GREENFIELD — So many things have changed over the last 100 years — people have walked on the moon, everyone has a cellphone in their pocket and to top it all off, Greenfield even became a city. Tucked off of High Street, though, folks on Madison Circle have retained a neighborliness dating all the way back to 1924.

That neighborhood character was on display Saturday afternoon as both longtime and new residents turned out for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Madison Circle Improvement Society. The event was held on the field that anchors the center of Madison Circle, where stories were swapped, memories shared and Village Pizza was served. Former residents came from as far as Washington D.C. and Buffalo, New York, to attend the party and see their old homes.

“It’s very safe and peaceful here. … I can knock on any door if I need help,” said resident Archie Nahman, who has lived in the neighborhood for 59 years, adding that the close-knit community always finds a way to usher in the newest residents. “They all seem to fit in. They’re welcomed right away.”

The newest residents of Madison Circle would certainly agree with Nahman. Daina Ruback and Chris Planicka moved into their new home in mid-August after leaving Denver.

“It’s been really nice. The neighbors are really welcoming,” Ruback said, with Planicka adding that they looked around New England for their new home and were fortunate to land in Greenfield. “We’re impressed by the amenities. There’s a lot here for sure.”

Madison Circle traces its roots back to 1924, when residents of the nascent neighborhood formed the Madison Circle Improvement Society, then called the Madison Circle Improvement Club. The incorporated group, according to President Bill Sheckels, was created to “protect land on the circle set aside for recreational purposes, maintain the circle as a residential area, provide a safe and pleasant environment for children to grow up in, and to keep the people of the circle friendly and in close touch.”

“Madison Circle is like a small village with its own town common in the middle of Greenfield,” Sheckels said. “There is a great sense of community and we all watch out for one another. I love living here.”

A brief mention of the formation of the club was included in the April 8, 1924 edition of the Greenfield Recorder.

“Residents of Madison Circle met last evening at the home of Clayton R. Bond and voted to organize the Madison Circle Improvement Club for the purpose of beautifying and making more attractive that section of the town which has great possibilities,” the write-up reads. “When the circle was laid out, provision was made for a park, and to that attention will first be given.”

Households pay small dues to the Madison Circle Improvement Society to maintain the field and, this year, helped fund a ceremonial stone to place near the neighborhood’s flagpole for the centennial. An annual meeting is held each spring, where residents plan potluck picnics, a holiday luminaria display, tag sales or other events. In the past, neighbors have also come together to plant memorial trees to honor longtime residents after their deaths.

Saturday’s party also served as an opportunity for former residents to chat with those who currently live in Madison Circle. Current resident Elizabeth Peterson met up with Betsy Corsiglia, who grew up in the house that Peterson moved into in 1995.

“I’m going to cry,” Corsiglia, a Martha’s Vineyard resident, said with a laugh as she shared cherished memories of hanging out with lifelong friends in the neighborhood. “You can count on your neighbors.”

“It’s a wonderful community,” Peterson added, noting she raised her family here and her children “definitely spent a lot of time playing on this field.”

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.