5 Classic Connecticut Town Greens

GUILFORD GREEN

The town green is as New England as unpredictable weather and Dunkin' Donuts coffee, and every Connecticut town - or nearly - has at least one of these grassy areas somewhere within its borders. Some of these greens resemble neglected yards, and others are so small they could be mistaken for traffic islands. The vast majority are pleasant, quiet spots featuring a few statues or war memorials and maybe a historic building or two. But a number of Connecticut's greens are true jewels, preserving centuries of history while thriving as gathering places for locals and attractive destinations for sightseers.

I could have chosen many different greens for this list, but I wanted to stick to the Connecticut Top Fives format, and to concentrate on a handful of very different town green experiences. If you travel to all of these greens, you'll find a distinct atmosphere at each one; if you only visit one, you'll still be pretty much guaranteed a trip that goes way beyond a nice walk in the park.

Guilford (The Pretty Green)

Guilford Green (pictured above) is simply, undeniably, one of those places that make you say "Ooh, pretty." Surrounded by churches, boutiques, historic houses, and eateries, it is the calm yet vibrant center of a completely adorable downtown. As you walk along the many pathways that divide the green, stop at each lamppost and read the small plaques printed with tidbits of Guilford Green-related trivia and history. Special events are held here regularly, but on a normal day the green is populated by people relaxing, working out, or simply navigating from, say, the sweet independent bookstore on one side to Town Hall on the other. Wander away from the green in any direction and you'll be rewarded with a choice of historic sites and endlessly photo-ready views in one of the Constitution State's most charming municipalities.

Guilford Green is bordered by Broad Street, Park Street, Whitfield Street, and Route 146.


New Haven (The City Green)

New Haven's green is one of the best-known examples of a town green that's grown up into a busy urban park. Today, looking at the open space where Yale students mix with tourists, men who seem to spend all day lounging on benches, and residents waiting for the bus, it's hard to imagine these 16 acres as a common area for grazing livestock. But if you can ignore the city noise (or perhaps imagine the cars as cattle?) you'll begin to see the green's past emerge. The historic churches, municipal buildings, and memorials on and around the green tell the stories of what came before. Or ignore the history and simply revel in the activity and diversity that would probably disturb the New Haven Colony's founders to no end. Today, the green is an all-purpose central meeting spot, hosting concerts and festivals. Located in downtown New Haven, it's also a good starting point for exploring the Yale campus or the city's numerous and acclaimed shops and restaurants or notable architecture.

New Haven Green is bordered by Church Street, Chapel Street, Elm Street, and College Street.

Lebanon (The Unspoiled Green)

The Lebanon Green is the closest you can get these days to seeing a town green as it was in ye olden dayes. This mile-long strip is more meadow than manicured lawn, because part of it is still used for agricultural purposes. (Time has moved on slightly in Lebanon, though - the green is no longer used for military drills.) In the summer, visitors strolling around the green can stop along the way at a collection of fascinating museums that explain why this now-sleepy town is so significant in American history. In a state with the slogan "Still Revolutionary," the town of Lebanon is as revolutionary as it gets, and that heritage all centers on the town green. (Don't be surprised if you see people dressed like it's 1781.) If you time your visit correctly, you can also catch the Lebanon Farmers' Market, one of my favorite of the many, many small Connecticut farmers' markets held on the local green.

Lebanon Green is bordered by West Town Street and Trumbull Highway (Route 87.)


Milford (The Long Green)

The emerald rectangle that is the Milford or Broad Street Green seems to go on forever, though it really only goes on for probably four or five (very long) blocks. (I wrote some more about the length of the green and other reasons to visit Milford last summer.) Because of its length and central location, this green has a bit of something for everyone. If you want a monument to look at, a bench to sit on, a place to grab lunch, or an old-fashioned gazebo, you'll find it here. You'll also find plenty of churches, banks, and other mundane institutions on the streets that border the green. Their presence is a reminder of the way the green blends seamlessly into everyday life in Milford. But retreat just a few steps off the sidewalk and onto the grass, and the everyday fades, revealing a sense of escape from the quick pace of this growing city. And when the green is taken over by an event like the annual Arts and Crafts Fair, the everyday disappears entirely, and the atmosphere becomes downright festive.

Broad Street Green is bordered by Broad Street and South Broad Street.

