Wednesday, May 21, 2025

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THEN & NOW: The Town of Alford

What has changed and what has stayed the same in Alford over the past 30 years?

Pictured above is the attractive triangular park found at the intersection of Alford Road and Old Barrington Road near “downtown” Alford. The photograph was taken by gadabout photographer Don Victor more than 30 years ago. What has changed and what has stayed the same?

Mr. Victor’s iconic VW bus can be seen in the background of the black and white photo. The present-day image below shows a Toyota SUV in the same spot. The little park is still well-maintained with similar plantings. The signs have been updated and reconfigured a bit. Yellow stripes have been added to the road.

The Alford post office was once located nearby, but it closed in 1901. There are no retail stores in town, but several surviving farms. The only gas station — which was located on Route 71 — closed in the 1960s. All in all, Alford is a nice, quiet place to stop and appreciate small-town Berkshire County.

NOW: The corner of Old Barrington Road in Alford, Massachusetts. Photo courtesy Gary Leveille
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