Avon Historical Society Presents “The Farmington Canal through historic Avon”

The Avon Historical Society will explore traveling the Farmington Canal with a talk entitled, “The Farmington Canal in the Farmington Valley,” by Carl Walter, local leading expert on the 87-mile hand dug Canal, to coincide with an exhibit about the waterway in the front exhibit case of the Marian Hunter History Room of the Avon Free Public Library, 281 Country Club Road, Avon, CT 06001. The event will take place on Saturday, March 16 at 2:00pm in the Community Room of the Library.  Mr. Walter will share some background about the canal and why it was built and then focus on various canal sites between northern Farmington and West Suffield.  He will describe topographical problems that were encountered during the building of the canal together with the engineering solutions that allowed the canal’s completion.   The public is invited to attend and stay to view two companion exhibits an Open House at the History, with refreshments, from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

The Farmington Canal was a hand dug canal with horse drawn canal boats that ran from New Haven, CT to Northampton, MA from 1829 – 1847.  In Avon Center it ran north and south behind houses on the east side of Old Farms Road, crossing the Albany Turnpike (currently Route 44/East Main Street) where daCapo’s Restaurant stands, through the grounds of the Avon Post Office and from there ran approximately along Route 10 and at times where the Rails-to-Trail is now.  There was a large canal warehouse in Avon Center as well as other buildings that served this important transportation route.  Avon Center was busy with a church, post office, businesses, school, etc.  Some of these buildings still exist today extending north/south/east/west at the intersection of Route 10 (Simsbury Road) and Route 44 (East and West Main Street).

Last summer, to commemorate the crossing in Avon, the Avon Historical Society placed two identical bronze plaques on red sandstone markers- one at the entrance to daCapo’s Restaurant on the south side of Route 44 and one at the former Living Museum on the north side.  The sandstone markers are the same material used in the Canal and many of the 19^th century buildings in the area, including the old Climax Fuse Factory buildings which are today’s Avon Town Hall complex.  The plaques on the sandstone markers read:  In 1829 the Farmington Canal opened in Avon and operated until 1847.  The markers, here and across the street, show where it crossed the Albany Turnpike, now Route 44. They are made of the same sandstone used in the Farmington Canal construction.  These markers were made possible by People’s United Bank, Old Avon Village and Mystic River Foundry, LLC.

“The Scenes of the Farmington Canal” exhibit in the glass display case at the History Room will feature drawings, photographs and illustrations to give an overview of the Canal.  The adjoining display area exhibit ‘Words Tell Story of the Canal’ will show how the Canal impacted Avon.  There will also be posters, maps, and a 3D visual display that together will bring the Canal history to life once again.

The Open House on will be a time for visitors to chat with History Room volunteers and Society Board members about the features of the room including files on local landmarks, houses, businesses and genealogical books on various local families.  Some items from the archive vault will be on display also. 

The March 16 event is open to the public.  Please RSVP to: 860-678-7621 or e-mail the Society at: ahs.mail.1830@sbcglobal.net  

###

 AVON HISTORICAL SOCIETY MISSION: to identify, collect, utilize, publish, display, promote and preserve the history and heritage of Avon. (approved by the AHS Board, Jan. 10, 2001)