HISTORIC, CULTURAL & NATURAL RESOURCE SITES LOCATED ALONG THE WNEG/WESTERN NEW ENGLAND GREENWAY
Cultural Center–Literary & Performing Arts sites
Connections to the Land–Scenic & Natural Resource sites
Cradle of Industry sites
The Pursuit of Freedom and Liberty sites
Section 1 map – Norwalk to West Cornwall, CT
Mohawk State Forest Cornwall – The rugged hills of this wildlife sanctuary provide panoramic vistas. A black spruce bog offers a unique plant community.
Eric Sloane Museum Kent — Eric Sloane Museum & Kent Iron Furnace – Sloane was an artist, author and illustrator of many books. His collection of hand tools and art, tells the story of bygone times and the American heritage of craftsmanship. National Register of Historic Places
Connecticut Antique Machinery Assoc. Kent Connecticut — A living museum campus dedicated to the preservation & restoration of antique machinery from our rich industrial and agricultural past that made the U.S. great. Spring & autumn events showcase the collection of steam and combustion engines and tractors.
Kent Falls State Park — One of the most visually stunning and dramatic places in Conn., featuring a series of cascading waterfalls over 250 ft long. A stair path along the falls offers views of the falls from top to bottom. ”
Macedonia Brook State Park Kent — Hike the trails in the park for outstanding views of the Catskill and Taconic mountains.
Bull’s Bridge Scenic Area, Trail & Covered Bridge — Bull’s Covered Bridge River Walk – On a scenic part of the Appalachian Trail, hikers can enjoy the covered bridge scenic trail loop, featuring views of waterfalls and gorges down below on the Housatonic River.
Housatonic Meadows State Park Sharon CT, Located on the Housatonic River, this park offers camping, canoeing/kayaking, hiking and is known for great fly fishing.
Henderson Cultural Center at Hunt Hill Farm New Milford — Henderson Cultural Center at Hunt Hill Farm – Includes The Skitch Henderson Museum, dedicated to the collections of this beloved maestro. Also includes 10 historic buildings associated with this classic New England farm.”
SOUTHERN BORDER OF THE UPPER HOUSATONIC VALLEY NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA
Danbury Railway Museum Danbury — Built in 1903, this railway station, rail yard, engine house, and turntable has been turned into a museum. Offers tours, train rides, and a collection of original and restored rolling train stock. National Register of Historic Places
Military Museum of Southern New England Danbury — The Military Museum of Southern New England – Dedicated to the preservation of U.S. military history, intending to maintain the memory of tank destroyer units of WWII. 10,000 artifacts
include a cross-section of our military history plus many rare vehicles.
Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum Norwalk — One of the earliest and most significant Second Empire Style country houses. Built in 1864 by railroad baron LeGrand Lockwood, the mansion, with its Gilded Age interior and furniture, illustrates the beauty of the Victorian Era. National Historic Landmark
The Center for Contemporary Printmaking Norwalk — Dedicated to the art of print and papermaking, book arts, digital processes, and related disciplines. The entire spectrum of printmaking arts can be explored through workshops, edition printing with master printers and exhibitions.
The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk Norwalk — Offers a learning experience about the region’s industrial past and human uses of Long Island Sound for recreation and commerce. Features more than 1,200 marine animals of 259 species.
SONO Switch Tower Museum Norwalk — Fully restored 1896 Switch Tower. Railroads used “”towers”” to house the mechanism of switching trains from one track to another, where operators would actually switch the tracks by throwing the levers located in the tower.
Mill Hill Historic Park Norwalk — Includes three historical buildings from 1740 – 1835 and a cemetery. Through the efforts of the Norwalk Historical Society, they have been preserved and established in one location as a monument to early Norwalk.
Section 2 map – West Cornwall, CT to Pittsfield, MA
Crane Museum of Papermaking, Dalton — Explore the history of the oldest papermaking company in the U.S., from Revolutionary times, with special emphasis on the durable, distinctive papers made for U.S. currency, bonds, stock certificates and elegant stationery dating back to 1770. National Register of Historic Places
Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield — Built in 1903, this classic gilded age architecture offers year round entertainment. Designed by a noted firm of theater architects, the theatre was in a class above most playhouses of the day. One of hundreds of theaters designed by this firm, The Colonial is one of only a handful still standing. National Register of Historic Places
Samuel Harrison House, Pittsfield Rev. Samuel Harrison Homestead – Working passionately for black equality, Harrison fought for and won, in 1864, equal pay for 180,000 African Americans serving in the Union Army during the Civil War. He also served as chaplain of the famed Massachusetts 54th Regiment, the first all black infantry to fight in the war.
