JOIN US AT RICHMOND TOWN HALL
Attend the continued Select Board Public Hearing in person with friends, family & neighbors (or via Zoom).
🌆 Continued Public Hearing: Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Richmond Town Hall: Continuation of the Select Board public hearing regarding the Chapter 61A Right of First Refusal (ROFR) for 0 Furnace Road. With no agreement reached between Mass Audubon and the developer, the board continues deliberations on exercising and assigning the purchase option to preserve 91 acres.
📍 Location: Richmond Town Hall — 1751 State Road, Richmond, MA
Our Message to the Select Board: Mass Audubon has confirmed they have the $867,000 in hand to purchase 0 Furnace Road with zero municipal debt. Vote YES to assign the Chapter 61A Right of First Refusal to Mass Audubon to preserve 91 acres for the community at $0 direct cost to Richmond taxpayers.
Mission Statement
The Richmond Select Board is evaluating the Chapter 61A Right of First Refusal for the 91-acre 0 Furnace Road property, which is currently targeted for an 18-home residential subdivision. This site holds significant ecological and historical value, serving as a critical component of the local watershed and containing ruins within a federally listed historic district. Mass Audubon has stepped forward with $867,000 in funding to acquire the property and eventually transition it to the Richmond Land Trust for permanent conservation. Save Furnace Road proponents are urging the town to assign these purchase rights to secure permanent conservation at no cost to town taxpayers. Community members are encouraged to learn more, sign the petition, and attend the September 9th public hearing.
To Richmond Residents and Friends
Please help stop the threatened destruction of 91 acres of scenic Richmond land by private developers.
The property, known as 0 Furnace Road (Assessor Parcel ID 105-21 at the town boundary with West Stockbridge), is under a purchase and sale agreement. The buyer is proposing a development layout of at least 15 to 18 single-family homes. This development would occupy what is now scenic woodlands, active headwater wetlands, and vital animal habitat along a quiet town road that bisects the heart of Richmond’s industrial past: the Richmond Iron Works Historical District.
Though this land may not sit in your immediate neighborhood, it deserves the protection of all residents who value scenic open space, rural character, groundwater recharge, and historic preservation. If this sale proceeds without town action, our preservation opportunity will be lost forever.
How You Can Help Make Your Voice Heard:
- Attend the Public Meetings: Join us on Wednesday, September 9 at 6:00 PM (continued hearing) at Town Hall. Let the Select Board hear your voice in favor of preserving this irreplaceable natural and historical resource.
- Write to the Select Board: Email Town Administration at townadmin@richmondma.org or write to Richmond Town Hall (1751 State Road) before September 9th to express your support for open space protection.
- Sign the Community Petition: Add your name to the petition below to urge the Town to exercise its statutory Chapter 61A option and assign it to Mass Audubon / Richmond Land Trust.
What is Furnace Road?
0 Furnace Road is far more than an undeveloped woodland parcel—it is an irreplaceable combination of Berkshire industrial history, vital watershed hydrology, and unbroken forest ecology.
- National Historic Significance: Bisecting the federally listed Richmond Furnace Historical and Archaeological District, the parcel contains the physical remains of Richmond’s 19th-century industrial heritage. In May 1994, the Northern and Southern New England Chapters of the Society for Industrial Archeology (SIA) conducted a joint recording survey weekend at the Klondike Mine site. This field investigation directly produced the foundational documentation that led to the district's formal listing on the National Register of Historic Places on August 31, 1999 (NRIS #99001044). The parcel contains the 1905 Klondike Mine 150-foot vertical shaft, over two miles of underground rail tunnels, timber-frame rail inclines, washing and crushing plant foundations, charcoal kiln remains, and historic slag deposits along Furnace Brook.
- Critical Hydrological Protection: The 91 acres encompass active headwater wetlands and natural aquifer recharge zones feeding Furnace Brook. Protecting this forest cover safeguards coldwater aquatic ecosystems and downstream drinking water sources from subdivision runoff and septic degradation.
- Contiguous Forest Ecology: The parcel provides unbroken canopy and wildlife migration corridors connecting local conservation corridors, harboring native forest species and preserving the rural landscape character defining Richmond.
📰 In the News: Local Press Coverage
Regional news publications are closely following the community effort to protect the historic woodlands and watershed along Furnace Road (click images to expand):
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With no agreement reached between Mass Audubon and developer, public hearing on 0 Furnace Road to continue next week
By Amelia Ellis, The Berkshire Edge | September 2026
Reporting on the continued negotiations between Mass Audubon and the developer. With no consensus reached, the Select Board voted to extend deliberations and continue the public hearing to Wednesday, September 9 at 6:00 PM.
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Richmond woodland transaction still up in the air after lengthy meeting
By Clarence Fanto, The Berkshire Eagle | Sep 4, 2026
Coverage of Wednesday's marathon 3.5-hour hearing. After over 20 residents spoke in favor of preservation, Selectman Roger Manzolini stated he was moved by the testimony and leaning toward assigning the ROFR to Mass Audubon and the Land Trust. The hearing was continued to Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 6:00 PM.
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Still undecided: Richmond Board of Selectmen vote to continue the public hearing over 0 Furnace Road and exhaust every possible option
By Amelia Ellis, The Berkshire Edge | Aug 28, 2026
Detailed coverage of the packed August 26 Town Hall hearing, Mass Audubon's confirmation of $867,000 in acquisition funding, and the Select Board's commitment to examine all conservation mechanisms.
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Community members rally to preserve historic Richmond Furnace woodlands as Richmond faces Right of First Refusal decision
The Berkshire Edge | August 2026
The Berkshire Edge covers local neighborhood advocacy, the Chapter 61A Right of First Refusal process, and the community's call to assign purchase rights to a conservation trust at $0 municipal cost.
Documented Facts & Official Sources
All statements and historical findings on this site are supported by official public records, state filings, and published field surveys:
- Town of Richmond Chapter 61A Records: Statutory Notice confirming Parcel ID 105-21 (91.0 acres), 120-day ROFR period under M.G.L. c. 61A § 14, and pending 18-home purchase agreement.
- National Park Service / MA Historical Commission: National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (NPS Form 10-900) listing the Richmond Furnace Historical and Archaeological District on August 31, 1999 (NRIS #99001044). (Download 1999 National Register Nomination PDF)
- Society for Industrial Archeology (SIA): New England Chapters Newsletter, Vol. 14, No. 2 (1994), recording field survey details for the Klondike Mine 150-foot shaft, two miles of underground rail, and surface processing foundations. (Download 1994 SIA Report PDF)
- MassWildlife / Division of Fisheries & Wildlife: Official designation of Furnace Brook as a Coldwater Fish Resource (CFR) supporting native trout habitat.
Sign the Community Petition
Add your name to petition the Richmond Board of Selectmen to exercise the Chapter 61A ROFR for 0 Furnace Road and assign the option to a qualified land conservation organization.
Get Involved or Ask a Question
Reach out to the Save Furnace Road neighborhood coalition to volunteer for the September 9th meeting or submit questions.