Community Corner

Hidden Gems Of Hartford And Tolland Counties

The latest Hidden Gem is a walk — and a drift — back in time.

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The Bissell compound's historic marker.
The Bissell compound's historic marker. (Tim Jensen/Patch )

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — To get to the latest Hidden Gem, one must head down a hill to a secluded spot along banks of the Connecticut River in South Windsor and then go back in time.

At the end of Ferry Lane — No. 315 for those keeping score at home — sits the oldest house in South Windsor and an old ferry landing.

John Bissell was the town's first settler, and built his original home on the property in 1662. He operated a tavern in the house, and maintained the adjacent ferry, which took folks across and back from South Windsor to Windsor.

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The military took over the building during King Philip’s War in 1667, and the original structure no longer exists.

The house standing on the parcel today was built in 1786, and was also used as a tavern. The town of South Windsor acquired the property, including some abutting farmland, in 1850, and the farm was maintained by impoverished residents.

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The town doubled the size of the building, adding a pair of jail cells in the rear.

According to town property records, the building currently consists of 20 rooms, including eight bedrooms, and encompasses 4,208 square feet.

See more on the property here.

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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 Chris.dehnel@patch.com.

Other Gems in this series:

2022

2021 and earlier:

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