Arrowhead, Home of Herman Melville, Pittsfield — The home of author Herman Melville during his most productive years from 1850Ð1863. He wrote his major works here: Moby-Dick, Pierre and The Confidence-Man. The Berkshire Historical Society preserves and interprets Arrowhead and offers tours. National Historic Landmark and National Register of Historic Places
Mass Audubon’s Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, Pittsfield Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary – A 253-acre sanctuary with gentle, flat trails winding through scenic woods, fields, and along the edge of the Housatonic River.
Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum, Lenoxdale — Historic railway station that shares the heritage of railroading in the Berkshires, and exhibits show how the railroad helped build the economy of the Berkshires, and the magnificent Gilded Age that shaped the Bershire Cottage estates. National Register of Historic Places
Ventfort Hall, Gilded Age Museum, Lenox — Ventfort Hall, A Gilded Age Museum – A Jacobean Revival mansion that typifies the Gilded Age and was built by George and Sarah Morgan. Drawn to the area by famous artists and writers who had settled here and for the beautiful countryside, prominent financiers and titans of industry constructed 75 luxurious and imposing “”summer cottage”” homes in the Berkshires.
Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio, Lenox — Abstract artists since the 1930s, George Morris and Suzy Frelinghuysen were at the leading edge of the art scene. Visitors tour their House with all of its original furnishings and view not only their works on the walls, but also the works of Picasso, Braque, Leger and Gris.
The Mount: Edith Wharton’s Home, Lenox –The Mount: Edith Wharton’s Home – Author of The Age of Innocence, Ethan Frome, and The House of Mirth, Wharton wrote over 40 books in 40 years. She was the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1921.
Tanglewood/Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer home, Lenox — The summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The symphony performs in the open “Shed” and a variety of other ensembles can be heard in the Seiji Ozawa Hall. Each season offers a vast quantity of concerts, and a range of musical forms and styles.
Naumkeag House & Gardens, Stockbridge –A classic summer country cottage estate of the Gilded Age, with its splendid gardens and panoramic views, is an architectural masterpiece designed by McKim, Mead, & White and the famous gardens were created by landscape architect Fletcher Steele. National Historic Landmark
Mission House Museum, Stockbridge — This 1742 Colonial-era house and museum tells the story of the Stockbridge Mohicans and missionary John Sergeant. National Historic Landmark
Berkshire Botanical Garden Stockbridge –Berkshire Botanical Garden – One of the oldest existing public gardens in the U.S., since 1934.”
Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge –Norman Rockwell Museum – Houses the world’s largest collection of original Rockwell art, including paintings from The Saturday Evening Post and the best in the field of American illustration.
Chesterwood, Stockbridge — Summer estate, gardens and studio of sculptor Daniel Chester French, where he worked on over 200 public and private commissions. Studio contains sculptural studies for a number of his works, such as, The Minute Man, Old North Bridge, Concord, Mass., and the Abraham Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. National Register of Historic Places
Housatonic River Walk, Gt. Barrington — A greenway trail along the Housatonic River, where volunteers have worked to reclaim the beauty of a “working river” abused by years of industrial waste and neglect. Berkshires National Recreation Trail
W.E.B. DuBois Boyhood Homesite, Gt. Barrington — A memorial park dedicated to DuBois, a major civil rights activist, author and co-founder of the NAACP. DuBois was the leader of a group of activists fighting for full civil rights for African Americans. The U.S. Civil Rights Act was enacted a year after his death. National Historic Landmark
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Gt. Barrington — Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center – Opened in 1905 and is one of the oldest surviving theaters in the country. Celebrated for its splendid acoustics, it is now a unique year-round performing arts center. National Register of Historic Places
Mass Audubon’s Lime Kiln Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, Sheffield –This key tract of land includes walking trails, rolling hayfields, a 40-foot-tall lime kiln and magnificent views of Mount Everett.
