It’s hard to believe it was already a week ago now that we took full advantage of the annual Connecticut Open House Day! But here are the photos to remind and refresh my memory of how cool it really was to get out and visit the major cultural spots in this region!
I’ve lived here for a whole year now and have focussed most of my town visits on wooded trails and sitting out by the river. But when I heard about CT Open House Day, I knew I would finally have a great reason to visit a few places in town that I have been really curious about.
We stARTed out by missing the FREE Goodspeed Opera House tour because my son was napping (lame!), but made our way over to the East Haddam Historical Society. They were founded over 50 years ago and have annual special exhibits on display in the museum. They were having a barbeque and an enormous tag sale, along with the museum being open to the public for FREE! I was actually totally blown away by the place…Massive sculptures, an improbably large train set, really unique chandeliers, a William Gillette display, information on the Moodus Mills, and the list goes on!
High heat of the day chased us back into the car, and it was time to drive to the Nathan Hale School House that is up the hill from the main road in town. What a neat place, also FREE for the day, and apparently that was really bringing people in numbers. The young man who was posted up in there said that normally they’ll get 10 visitors all-day, but since they opened the doors forty-five minutes ago, thirty-five people had come to see what a mid-eighteenth century school house looked like! The most notable of it’s teachers was the patriot Nathan Hale, who upon his hanging as a spy by the British, was quoted as saying, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” I find it amazing to think about what that level of passion, applied to anything in a person’s life could help them to accomplish!
After talking to passers-by and playing on the swings of the nearby church, my son and I took to the car again, this time in the direction of the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry. After a quick stop at our favorite hip-cat spot, The Two Wrasslin’ Cats Cafe and Gallery, we were off for the ferry. I love ferries! And we take this ferry occasionally, but since it was FREE on this day, I could not resist. It always reminds me of home and how the Staten Island Ferry is definitely the best view of the Statue of Liberty, the Harbor, and downtown Manhattan- and it is always FREE! Best deal in town, by far!
From the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry, you have a brief 5 minutes or so to get out, stretch your legs, and see the masterpiece that is Gillette Castle State Park, from the castle itself all the way down the trees to the beach (where I had my wedding ceremony) and ferry-landing below. They were also offering discounted tours of the castle, but we were rushing to the Thankful Arnold House in Haddam before they closed, since we had never been there before.
Thankfully, we made it there before closing! What an oasis on a hot day it was, nicely planted historic herb garden, a house tour, and fresh rhubarb tea with ginger cookies! The mother-daughter guides were so nice and very much in love with the gardens and the house and all of it’s historical significance. It was the home of the Arnold family since the 1790’s all the way through the 1960’s when the last family member who lived in the house passed on. Since then it has become the home of the Haddam Historical Society, and tells the story of a growing middle-class family throughout the late 20th century.
What an extraordinary day we had! The 10th annual Open House Day seemed like such a success to me, as an individual who was able to visit so many historical and important cultural posts in town, but it was clearly a success with others as well. Couples, families, all types were out there showing interest and pARTicipating in this worthwhile tradition. It was so very heARTening to see this community alive with excitement to share their rich history with the public!
Looking forward to next year and learning even more about this real gem of New England! Hope to see even more people out and about too! A heARTfelt hank you to all pARTicipating businesses and establishments!!!
Artlandish Pursuits 