Tolland (The Small-Town Green)

When I first tried to think of the essential small-town green, a various greens kept floating through my mind, sometimes merging confusingly into a utopian town green composite. But as I pondered the question, I kept coming back to Tolland. Tolland's green has a traditional look, but it's also a little quirky. It's a little bit country, and simultaneously a little bit suburban. It always seems to be hosting events or preparing for various happenings whenever I drive past it. And although it feels very local, as if people might notice you're Not From Here if you stopped to get a closer look, it's also surrounded by enough eye-catching historic buildings that, if you explained why you stopped, the locals would surely understand and approve. Perhaps what makes Tolland's green stand out in my head is the way its attractions - like a preserved 18th century house that used to be a tavern and the Old Tolland County Jail and Museum - and even the roads leading up to it, like the Tolland Stage Road, hint at sedate rural Connecticut's intriguing past.

Tolland Green is bordered by Route 195, the Old Post Road, and Tolland Stage Road (Route 74.)

5 Connecticut Mill Towns Worth Visiting

FORMER WILLIMANTIC LINEN COMPANY/AMERICAN THREAD COMPANY BUILDING

Many small (and not so small) Connecticut towns once revolved around their mills. I'm referring not to the humble grist mills of the early English settlers, but to the stone and brick behemoths of the Industrial Revolution. Though the industries that brought them to life have mostly moved away now, these imposing buildings still dominate a landscape that ranges from urban to rural. They have been called Connecticut’s cathedrals.

There are many worthy mill towns to choose from, and it was difficult to pick just five. Rest assured that on any aimless drive through the Nutmeg State, especially its eastern half, you're very likely to encounter a mill building, whether crumbling or newly restored, standing beside the rushing river that once powered its machines. It's also probable that you'll see, whether you recognize them or not, the houses that were the bosses' stately mansions and the rows of cottages where workers lived. I picked these five towns because each has a distinct atmosphere and shows off its historic mills in a different way. And, they are all located close enough to one another that it would be easy to combine them into a self-guided, mill-themed tour, to be done in one jam-packed day or stretched out over a week.

Willimantic (The Museum)

Willimantic, which feels like a funky little college town, is probably best known for its frog bridge. As you cross it, you notice that the famous frogs are posed atop spools of thread - that's because this place, nicknamed Thread City, was once home to multiple cotton mills, including the American Thread Company, at one time the state's largest employer. The Windham Textile and History Museum - also called the Mill Museum - offers a glimpse into the world of a 19^th century mill village. Inside former American Thread Company buildings, original machinery and re-created living quarters recall the lives of mill managers as well as immigrant workers, who came here from all over Europe and beyond. Exhibits explore various aspects of the textile industry in Connecticut and America. While you're there, don't miss Windham Mills State Heritage Park.

Apart from its industrial history, there's usually something going on in Willimantic, from Victorian house tours to street festivals. And there's always something interesting to see. Add the Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum to your itinerary, stroll down the colorful Main Street and stop at some stores and restaurants, or peruse willimanticdowntown.org for more ideas.

Putnam (The Trail)

Putnam is an old-fashioned small town that's increasingly becoming known as an antiques and arts destination with an ever-expanding list of new restaurants. It also has two lovely short walking trails, one focused on the mills that once harnessed the power of the Quinebaug River and the other dedicated to that river and its impressive falls. The River Mills Heritage Trail winds for just over a mile past six historic mill buildings, where workers transformed yarn into cotton cloth. Some of these buildings have been, or are being, restored and re-purposed. The River Trail, two miles long, provides a different vantage point for viewing the town, the Quinebaug, and the waterfalls. The two connecting trails are clearly marked, but this (PDF) map, also available at many downtown merchants, shows the details.

Downtown Putnam is small and very walkable, with plenty of free parking. You can't miss the large antiques stores that dominate the area, but there are some sweet smaller shops and art galleries here too. There's also the Bradley Playhouse, and a cute little farmers' market on Saturdays. Though it's still somewhat of a bare-bones site, discoverputnam.com will give you an idea of your options. And from Putnam, the relatively bustling center of Connecticut's Quiet Corner, it's just a short (and stunning) drive to the even quieter towns like Woodstock and Pomfret.

Plainfield (The Historic Districts)

Plainfield might sound agricultural and look unassuming, but this town once clanged with the sounds of heavy machinery from the mill villages that now anchor separate historic districts here. The Lawton Mills, Central Village, and Wauregan Historic Districts all preserve a slice of 19th and 20th century industrial life, complete with imposing mill buildings and their accompanying housing. In Lawton Mills, Railroad Avenue will take you to what feels like a town paused in time. In Central Village, the brick Plainfield Woolen Company Mill (listed separately on the National Register of Historic Places) stands proudly on Main Street. In Wauregan, further north, you'll find the old mill  by following Wauregan Road towards Chestnut Street.

