A hidden gem in Connecticut! For $10 a person (adults) you…read moreget a 30-45 min tour of this historic landmark. A tour guide will take you down into the caves/mine. The site itself is free, it's just the tour that isn't. There are several little activities to do, explore the ruins, learn who was at the prison and why. It is amazing! Note: the caves/mine is not accessible (for obvious reasons.... It's a literal underground mine) there are stairs, it is cold and wet, and a 23 degree slope. There are handrails to help with balance. If you're planning on going into the mines make sure you wear closed toed shoes with a good tread.

A great time. This came up on my Facebook feed as a fun and interesting thing to do this summer…read more So I made the 2-hour trek before it got too hot and busy. And had a great time. It's an interesting place and fun to explore the mine. If you're 6 feet or taller, doing the mine is going to be difficult, one of the few times us shorties have an advantage. While it probably wasn't worth the 2-hour drive, it still was a fun time, and not something I regret doing.

My eye and my Yelping seem to be drawn to Civil War monuments as I travel my way through New…read moreEngland. This one in the Granby Town Green is interesting for its brownstone and the fact that it was installed in 1868 which was even before the park where it stands. I noticed that the figure at the top not only is wearing his cloak over his shoulder (it's usually been in front), he stands with one knee slightly bent and looking slightly down and perhaps, contemplative. It's very expressive. The statue's base is in two pieces with the lower listing the battle names and pointing out, "This monument is erected by voluntary contributions, in commemoration of the brave men from the Town of Granby, who laid down their lives for the Union in the War of the Great Rebellion. Erected July 4, 1868." Above, the upper piece lists the battles and names arranged by unit showing date of death. Along the lowest level, "They that sow in tears will reap in joy. Death is swallowed up in victory. Faithful unto death." [Review 18409 overall - 75 in Connecticut - 1931 of 2022.]

Quite the impressive monument!…read more It's located on the Granby Town Green at the intersection of Salmon Brook Street (U.S. 202) and East Granby Street (State Route 20). The monument consists of a full body statue of an old grizzled Civil War soldier standing atop a large four-sided stone base. There are inscriptions on the upper and lower halves of all four sides. Some of the things you will see are soldiers' names and their dates of death, the names of horrendous battles (Andersonville, Cold Harbor, Sharpsburg, Petersburg), and some awesome quotations - "Death is swallowed up in Victory", "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy", and "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more". The statue has quite a history -it was dedicated on July 4, 1868 with the following inscription: "This monument is erected by voluntary contributions, in commemoration of the brave men from the Town of Granby, who laid down their lives for the Union in the War of the Great Rebellion". It was restored and rededicated in 2002. One of the restoration steps included rebuilding the soldier's musket, which had deteriorated and disintegrated away over the previous 136 years. I'm sure the old gent was grateful for that. It's a beautiful monument. Check out the expression on the guy's face. A very sad and weary look..............

The more I look around the Farmington Valley, the more semi-hidden and overlooked evidence I…read morestumble upon that shows how old this area is, and how it was chest deep in the Revolutionary War. Memorials are everywhere signifying events in colonial America. I've lived in Simsbury since 1987, and have visited the Simsbury Post Office at 932 Hopmeadow Street conservatively 200 times. I never noticed this plaque until today, and I only saw it because my car battery was dead and I was standing outside waiting for the AAA truck. At the front of the Post Office, in a strip of grass near the drive-up mail boxes, is a stone monument with an old weathered plaque. The inscription reads: Entrance to Pent Road 1668-1787 THIS ROAD LEADING TO THE RIVER CROSSING WAS A DIRECT ROUTE TO WINDSOR IT WAS USED BY THE MILITIA ON THEIR WAY TO BOSTON IN MAY 1775 PLACED BY ABIGAIL PHELPS CHAPTER D.A.R. 1935 So in other words, Colonial American soldiers walked here about 238 years ago. The shootings at Lexington and Concord happened in April 1775 a month earlier than the date on the plaque. Who knows what fate awaited these men. Did they fight the Redcoats in New York? Or New Jersey? Or Quebec? Did they end up living through the brutal winter at Valley Forge? Did they fight in North Carolina or South Carolina? Were they at the decisive Battle of Yorktown? If they did, their rendezvous with destiny and history may have had a stop in Simsbury........

A very small memorial located in a pretty landscaped section of the side lawn where the Tariffville…read moreFire Station stands. The memorial consists of a stone rectangle with 2 small plaques. The first plaque reads: Arthur J; Hayes Green, Dedicated May 23, 1953 The second plaque reads: In memory of veterans of all wars I did some research and found that Arthur J. Hayes was the Church Historian for the St. Bernard's Catholic Church. The plaques are showing signs of rust and fading.

This historical marker is located in front of the Simsbury Town Hall and Police Department…read morebuilding. In the green space, adjacent to the parking lot, there is a bench and a clock. The road this property is located on is called, Hopmeadow Road; it's the main road in Simsbury with tons of restaurants and shops. This historical marker gives a brief history of the land the building is currently on. It used to be called Massaco Plantation and established in 1642. Many products were manufactured there such as tar, pitch, turpentine, and steel. Other production included, copper mining and smelting, copper coinage, safety fuse, & silver plating of spoons and forks. In 1647, it was destroyed by Native Americans and again in 1676. This marker is navy blue and in good shape. I like these markers because it is informational and I love reading the history of the area.

