Hidden Gems of Hartford and Tolland Counties

MANCHESTER, CT — This week's journey to a Hidden Gem in Hartford and Tolland counties takes us to a walk back in time to an era when the mills ruled the region.

Welcome to the Cheney Brothers National Historic Landmark district in Manchester

In layman's terms, the easiest way to find the district is to head to the bottom of Main Street and look for the signs. That's just less than a mile down the hill from the Manchester Road Race start/finish line.

Those who want more detail can see maps of the area here, courtesy of the Manchester Historical Society.

The society points out that the Cheney Brothers National Historic Landmark District was established in 1978 through a designation by the U.S. Department of the Interior and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

(Chris Dehnel/Patch)

The district extends about 1.25 miles from east-to-west and just more than a half-mile from north to south and covers about 175 acres, according to the society. It features all existing Cheney Brothers silk mills, the 1785 Cheney family homestead, several 19th and 20th century mansions built for the Cheney family, schools, churches, and halls built by Cheney Brothers for their employees and more than 275 residential structures built for company workers and their families.

One of the most prominent homes is for sale with a price tag of more than $2 million. The historic Philip Cheney estate boasts nine bedrooms, nine fireplaces and measures more than 13,000 square feet. It was built in 1860.

See the listing details below:

____

The Hidden Gems series features out-of-the-way mom and pop restaurants, small specialty stores you may have never heard of, little-known historical markers or beautiful nature spots that may be a bit off the beaten path, all located within Hartford and Tolland counties. Do you have a favorite "hidden gem" in the area that you wish to see featured in this column? Email your ideas to tim.jensen@patch.com.

Other columns in this series:

• Faddy's Donuts and Ice Cream
• Riverfront Miniature Golf & Ice Cream
• The Historic Babcock Tavern
• High Grade Finishing
• Craig's Kitchen
• Sikorsky S-16 Bi-Plane Fighter
• Navy ZNP-K Airship Control Car
• Rosedale Farms & Vineyards
• Nathan Hale Homestead
• Burke Ridge Farms
• Necker's Toyland
• Civil War Monument at Mt. Hope Cemetery
• Gene Pitney Memorial Benches
• Joe McCluskey/Manchester Road Race Statue
• Samuel Field Knight Historic Marker
• Carol's Lunchbox
• Country Casuals
• Dakota Restaurant
• Country Cobbler
• Beau's Burger Shack
• Daniel Glazier Tavern
• Mount Southington Ski School
• Awards & More
• Marquis de Lafayette Monument
• The Little Red Store
• River Bend Bookshop
• Gerry's Donuts
• Traveler Restaurant
• First Decorated Christmas Tree
• The Stanley-Whitman House
• Vernon's Santa House
• Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut
• Old Country Banquet Hall
• Brazilian Gula Grill
• Thomas' Smokey Pit Stop
• Congregational Church of Burlington labyrinth
• Noah Webster House
• The Bushnell's Green Room Wall
• Belding Wildlife Management Area
• The Aborn Castle
• Heublein Tower
• Birthplace of Jonathan Edwards
• Grave of Revolutionary War Soldier Heman Baker
• Jessica's Garden, Lobster and Ice Cream Shack
• Shade Swamp Sanctuary
• Ken's Corner Breakfast & Lunch
• Tolland Red and White
• The Packing House
• Cold Harbor Seafood
• Nye Holman State Forest/Heron Cove Park
• Hosmer Mountain Soda Shack
• Connecticut Trolley Museum
• Matterhorn Mini Golf
• Wood Memorial Library & Museum
• Hastings Farm
• Liquid Nirvana
• Iwo Jima Survivors Memorial Park
• Academy Hall
• Southington Drive-In
• Little Theatre of Manchester at Cheney Hall
• Somersvillage Gifts & Gourmet Baskets
• New England Civil War Museum
• The Pinchot Sycamore
• Stafford Palace Theater
• Mansfield Hollow State Park
• Old Tolland County Jail and Museum
• Hill-Stead Museum
• Mark's Restaurant

To register for free, local breaking news alerts from more than 100 Connecticut communities, click here.