Greenwich (pronounced GREEN-witch) was first settled by whites as Narragansett Township #4 in 1735. The land was a reward to troops who had served in earlier Indian wars. The town was first named Quabbin after a local Nipmuc Indian Sachem (chief). It was incorporated as Greenwich in 1754, being named for a Scottish Duke.

The original territory measured about 12 miles from corner to corner, but the southern part separated and became Enfield in 1816, the northeast part in 1801 to become Dana. Nearby hills of note were Mount Pomeroy to the north and Mount Liz to the south, and Mt. Zion, a ridge on the border with Dana. Greenwich Plains (the center) and Greenwich Village were the two main villages. The churches in Greenwich included Congregationalist, Spiritualist, Unitarian, Methodist and Independent Liberal. There was also the Riverside Hotel, Greenwich Hotel, the Quabbin Inn, a Farmer’s Hall, and the nearby Dugmar Golf Course, which operated from 1926-1935.

Many institutional and private summer camps operated on Greenwich ponds and lakes. The Athol & Enfield Railroad had depots at both villages, and a flag stop at Morgan’s Crossing.

By 1800, the Swift River Valley was flourishing. Greenwich boasted 1500 residents, a number of mills, and two turnpikes. Greenwich was endowed with rich, fertile plains — it was essentially a farming community, although silver plating and match factories were important businesses. A grist mill was built as early as 1745, and over the next two centuries scythes, boots hats, pewter and wool were all manufactured in Greenwich. The largest and most lucrative industry in Greenwich during the winter months was ice harvesting. Every year, dozens of men, working with saws as big as they were, cut 100,000 tons of ice from Greenwich Lake, for ice boxes in New York, New Haven and Springfield.

Greenwich held its last town meeting on April 21, 1938. All of its territory but the hilltops lies under the reservoir. Parts of the town were annexed by New Salem, Petersham, Hardwick and Ware.