FARMINGTON TRAIL (10K-YR923-1998)

Connecticut Valley Volkssport Club, AVA-784

DIRECTIONS

COMMENTARY

  1. From the front of the Farmington Inn, turn right on Rte. 4, At the first traffic light, turn right on Main St. Walk south on the west side of Main St. for 2 blocks to Mill Lane.
 Across Rte. 4, is the brown Woodford-Newell House (1666) and to the right the large white Farmington Country Club (1901) This is the heart of old Farmington, settled in 1640 and now protected as a historic district. The oldest house is probably #23 Main, on the first block, across the street and set back, built about 1655-60. Many of the old buildings are now part of Miss Porters’s School, a boarding school for girls.
  1. Turn right on Mill Lane, Walk down Mill Lane to the 1st intersection.
 Amistad Site – Your Variety Store – 2 Mill Lane

Between March 18, 1841 and late May, the 35 Mendi men and one boy lived in the rear of the second floor and in the third flor garret.
  1. At the first intersection, corss the road and turn left onto Garden St. (unmarked). Walk south on Garden St.
Canal Site – 128 Garden St.

From 1828-1847, the Farmington Canal ran between Garden St. and the river, on its way from Northampton, MA to New Haven, CT, though the canal ditch is no longer visible. Thebowl shaped area by the parking lot was called Pitkin’s Basin and is where canal boats were docked, loaded and turned.

Amistad Site – Pitkin’s Basin – 128 Garden St.

On a hot August afternoon, Foone and a number of Mendi men went swimming in the basin. Foone drowned.
  1. Walk to the end of the sidewalk and continue on Garden St. to the South Gate of Riverside Cemetery (the 4th entrance – with brownstone pillars). Turn right and enter the cemetery.
 This is the "new" cemetery, opened in the 1830’s. Buried here are Sarah Porter, founder of the school, Lambert Hitchcock, who started the Hitchcock Chair Factory in Riverton, CT, and actor William Gillette, who portrayed Sherlock Holmes and built Gillette’s Castle in Haddam, CT.
  1. Walk to the end of the road and turn left. Follow the cemetery road back out to Garden St. Turn Right onto Garden St.
 Amistad Site – Foone burial site

Walk about ¾ of the way down this road and look for the Freedom Trail marker on your left. Foone’s grave is about 8 ft. in from the road and marked by a limestone gravestone.
  1. Walk to the end of Garden St. and turn right onto Meadow St. (unmarked). Follow the sidewalk and footpath past the brownstone bridge to the new bridge.

    2.  

    (you may want to explore the nature trail by the new bridge).

     

 Amistad Site – Brownstone Bridge

This bridge was constructed of local brownstone in 1833. Austin F. Williams provided the Mendi with a 10-acre parcel of farm land in The Meadows and adjacent to the bridge. This is the bridge the Mendi often used to cross the Pequabuck river to farm The Meadows. Crops grown by the Mendi were used to feed themselves and sold to finance their return to Africa.
  1. Retrace your steps on Meadow St., past Garden St. to Main St. Use the crossqalk light to cross Main Str. And turn left. Walk 2 blocks to Carrington Lane. Turn right onto Carrington Lane.
 Amistad Site – Austin F. Williams & Mendi House.

Austin F. Williams’s house, on Main St., is the 2nd house past Hatters Ln. (white). Look for the Freedom Trail marker. Williams had the house next to his (black) constructed in May 1841 to accommodate the 35 Mendi men and a boy for the remaining six months that they were in Farmington.
  1. Follow Carrington Lane for 1 block and turn left onto Hart St. Walk to the end of Hart St.

    2. CHECKPOINT #1: Note on your Start Card the organization that occupies the white building with bell tower on your right.
 Amistad Site – Union Hall – Corner Hart & Church St.

