If you were born after 1938, you’ll have never had a chance to see the four disincorporated Quabbin towns or the Rabbit Run Railroad.
Not in their actual size, anyway.
But Petersham artist and sculptor Ken Levine has spent about 2½ years creating a diorama of what was lost to create the Quabbin Reservoir and provide Boston and its surrounding cities and towns with their primary water supply. The diorama, which now sits inside the Swift River Valley Historical Society’s Carriage Shed at 40 Elm St. in New Salem, will be unveiled for permanent display during a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday.
“It’s pretty amazing. I’m kind of proud of it,” Levine said this week, “but it was a lot of work and I loved doing it.”
Levine, who owns the Frames/Ink picture-framing shop in Petersham, said the diorama spans 24 feet by 4 feet and features the four seasons of the year.
He said the Athol & Enfield Railroad, also known as the Rabbit Run Railroad, was a 50-mile Athol-to-Springfield steam railroad in operation from 1871 to June 1, 1935. It got its nickname from all the “hopping” it did through the Quabbin Valley, stopping every few miles to load and unload passengers, mail, ice and supplies. The tracks were torn up ahead of the April 28, 1938, disincorporation of Dana, Prescott, Enfield and Greenwich to make room for the Quabbin Reservoir, now the largest inland body of water in Massachusetts.
An infamous 1872 fire in Boston started discussion about how the state’s capital was in need of more water, and the Quabbin area fit the bill because it averaged 44 inches of annual rainfall and hundreds of small streams flow into a valley. Residents of the four towns were paid fair market value for their homes, which were dismantled or removed intact. Then, the valley was flooded. According to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, construction on the reservoir began in 1936. Filling began on Aug. 14, 1939, and was completed in 1946.
Levine, 75, said his home in Petersham is close to the northern portion of the former town of Dana and he has always been fascinated by the reservoir’s history. He said he came up with the idea for the diorama about five or six years ago and built it inside a structure on his property, seldom working on it in the winter because that building is unheated. He secured some grants from local cultural councils to fund the effort.
“It was definitely a labor of love,” Levine said.
The Swift River Valley Historical Society, which preserves the artifacts, stories and records of the Quabbin Valley’s “lost towns,” will open for the season beginning June 22. It will be open by appointment on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons. Reservations can be made by emailing dotfryesrvhs@gmail.com or by calling the office at 978-544-6882 and leaving a message with your name and return telephone number. Masks will be required on the property.
More information is available at swiftrivermuseum.org.
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.