Col. John Ashley House, Ashley Falls — Col. John Ashley House – Col. Ashley headed a committee that wrote the Sheffield Resolves in 1773, a petition against British tyranny and manifesto for individual rights. Inspired by this, Mum Bett, a slave in the Ashley House, helped end slavery in Massachusetts by successfully suing Ashley and won her freedom in 1781. National Register of Historic Places
Bartholomew’s Cobble Ashley Falls — Bartholomew’s Cobble – A rare, geologic phenomenon, this landscape boasts one of the greatest diversities of fern species. Hurlburt’s Hill rises to an upland field that offers gorgeous panoramic views up the Housatonic River Valley. National Natural Landmark
Music Mountain Falls Village — Founded in 1930, this is the home of the oldest continuing summer chamber music festival in the U.S. Each season offers a series of chamber music concerts, jazz concerts, and baroque music. National Register of Historic Places
Section 3 map – Adams , MA to Granville, VT
Southern Vermont Arts Center,, Manchester — On a 100-acre beautiful estate, the museum’s collection includes nearly 800 pieces of 19th and 20th century works, including the world’s largest collection of works by Luigi Lucioni. National Register of Historic Places
American Museum of Fly Fishing, Manchester — The worlds largest collection of angling-related items (rods, reels, flies, tackle, art, and books) and exhibits document the evolution of fly fishing as a sport, art form, craft, and industry, dating back to the 16th century.
Hildene – The Lincoln Family Home, Arlington — A 1905 Georgian Revival mansion built as a summer home by Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln. Robert was chairman of the Pullman Company, the largest manufacturing corporation at the turn of the 20th century.
Norman Rockwell Exhibition, Shaftsbury — Focuses on Rockwell’s years living in VT from 1939-1953, where he created many of his most famous works. His art is recognized worldwide and his works are located in private homes, corporate offices and at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass.
Park-McCullough House Museum, No. Bennington — One of the finest and best preserved Victorian Mansions in New England. Built in 1864, an important example of a country house in the Second Empire Style. Includes a carriage barn with a collection of horse-drawn carriages and sleighs and extensive gardens.
Robert Frost Stone House Museum, So. Shaftsbury — Honoring America’s favorite poet, this 1769 built house is a rare example of colonial architecture made of native stone and timber. Living here from 1920 to 1929, Frost composed many of the pieces that became part of his first Pulitzer Prize winning volume.
Bennington Battle Monument, Bennington — Commemorates the Battle of Bennington, a battle that lead to the turning point in the Revolutionary War. Ride an elevator to the top of the monument for panoramic views of the valleys and rolling hills of Vermont, Mass. and NY.
Bennington Center for the Arts & Covered Bridge Museum, Bennington — A full-spectrum art center containing paintings and bronzes of and by Native Americans, a large collection of Navajo rugs, pots, kachinas and jewelry.
Bennington Museum, Williamstown — Founded as the Bennington Historical Association in 1852 to celebrate Bennington’s Colonial past and to commemorate the historic Revolutionary War Battle of Bennington in 1777. Preserves and interprets the rich heritage of southern Vermont.
Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown — World renowned art museum with an extraordinary collection of Impressionist and Old Master paintings, silver, sculpture, porcelain, drawings, and prints.
Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown — An active collecting museum of works of art ranging from ancient Egyptian, Greco-Roman objects, Indian painting, African sculpture, photography, art of the U.S., and international art. One of the finest college art museums in the U.S. and is known for its stellar collection of American art.
Mass MoCA, North Adams — Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA) – Located in an 1860 factory building complex, is one of the largest centers for contemporary visual and performing arts. Exhibits work by many of today’s best large-scale artists, complex installations of “”new art”” that are impossible to display in conventional museums. National Register of Historic Places.