Located on the front lawn at Town Hall. This 2-sided marker (same text on both sides) gives a…read morebrief history of the Town of Simsbury. The text reads: Simsbury (Massaco Plantation) Manufactory for tar, pitch and turpentine established here in 1642. Destroyed by fire of Indian origin in 1647. Local tribal lands were deeded in reparation. Named Simsbury in 1670 and granted town privileges by the General Court of the Colonie of Connecticut. Burned by hostile Indians March 26, 1676. Reconstruction commenced in the Spring of 1677. Here Began Copper Mining and Smelting 1705 Manufacture of Steel 1727 Copper Coinage 1737 Safety Fuse 1836 Silver Plating of spoons and forks 1845 Connecticut Historical Commission 1970 The marker is very visible from Hopmeadow Street (the main drag in town) and sits in a prominent position in a nice landscaped area in front of Town Hall. The blue paint and white lettering are in pretty good condition.

This is a two-sided historical marker on Route 10 North, on the property of the Salmon Brook…read moreHistorical Society. It was erected by the Town of Granby, the Salmon Brook Historical Society, and the Connecticut Historical Commission in 1980. The marker gives an overview of Granby's history in a very wide ranging narrative stretching from colonial times through the Viet Nam war. It has so much content on it, that it is engraved on both sides. It reads: "Side One Settled as the Salmon Brook section of Simsbury early in the 18th century, and established as a separate ecclesiastical society in 1736, Granby became a separate town in 1786. From the beginning, farming was the main endeavor of the populace: first subsistence farming, then raising fruits of the orchard, tobacco growing, and diary farming until agriculture waned in the 1950's. Industry, producing shoes, horse-drawn carriages, wool cards, and forest products, developed along streams where water tumbled over the rock ledges common to Granby terrain. On July 4, 1825, in Granby at the Connecticut-Massachusetts border, Connecticut's Governor Wolcott commenced construction of the Farmington Canal (1825-1849) by turning the first spadeful of earth. Settled by emigrants from Windsor, Granby, like Simsbury, was the 18th century frontier for the mother town against Indians and the French allies. Side Two One early citizen, Daniel Hayes, was kidnapped by local Indians and taken to Canada, whence he escaped to return home to live nearly a half century longer. Granby sons and daughters in the 20th century have gone on to become prominent attorneys, president of a major life insurance company, Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court and Librarian of the State of Connecticut. Ours sons have fought and some of them have died in each of the country's wars from the Indian conflicts of the 17th and 18th centuries to Vietnam. In the Civil War, volunteers from Granby included free blacks fighting for the freedom of their southern brothers. Many of Granby's young men were among those in the Connecticut 16th Militia Regiment who suffered and died in the infamous Confederate prison stockade at Andersonville, Georgia. Granby citizens participated in the westward movement of the 19th century, founding the town of Worthington, Ohio, now a suburb of Columbus. The plaque is in great condition, with crisp sharp white lettering on a blue background.

The impressive memorial monument is located at the front entrance of the Main Fire Station in…read moreSimsbury. It has a small hexagonal top connected to a larger hexagonal base via six columns -it has the look of a cupola. Each of the upper panels is inscribed with the name of the six fire stations in Simsbury. There is a bronze fireman's hat on top and a silver fire bell below. The monument honors one firefighter in particular, and all deceased firemen from Simsbury. The monument's bronze plaque reads: "Frank R. Bradley Memorial In April of 1944, seventeen men stepped forward to form what would become the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company. Frank Bradley was one of those original seventeen. In June of that year the Simsbury Fire District was created, followed closely by the creation of the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company with the joint responsibility to provide fire protection for the residents of Simsbury. On July 6th, 1944, Frank Bradley, his wife Helen, and their two young daughters were attending the matinee performance of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus in Hartford, CT. Shortly after the show started, fire erupted across the big top. In a matter of seconds, mass panic erupted as the spectators stormed towards the exits in all directions. Tragically, Frank and Helen Bradley became separated from their two daughters. Neither of the parents would emerge from the big top alive. Frank Bradley, that day, became the first deceased member of the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company. It is in his name that Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company honors all of our deceased members who have served the community with dedications and pride." Many of the bricks surrounding the monument have been inscribed with the names of Simsbury's deceased firefighters. In front of the monument there is a plaque fastened into the bricks. The plaque's contains the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Sept crest and it's inscription reads: In The Line Of Duty Inscribed Here Are The Names Of Those Who Have Died In Serves To Their Community Lt. Richard F. Kelleher November 6, 1981

This historic one room schoolhouse was built in 1872. It's located next door to the North Canton…read moreMethodist Church. It used to be at the fork of the road but was moved to the current location in the 1920s. Since other schools were built, it has not been used as a school since 1942. I love the historic architecture and was able to go inside it recently, at the church tag sale and strawberry festival. It's definitely old and needs work; they are using it as storage. I think it would be awesome if they turned it into a library, shop, etc. Overall, a cute building and worth a visit if you're in the area.