South Deerfield, MA

South Deerfield is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,848 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The town was first settled in 1764 by Ebenezer and Nathaniel Brown. The area now occupied by South Deerfield was part of the original grant to Captain John Mason of Deerfield in 1673. In 1784, after the American Revolution had ended and peace had been restored throughout Massachusetts, landowner James Russell erected a mill on the Connecticut River near what is now Mill Street in South Deerfield. The mill became an important factor in early development of the town as it provided lumber for construction and other needs of settlers. In 1802, South Deerfield's first store opened on Main Street; it would be followed by several others over the next few years.

In 1806, when Berkshire County was created from parts of Hampshire and Worcester counties, South Deerfield became its county seat; however this honor would not last long as Pittsfield eventually eclipsed it as county seat due to its larger population at that time. Nonetheless, South Deerfield has retained its status as a center for commerce and services in Berkshire County throughout the years since its establishment.

South Deerfield's economy has traditionally been based on agriculture (particularly dairy farming) and manufacturing (particularly textiles). However, with recent growth in technology-based businesses such as software development companies and information technology consulting firms (due to proximity to major metropolitan areas such as Boston and Cambridge), there has been an increase in job opportunities for residents of South Deerfield over the past few years.

Today, South Deerfield is home to many well-known businesses including Fidelity Investments' regional headquarters (which occupies more than ), Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices' regional office (which employs more than 300 people), JB Hunt Transport Services LLC., Lululemon Athletica Inc., Northwinds Insurance Company LLC., Premier Financial Group Inc., Ropes & Gray LLP., Saint Anselm College (a private liberal arts college), Tanglewood Music Center (home to The Boston Pops Orchestra), WGBH-TV/Channel 2/WGBH Educational Foundation (the largest public television station serving Greater Boston) among many others.

Due to its convenient location within close proximity to major metropolitan areas such as Boston and Cambridge – two highly populated cities with a wide range of cultural attractions – South Deerfield has seen significant growth over recent years both economically and demographically; this trend is expected to continue into future decades given that there are currently no plans or proposals underway that could potentially impact or change how things currently are in terms of demographics or economic activity within the town itself