Western Gateway Heritage State Park & Museum, North Adams — Western Gateway Heritage State Park & Museum – Located in a former railroad yard, artifacts and exhibits bring to life the construction of the Hoosac Tunnel, one of the greatest engineering feats of the 19th century. The still-in-use tunnel was dug 4.75 miles through Hoosac Mt., linking Massachusetts to Albany, NY. National Register of Historic Places
Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum, Adams –The 1820 birthplace of suffragette Susan B. Anthony is a historic museum showcasing her early years. National Register of Historic Places
NORTHERN BORDER OF THE UPPER HOUSATONIC VALLEY NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA
Section 4 map -Granville to Vergennes, VT
Lake St. Catherine State Park, Poultney — Offers camping, picnic area, swimming, and boat rentals.
Bomoseen State Park Castleton — Bomoseen State Park – This 3,576-acre park offers camping, boating, fishing, picnic area and swimming
Section 5 map – Vergennes to Alburg, VT
D.A.R. State Park, Addison — With its picturesque setting on the shores of Lake Champlain, an ideal setting for picnics or camping.
Chimney Point State Historic Site, Addison — The French built a fort here to prevent the British advance up the Lake Champlain valley. Exhibits/events present the story of the early cultures – Native American, French Colonial and early American.
Knight Point State Park, North Hero — Day use only park. Swimming, paddling & picnics.
Grande Isle State Park, Grande Isle — The most-visited campground in the state park system, with 4,150 feet of Lake Champlain shoreline for swimming and picnics.
Hyde Log Cabin State Historic Site, Grande Isle — Allegedly the oldest authentic log cabin in the U.S., built in 1783. It houses period furnishings and historical items.
Sand Bar State Park, Milton — Day use only for swimming, canoe rentals, and picnics. Includes the 1,000 acre Sand Bar Wildlife Refuge, a seasonal stopover for a great variety of migratory waterfowl and birds.
Niquette Bay State Park, Colchester –Day use only. Cliffs form the headwall of two ridges that cut through the park. Hiking trails access high points along these ridges, with impressive vistas.
Robert Hull Fleming Museum @ UnivVT Burlington — Robert Hull Fleming Museum at Univ.of VT – Vermont’s most comprehensive collection of art and anthropological artifacts, with exhibits of contemporary and historic art from around the world.
ECHO Lake Aquarium & Science Ctr. Burlington — ECHO Lake Aquarium & Science Ctr. – Interactive exhibits and science education programs that include over 70 species of fish, amphibians, invertebrates, and reptiles.
Shelburne Farms Shelburne — A 1,400 acre historic farm, National Historic Landmark and unique campus that teaches conservation, sustainable agriculture and forestry ethics. On the shores of Lake Champlain, this grand “”model”” agricultural estate was created in 1886 by a Vanderbilt descendent, with the landscapes created by Frederick Law Olmsted.
Shelburne Museum Shelburne — Renowned for its extensive, grand collections of American folk art, quilts, elegant 1800’s horse drawn carriages, sleighs & stagecoaches, French Impressionist paintings by Monet, Manet, Degas,and Cassatt, and works by Hudson River School landscapes artists Cole, Kensett, Bierstadt, and Copley.
Mt. Philo State Park, Charlotte — A 168-acre park located atop Mt. Philo. The mountaintop picnic area offers spectacular views of the the Lake Champlain Valley and Adirondack mountains. Hiking trails lead from the base to the summit.
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes — Specializes in underwater archaeology, studying the largest U.S. collection of wooden shipwrecks and recovered artifacts in Lake Champlain. Preserves and exhibits the artifacts and shares the story of the maritime history of the Lake Champlain region. 18 exhibit buildings, a boat shop and small shipyard.
Rokeby Museum, Ferrisburgh — A National Historic Landmark dedicated to telling the story of the Underground Railroad in this region. Tour the house, fully furnished with family treasures and eight historic farm buildings.
Kingsland Bay State Park, Ferrisburgh — On the picturesque shores of Lake Champlain. Picnicing or rent a canoe. A State Natural Area. The historic 1790 Hawley House was built with stones from the ruins of Fort Ticonderoga.
Button Bay State Park, Ferrisburgh — A 253-acre park located on a bluff along Lake Champlain. Camping, picnics, boating
Section 6 map – No. Hero, VT to Montreal, Canada
Alburg Dunes State Park, Alburg — Day use only. This beach is amongst the longest beaches on Lake Champlain.
Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area WNEG collaborator
Lake Champlain National Heritage Partnership WNEG collaborator