These historic districts are not tourist attractions, but neighborhoods where regular people sill live and work. Although there are signs indicating their locations, you have to do some research on your own to know which streets to look for and which buildings to note. If you're into that kind of thing, the National Register of Historic Places registration and nomination forms for Lawton Mills, Central Village, and Wauregan will tell you everything you need to know. You won't regret taking the time; with a little imagination, Plainfield - the most off-the-beaten-path of the five towns listed here - might provide the best idea of what it was truly like when New England buzzed with looms and spindles.

Coventry (The Ruins)

Coventry, better known as the birthplace of Nathan Hale and host of Connecticut’s largest farmers’ market, has preserved what remains of its old mills in a unique and understated fashion. Find Mill Brook Park and the Mill Brook Park Trail, located right behind Main Street. Here, a little trail (if it can even be called that) meanders through peaceful woods and wetlands. Markers inform visitors about the eerie ruins of the former shoddy mill and the stone arches that were once part of a center of industry along the brook. The site of the dam, along with a few remaining buildings and brick chimneys, might help you imagine the shoddy mill, silk mills, and many other mills and factories that were once here. Or, you might find it almost impossible to picture this spot as anything but rural and serene.

While in Coventry, you can tour the Nathan Hale Homestead and experience the Coventry Farmers' Market, or follow a historic walking tour. Browse the antique stores on Main Street, or stop at the Visitors' Center at 1195 Main Street for more ideas.

Manchester (The Restoration)

Some of Connecticut’s old mills (including a few in Manchester) are gloriously dilapidated. (The old American Writing Paper Company building is one.) But many others have been preserved for their historic value and/or converted to condos, offices, or modern factories. Perhaps the best place to see both types of preservation is in Manchester. This town, home of the nation’s oldest woolen mill (they made the wool for the suit George Washington wore to his inauguration) has transformed vast complexes that once produced silk and paper into rental apartments and historic sites. The Manchester Historical Society has information about the Cheney Brothers National Historic Landmark District, in which you can find the Cheney Brothers silk mill buildings, now apartments with names like Lofts at the Mills, Ribbon Mill Apartments, Clocktower Mill Apartments, Velvet Mill, and Dye House. The district also encompasses several Cheney family mansions and hundreds of houses, plus facilities like schools and churches, that were constructed for use by the employees of the Cheney mills and their families. The Historical Society conducts walking tours, or you can explore the 175 acre district on your own. A few minutes away, the Hilliard Mills complex (that's the manufacturer of President Washington's suit) now houses businesses, and the old Adams Mill is home to a restaurant and banquet hall. To get a different sort of look at Manchester's mills (including the one in my American Writing Paper Company link), some are visible from the hiking trails along the Hockanum River.

Manchester - sometimes called Silk City - has a nice main street for wandering. The Manchester Historical Society lists other local museums and places of interest. And don't leave without going to the amazing Wickham Park (yes, I once wrote a blog post about Wickham Park. It's mostly pictures.) 


If you've read this far and still want more historic mill villages to visit in eastern Connecticut, check out Stafford Springs (in the town of Stafford), North Grosvenordale (in Thompson), Rockville (in Vernon), and Taftvile (in Norwich.)

And if you have your own favorite, please leave it in the comments!

Scenic Route

When I have to go anywhere even slightly unfamiliar, I normally prefer to look up routes beforehand and write directions on scraps of paper. But occasionally, I give up and let the little voice inside the GPS tell me where to go.

She sounds level-headed, that little voice, like the type who would not be impressed by pretty scenery or send anyone home the long and circuitous way. And usually, she doesn't. But, like me, she sometimes throws caution to the wind.

This is when I find parts of Connecticut I never knew existed, though I could swear I've driven through them before. This is when I see state routes with unfamiliar numbers, and signs tacked to trees that say things like "Wake Up America!" and "We Buy Stone Walls."

Following the whims of the GPS voice when she's in this crazy mood, I pass villages that I've never heard of, villages that I suspect no one who doesn't live in them has ever heard of either. I discover tiny cottages clinging to the shores of lakes I couldn't name. Corn towers above my car as I drive, and sometimes chickens casually stroll along the shoulder.

On a drive like this I found a chapel in Andover, half hiding behind a much larger church. I stopped because I thought perhaps it was a schoolhouse, and it seems it was, for a while, when it wasn't being the library, Grange hall, or town meetinghouse.

