Open House Scheduled at Long-Closed East Granby Historical Landmark

EAST GRANBY, CT — One of Connecticut's oldest tourist attractions which has been closed for the past seven years will open for a day this Saturday, and hopefully more often in the near future.

“Old New-Gate Prison Open House Day” will be held Saturday, Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The historic landmark is located at 106 Newgate Road in East Granby.

State Rep. Tami Zawistowski, who is partnering with state officials and community volunteers to organize the occasion, encourages residents throughout the region to attend the free event.

The treasured tourist attraction has been closed since 2009, and during the last two years sections of the historic site were the focus of painstaking restoration. Work on the guard house – which presented a significant safety issue – is now complete, but the state doesn’t have funding available to staff it. That means New-Gate will remain closed until the necessary resources are available.

“A lot of work has gone into this project, and residents and fans of regional history have been so patient throughout the process,” said Zawistowski, who also serves Suffield and part of Windsor. “This collaboration among state officials, East Granby Historical Society, members of the old Friends of Newgate group, local businesses and a large number of community volunteers has been an exciting undertaking which I hope will lead to New-Gate’s re-opening in the near future.”

The prison, a registered national historic landmark, was the first state detention facility in the United States, as well as America’s first chartered copper mine. Re-opening New-Gate offers potential to create rippling economic effects in the form of more traffic for local businesses.

Zawistowski will be joined at the rain-or-shine event by state Sen. John Kissel. Activities will include tours of the prison yard and Viets Tavern, presentations and displays by the State Historic Preservation Office, the Connecticut Historical Society and others, prison cooking demonstrations, scavenger hunts, video tours of the mine (closed due to hibernating bats), author discussions and historic interpreters. Refreshments will be available.

View the schedule of events here. A recent podcast featuring the prison, including conversation with Zawistowski, is available here.

Photo credit: Tim Jensen