East Haddam in Winter

GOODSPEED OPERA HOUSE

It's not quite winter yet, technically, but Connecticut is absolutely covered in wreaths and ribbons and lights. One of the prettiest places to see some very tasteful seasonal decorations - and honestly, just one of the prettiest places year round - is East Haddam. I wrote a little about the town in my post on Connecticut's best bridges (the swing bridge over the Connecticut River here is one of the state's most iconic) but I've never gotten around to giving it a post of its own. (Though I have mentioned some of its attractions, like Devil's Hopyard.) So here is beautiful downtown East Haddam, looking perfect as usual, on a frigid December day.

GOODSPEED OPERA HOUSE 

EAST HADDAM SWING BRIDGE

GELSTON HOUSE

CONNECTICUT RIVER

ANTIQUES DEALER ON MAIN STREET

RIVER VIEW CEMETERY, EST. 1773

NATHAN HALE SCHOOLHOUSE, 1750

RIVER VIEW CEMETERY

BOARDMAN HOUSE INN

EAST HADDAM TOWN OFFICES

BOARDMAN HOUSE, 1875

Around Sharon Town Green

In May of 2014 I wrote a little post about the clock tower in Sharon and made a note to return soon to take some more photos of the historic center of this small town. I didn't think that "soon" would mean over two years, but it's OK - this is Sharon, it's not like anything was going to change much.

As I walked around the town green, reading plaques and admiring church doors and perfect houses, one dog took exception to my presence and barked loud enough to wake up all of Litchfield County and possibly a few people in New York State as well. Not knowing if the dog was restrained by an invisible fence or about to tear me limb from limb, I was slightly alarmed. But I didn't blame the dog. I mean, just look at this town - poor puppy probably has to fend off nosy, envious visitors all the time.

North Stonington Village Historic District

Driving on the back roads of Connecticut, you never know when you'll come upon a place like the North Stonington Village Historic District, an intact little 19th century village made up of a collection of buildings clustered around a crossroads. These old town centers look like they've been forgotten by everyone except their own residents (who are probably pretty happy about that.) They feel almost as if they haven't been altered in a couple hundred years.

Sure, they all have power lines now, and parking lots and satellite dishes and all those ugly modern conveniences. And of course, normal daily 21st century life goes on in North Stonington, as it does everywhere. People mow their perfect lawns and politely maneuver their cars around you as you stop to take photos of their pristine homes and churches.

Still, after the cars pass by, it is so easy to squint and pretend that nothing much has happened here since they built the dam to create the millpond or converted the old general store into the old town hall.

By the way, North Stonington also has two historic schoolhouses (that is, two that I know of so far.) I posted one of them - and will be posting the other soon - on @OldSchoolCT.

ANDREW BALDWIN HOUSE, 1819

OUTBUILDING, ANDREW BALDWIN HOUSE

REAR VIEW, ANDREW BALDWIN HOUSE

DETAIL, ANDREW BALDWIN HOUSE

OLD TOWN HALL, 1809

OLD POST OFFICE AND STORE, 1816

GILBERT SISSON HOUSE, 1819

STEPHEN MAIN HOMESTEAD, 1781

DETAIL, LEVI ROBINSON HOUSE, 1802

TOWN GREEN

TOWN GREEN

TOWN GREEN

DETAIL, NORTH STONINGTON CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, 1848

NOAH GRANT, JR HOUSE, 1791

WILLIAM AVERY HOUSE, 1792

GRANGE, 1908

DETAIL, THIRD BAPTIST CHURCH, 1833

THIRD BAPTIST CHURCH, 1833

Lyme Street, Old Lyme

Old Lyme is renowned for its museums and galleries and its history as an art colony. But just a short walk from local institutions like the Florence Griswold Museum and the Lyme Art Association is a town center that's as lovely as any American Impressionist masterpiece.

Old Lyme is one of those pretty Connecticut places that strike first-time visitors as almost too adorable to be true. And even though I've now driven down the main road, called Lyme Street, many times, I've never quite gotten used to how it always looks so perfectly picturesque.