The GPS voice was not happy when I turned around to see the chapel up close; it meant she had to re-do her entire plan. But it was all her fault. If she'd wanted a boring trip, she could have just sent me straight to the highway.

Brick School

A few weeks ago on Twitter, Peter Marteka, who finds amazing trails and parks and woods and wetlands (that I always kick myself for never having heard of) and explores them in nature columns for the Hartford Courant, asked me if I'd been to the Brick School in Coventry.

I hadn't. I'd been to something like 50 other schoolhouses, but not that one.

So the next time I drove out to Coventry for the Farmers' Market, I stopped at the schoolhouse on the way. (It's not technically on the way, but just go with my little story here for a minute.)

And as soon as I parked beside, it, I realized that I had been here before.

It may have been during the pre-blog period of my life, or perhaps I was just too preoccupied at the time to stop. But I distinctly recalled seeing the small brick structure years ago, and simply driving on.

One thing about the Brick School, now that I've given it proper attention: as cute as it is, what I like best about it is the rustic-looking sign out front and this very small wooden bench. I guess after seeing dozens of schoolhouses, many of which look very much alike, you start to appreciate the little things...

Coventry Regional Farmers' Market

I thought I had written a post about the Coventry Regional Farmers' Market before, but I hadn't. (I was thinking of this post, which doesn't count.)

If you're reading this and you live in Connecticut, you've probably been to the state's largest farmers' market; if you haven't, you need to put it on your list. If you're reading this and you don't live in Connecticut, this is as good a reason as any to visit.

If there are any magic words I can use to persuade you to go, perhaps they are "food trucks," "live music," or "gorgeous, fresh, locally-grown produce." Or "kettle corn," "Farmer's Cow," or "ALL THE CHEESE."

Or maybe you just need to look at the pictures...

Coventry Grange #75

While researching this grange hall, I discovered that the Connecticut State Grange website has a page called "About the State of Connecticut." I may have been was excessively tired when I read it, but I thought some of it was almost poetic:

...the eastern highland and the western highland...separated by the Connecticut Valley lowland...

...the Connecticut River veers off to the southeast...

...textiles, silverware, sewing machines, and clocks and watches...dairy products, eggs, vegetables, tobacco, mushrooms, and apples... oysters, lobsters...stone, sand, and gravel...

...azure blue silk, with the armorial bearings in argent white silk with the design in natural colors and bordure of the shield embroidered in gold and silver...a white streamer, cleft at each end, bordered in gold and browns... 

Yes? No? I don't know. 

Anyway, about the grange hall. Built in 1834, it was a church and a school until the local grange began using it in 1889. It has the distinction of being the oldest continually used grange hall in Connecticut. Other than that, there's not much to say about it. Except that it, too, begins to seem rather poetic if you're very tired and you stare at it long enough.

Notes on the State of Connecticut

Before I started this blog, I spent a few hours contemplating what to call it. One of my favorites was Nutmeg Poisoning, which I now use for my occasional Friday round-up posts. Another was Notes on the State of Connecticut. But I didn't think that would work as well in reality as it did in my own head. For one thing, it would look like I was trying to compare myself to Thomas Jefferson, but other than an obsession with the Lewis and Clark expedition and a remarkable capacity for self-delusion, he and I are really not alike at all.

So, what do Thomas Jefferson and his Notes on the State of Virginia have to do with the old Free Public Library building in Somers? 

Not much, honestly.

But one of my favorite facts about Somers is that a guy there - not just any guy, but the founder of Friendly's - is building a house with an exterior that's an exact replica of Monticello. Really. You can drive right past it. It looks like this. It's just south of the Massachusetts line, and it's hilarious.

Another amusing and odd bit of Somers trivia is that Little Sorrel, favorite horse of Confederate General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson, was born here. This fact is considered important enough for the town to include it on their blue sign. Jackson himself was born in...yes, Virginia.

The Library building is now a museum run by the Somers Historical Society. I'll defer to Steve of Connecticut Museum Quest for the history of the building and what's in it, because a) he's funnier than I am, and b) I've never been in it. I just like to randomly drive past it sometimes. (Northern Hartford County is the best for that.)

And since this post is just one random tangent after another anyway, I will add a PSA that Somers, CT, is not the same as Somers, NY. I recently confused the two, having forgotten that New York had a Somers. An excusable mistake, if I hadn't been there and written a blog post about it.

Daniel Glazier Tavern

The Daniel Glazier Tavern, on Willington's town green, was built around 1815.

