Williamsburg, Massachusetts

Williamsburg is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,482 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.HistoryWilliamsburg was first settled in 1735 and was officially incorporated in 1775.The Mill River FloodOn the morning of May 16, 1874, a flood along Williamsburg's Mill River claimed 139 lives and left nearly 800 victims homeless throughout Hampshire County. The deluge occurred when the Williamsburg Reservoir Dam unexpectedly burst, sending a twenty-foot wall of water surging into the valley below. Every town and village along the river's normally placid flow was soon devastated by the great rush of water. Much of the flood's force was abated in Northampton, Massachusetts, at the Mill River's confluence with the Connecticut River. Located over twelve miles from the breached dam in Williamsburg, Northampton was the last town to experience the flood's fury, with four additional victims swept away in the swell.GeographyAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 25.7sqmi, of which 25.6sqmi is land and 0.1sqmi (0.35%) is water. The town also includes the villages of Haydenville and Searsville.