenville really got my attention. My great-grandfather, David W. Hill, was a brass finisher and worked at the Haydenville Brass Shop in the late 1800s. The home in the picture was my great-grandfather’s. I’m attaching a photo of the home as it was in 1904 or ‘05. The people in the photo are (L to R): my great-grandmother, Annie Goss Hill; my great-aunt, Stella Hill, holding my Uncle Roy; my great-grandfather, David W. Hill; and my grandparents, Elmer and Maud Hill. The small boy standing in front of them is my father, Erwin M. Hill.” -Email from Bob Hill, February 3, 2013