The Willington Historical Society owns it now.

They have been in the process of restoring it for years, but for the moment it still has a pleasingly ramshackle quality.

On their website, the Willington Historical Society has a list of "tavern keepers of record." They are: Isaac Glazier, Arial Eldridge, Alden Skinner, and Fielder Heath. (Fielder Heath!)

I want to say I like history because the past is a foreign country, and because those who do not know it are doomed to repeat it, and all those deep thoughts from all those deep quotes.

But perhaps it's just because windows look better with one shutter than two, and I like to imagine a time when people were named Fielder Heath.

Gurleyville Grist Mill

Last Sunday was Mother's Day, when you're supposed to take your mom to brunch or do something involving perfume and flowers. (Honestly I'm not really sure what you're supposed to do. I come from a fake-holiday-shunning family. I've gotten into fights with men who insist I must really, secretly, want heart balloons and teddy bears and boxed chocolates on Valentine's Day. No, I don't.)

So of course, on Mother's Day, I dragged my mom all around eastern Connecticut, making her look at various things like the Gurleyville Gristmill.

The mill, in the Gurleyville Historic District in Mansfield, stands beside the Fenton River. The first mill on this site was a sawmill, built in 1723. A gristmill was added later, sometime around 1750. (Unusually, the mills were set up so that one person, walking back and forth, could operate both at once.) The current gristmill was constructed to replace the first in the 1830's. It operated until 1941 and is now maintained by the Joshua’s Tract Conservation and Historic Trust.

The Gurleyville mill is Connecticut's last remaining stone gristmill. Inside, the original 19th century milling equipment is preserved.

Fun fact: the family of Wilbur Cross ran the mill for years; the former governor of Connecticut was born in the miller's house across the street in 1862.

Sunday was a perfect weather day, sunny and almost hot. Along the banks of the river and around the mill, little purple flowers were growing. So though there was no perfume or brunch, there was at least one aspect of a traditional Mother's Day outing I got right.

Wright's Orchard

Every so often I find a place that I feel compelled to advise everyone in Connecticut to go to right away. Union's Mountain Laurel Sanctuary is one of those spots, as is the Kinne Cemetery in Griswold. Here's another, and it's especially good if you want apples or gourds or dried flowers: Wright's Orchard in Tolland.

It's located in a rural/residential area near the Willington line, and it's not one of those farms where the apple picking is a Scene and everyone's judging your boots. There's a pretty pick-your-own orchard and a sweet-smelling farm stand, but the best part of Wright's is the weathered old barn where dried flowers hang from the ceiling in bunches. This is really a cooler experience than it might seem, and if you want to see it this year you should go now; the dried flower barn closes for the season at the end of December.

Red, White, and Tolland

I don't know what people outside of New England imagine when they think of a small New England town. But I think it might be Tolland on a Saturday morning. A field of miniature American flags planted in the grass in front of a white church. A long town green on which people have parked pickup trucks and begun unloading tents for a farmers market in the early chill. A little arts center building with a sign outside explaining when to drop off your pumpkins. Numbered state routes that criss-cross confusingly through the center of town and then continue into the quiet morning until they reach the next town, where they will probably criss-cross again.

Imaginary New England probably also contains something like this: The Homestead, a country/antiquey kind of store located in a 19th century General Store building. It was one of the first things I noticed the first time I passed through Tolland a few years ago. It's currently for sale, which makes me a little sad even though it was never a part of my life. It's just that the "For Sale" sign represents the potential for another bit of Connecticut history getting lost.

Locally, this place is known as the Red and White, after a store that used to occupy the space. Which is sort of funny because where I grew up, Red and White was a formal dance. It was one of two girl-ask-boy dances, the other being Counties, short for County Assemblies. I just looked that up - in my day we called it "Counties" and did not question why. We did question why it had "county" in its name but only involved students from Westport, Weston, Wilton, and Fairfield. Wasn't Bridgeport in our county too? That, unfortunately, is also probably what people think of when envisioning small New England towns...

Gather Ye Schoolhouses

When I started this blog I'd never noticed an old Connecticut schoolhouse, aside from this one and this one. The first one that really caught my attention was the one in Beacon Falls, shown here, which I included in this article. And now, as I've mentioned here before, the schoolhouses just keep accumulating. (I think this makes schoolhouse post number 28, and schoolhouse number...I don't even want to count.) Here are a few that I've been saving up, from all around the state.

(From top: Southington; North Branford; Prospect; Branford; Union; Union)