Enfield

Massachusetts ghost towns are mill villages from the first Industrial Revolution — some of the oldest ruins in America.

Enfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, first settled by John and Robert Pease of Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. The population was 42,141 at the 2020 census. It is bordered by Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, to the north, Somers to the east, East Windsor and Ellington to the south, and the Connecticut River (towns of Suffield and Windsor Locks) to the west.

Enfield was lost to rising water — a flooded ghost town claimed by a reservoir or dam project. These sites sometimes reemerge during droughts, drawing photographers and the curious. Never venture onto exposed lakebeds against posted orders.

Access here is restricted, so confirm the current rules with the managing agency or landowner before you go. Showing up unannounced is the fastest way to get turned away.

Contact the managing agency or landowner first to learn the current access rules for Enfield.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.

The ground itself demands respect: open mine shafts, collapsing floors, and old wells hide in tall grass, cell service is often nonexistent, and help can be hours away. Tell someone your plans, pack more water than you think you'll need — and save the early morning or late afternoon light for your camera.

Want the full story? The Wikipedia article on "Enfield, Connecticut" covers Enfield in more depth — find the link in Sources below. County archives, historic newspaper collections, and the state historical society are the next stops after that: plat maps, census rolls, and old photographs fill in what a short visit can't. If you make the trip, consider sharing your photos and notes — firsthand reports are how the record of Enfield gets better.