Daily Blog: About Cummington

Rachel Maddow lives in New York.

But when asked about her favorite place, her thoughts turned to New England’s Hilltowns in western Massachusetts.

She described what she loved most about Cummington (in Travel and Leisure, March 2009, p. 176) as “the sense of community – this is an isolated spot with poor weather and bad roads, and that creates a real sense of communal self-sufficiency.”

At the center of this “sense of community” is what Maddow calls the “vibrant cultural heart.” The Old Creamery in Cummington (population 978) – “It’s my favorite retail establishment of the entire universe. It’s really small, just one room; but in that room is a deli, a bakery, a general store, and a video-rental place . . . . When I walk into the Old Creamery I feel like Norm walking into Cheers.”

The home page on the Internet for Cummington says the town “takes pride in maintaining its ‘old time’ country New England flavor” and “boasts many historical properties of significance including the William Cullen Bryant Homestead.”

Apparently Bryant also treasured his memories of “the sense of community” in this small town in the Berkshire Mountains. In one of his poems, “Spring in Town,” he wrote of a community where:

“Soft voices and laughter light the streets.”