Union Hall served as a school on the 1st floor and chapel for the First Congregational Church on the 2nd. Mendi attended classes here. Town and church women collected food and repaired donated closthing for the Mendi while they lived in Farmington for 8 months in 1841.
  1. Turn left onto Church St. Follow Church St. 1 block to back to Main St. Turn right on Main St. and walk 1 block to School St.
 Amistad Site – First Church of Christ Congegational

Mendi attended weekly worship services here. Their attendance led to the spread of Christianity in Africa. They acted as teachers and missionaries when they returned home to Africa. On November 17, 1841 the church was filled with hundreds of Mendi supporters on the eve of their final departure from Farmington.
  1. Turn right onto School St and follow it to Mountain Rd.
 The Porter Memorial on the coner of School and Main is a church annex built in 1902 in honor of Miss Sarah Porter.
  1. Turn Right onto Mountain Rd and follow it up the hill 2 blocks to the entrance of the Hill-Stead Museum (35 Mountain Rd.). Cross Mountain Rd. (Beware of traffic!) and walk up the driveay as far as the patio on the left side of the building. Enjoy the view, and then retrace your steps to Mountain Rd.
 The Hill-Stead Museum was built in1901 as the home of wealthy industrialist Alfred and Ada Pope. Their daughter Theodate, one of America’s first female architects and a survivor of the Lusitania sinking, had the house preserved upon her death in 1946, complete with their collections of world art, notably impressionist paintings. Open to the public – check for hours. Restrooms and shop available when open.
  1. Turn right on Mountain Rd & Walk 1 block to High St. Cross High St. to the sidewalk. Turn right onto High St. and folloow it past the Stanley-Whitman Museum to OLD FARMINGTON, Brick walk Lane (just before Rte 4.)
 The Stanley-Whitman Museum, built 1720, is a classic example of post medieval style architecture, with a second-story overhand with pendent ornaments and brackets, and leaded diamon-shaped windows panes. The museum is open to the public – check for hours.
  1. Turn Left onto Brickwalk Lane. Turn right at the Cigar Cellar store & wlak 1 block to Rt. 4. Turn left on Rte 4 & walk 2 blocks (past Main St. & The Farmington Inn) to Garden St. Use the cross walkand light when crossing Main St. This is a busy intersection!
 The shops along Brickwalk Lane are all 18th and 19th century buildings moved here in the 1950’s
  1. Turn left onto Garden St. Go 2 blocks south and turn right onto Mill St. Walk to the terrace at the end of the building. This is:

    2. CHECKPOINT #2: Note on your Start Card the name of the quaint bookstore above the restaurant in the grist mill.
 The dam in the Farmington River and the grist mill have been here since 1650, and were operating until 1963. Calvin Coolidge bought flour from here (a few hours before he died, he wrote a check for $1.39 to the grist mill!). The mill played a cameo role in the 1919 movie "Way Down East", starring Lillian Gish. The rocks were covered with sheets to mimic ice.

(You will find books & tapes on Farmington and the Amistad incident in this book store)
  1. Retrace your steps back to Garden St. Turn right and continue south on Garden St.
  
  1. Continue on Garden St. till nearly at the nd of the sidewalk. Turn right into Riverside Cemetery at the North Gate (across from Maiden Lane). Follow this road past the Farmington River and back to Garden St.
 You’ll pas beside the Farmington River, with the tributary Pequabuck River joining it off to the left.

Amistad Site – The Farmington Canal & the Meadows Across the Farmington river you can see the meadows that the Mendi farmed. The road you are walking on is where the Farmington Canal once passed through town. On November 18, 1841 the Mendi left by canal boat for the last time beginning their journey home.
  1. Turn left on Garden St. Walk 1 block. Cross Garden St. & walk up Maple St. to Main St.
 St. Patrick’s Church, on the corner of Main and Maple was built 1921-22 of field stone taken from local stone walls.
  1. Turn left onto Main St. and walk 5 blocks to Rte 4. Turn left at Rte 4 and walk 1 block to The Farmington Inn. CONGRATULATIONS!
 We hope you enjoyed your visit to Farmington! If you have any comments, please pass them on to us;

Lee & Deb. MacDonald, 41 Roemont Dr. Plainville, CT 06062 (860) 747-0487

Please leave comments in our Guest Book.

Last Updated: 04/23/1999
© Copyright 1999 Bob McDougall