What is it like to live in Windsor?
The town Nathaniel Hawthorne once described as a “bare, bleak spot fit, for nothing but sheep’’ is still largely off the grid (broadband is available only in town buildings).
Want to get away? Consider Windsor. The town Nathaniel Hawthorne once described as a “bare, bleak spot fit for nothing but sheep’’ is still largely off the grid (broadband is available only in town buildings). There’s no post office or grocery store. Bare and bleak, however, Windsor is not. And it’s definitely fit for more than sheep.
Just ask the skiers who flock every winter to Notchview, the largest Nordic ski area in Massachusetts. This gorgeous Trustees of Reservations property boasts nearly 25 miles of cross-country ski trails, two-thirds of them groomed. Windsor’s forests also draw snowmobilers, hikers, and equestrians. “We have a lot of really active weekenders,’’ said Town Clerk Madeline Scully, who grew up in Windsor, moved to North Carolina, and returned five years ago to buy back her childhood home.
Scully is determined to build on the sense of community among both part-time and full-time Windsor residents. She started an Internet cafe at the Town Hall, using a broadband signal bounced from her office. “One night a week, we serve refreshments,’’ she said. “People come and play cards. It’s like Windsor Starbucks.’’ One such night even featured a cabaret performed by residents, some of them volunteer firefighters. “During one rehearsal,’’ Scully said, “everyone’s beepers started to go off,’’ signaling they needed to leave for an emergency. “They all came back afterward and finished rehearsal.’’
In Windsor, small-town life is at its best. “We have a registry of people who volunteer,’’ Scully said. Participants deliver casseroles to shut-ins and do chores for those who need help. There’s also a Thanksgiving potluck dinner and a group dedicated to fostering that community, called Friends of Windsor, which has a website and a monthly newsletter.
But it’s not always peaceful here; things got a little heated at a recent community softball game, for example. “There were 8-year-olds arguing with 50-year-olds about the rules,’’ Scully said, laughing. All in all, though, Windsor is a very hospitable town, notwithstanding the opinion of a certain 19th-century novelist.
BY THE NUMBERS
$0
Cost for Windsor residents to cross-country ski, snowshoe, and hike at Notchview. For nonresidents, a season pass costs $50 with a Trustees of Reservations membership, which starts at $37.
2,031
The elevation, in feet, of Windsor. Notchview averages 70 inches of snowfall.
245
Number of years since Windsor Congregational Church was founded (in 1772). The town of Windsor, originally known as Gageborough, was founded the year before.
61
The median number of days houses in Windsor are on the market, according to Realtor.com’s July figures, the latest period in which data were available. The median closing price was $310,000.
PROS & CONS
PRO
Winter playground
Encompassing more than 3,200 acres, Notchview is also a great place to snowshoe. For those who prefer alpine skiing, there are several venues about a half-hour away, including Berkshire East Mountain Resort and Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort. Windsor is also popular with snowmobilers, who can fuel up at the town’s two trailside gas stations.
PRO
Country life
The monthly newsletter “Windsor Now and Then’’ (www.friendsofwindsor.com) is an ode to a simpler time, with its birth announcements, bird sightings, and astronomy club updates. Don’t miss Mame Whelihan’s dispatch, which includes everything from police scanner reports to advice on where to buy the best mittens.
CON
Chowtime challenges
“We need a restaurant — or a food truck,’’ said Scully. The next best thing: samosas from Sangar General Store or coffee and a sandwich at Friendly Fred’s Citgo station. The latter is also the town gossip hub and a source for used records, needlepoint kits, and biker clothes.
‘Windsor Now and Then’
Song by Ed Kohn
Two hundred years and more we’ve been
A town gone through hard times and then
We’ve raised our heads up high again
Like a Phoenix on the rise.
When the logging days had come and gone
And the tanning mills had all moved on
And the Ball Bridge Works closed down
We turned to what we had.
Chorus:
From Windsor Jambs to Estes (Sangar’s) Store
This little town is steeped in lore;
If you don’t know what a community’s for
Then Windsor’s not your style.
Hiking trails and Christmas trees
Maple sap and a summer breeze
Baseball games, cross country skis
Is what we have today.
But a town’s not made of bricks and stones
Not even trees nor roads nor homes
It’s made of muscle, skin, and bones
And the love of folks like you.
Sarah Skeie Adams is a freelance writer living in northwest Connecticut. Send comments to [email protected].
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