Bishop Farms Apples are the main crop at this farm established by the Bishop family before the Revolutionary War. The working farm also produces fruit wines and has a gift shop, antiques, pick your own fruit, cider press, farm animals, walking trail, Christmas shop and Harvest House with floral arrangements.
Lock 12 Historical Park The park contains a museum, gardens, blacksmith shop and picnic pavilion as well as the only authentically restored operational section of the old Farmington Canal, a major freight and passenger route from New Haven, Connecticut, to Northampton, Massachusetts, from 1828 until 1848.
Old College Highway Also known as the Connecticut Turnpike, the highway was built in 1800 and used as a route between Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, and Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, long before the days of superhighways.
Cheshire Historic District
Self-guided Walking Tour Parking is available on Church Drive, off Route 10, in front of the Congregational Church or behind Town Hall, one block east on Wallingford Road, left on Elm, left into the lot. The walk is a loop which will bring you back to the parking area. The Green is owned by the Congregational Church; the land was donated to the church by the Rev. Samuel Hall after his appointment as the first pastor in 1721.
1. First Congregational
Church Designed by architect David Hoadley, it has had many additions and renovations. The previous church, built in 1737, was at the front of what is now the Green and was surrounded by little Sabbaday houses where people ate dinner between morning and afternoon services.
2. Voight Parsonage The site of Dr. Thomas Cornwall's original house, it later became Dr. Shelton's medical office and tavern, and after that the Munson/Wallace Hotel. The hotel burned down in 1892 and the lot was used by the Connecticut Lighting and Railway Co. for a trolley car barn before the parsonage was erected.
3. Abijah Beach Tavern Nine fireplaces and an indoor well distinguish the tavern where the third floor ballroom was a popular meeting place for a century.
4. Russell Cook House Originally a residence with a small detached store in the rear, the store was converted to a tavern in 1850 by William Horton and later the house to a hotel. By 1900 Miss Chapman's school was in the outbuilding and the house was again a residence.
5. Cornwall House An 18th century house was torn down to make way for the home of Dr. Thomas Cornwall, a doctor known for his treatment of cancer. He added a wing to the house in 1816 as a sanatorium for his patients.
6. Foote House Renovated and used as a bank since 1978, the house was originally built by Rev. John Foot, pastor of the Congregational Church for 40 years. His son Samuel was a U. S. Senator and governor of Connecticut in 1834. Another son, Admiral Foote, lived here. His name (with an "e" added) is in large letters at the base of the Civil War Monument.
7. Squire Beach House Turned sideways in a recent renovation, it was the home of Attorney Samuel Beach, and later his son Burrage, and is now a restaurant.
10. Wallingford Road One of the oldest roads in town, it was a main route of the first settlers. Cross to the town hall.
11. Cheshire Town Hall Note the two sycamore trees in front -they were there before the hall was built- and the granite horse block used for ease in dismounting from one's horse. The hall was the center of social life for many years; the auditorium was used for town meetings, dances, plays and graduations. Cheshire's own vaudeville troupe, the Durands, performed here. The first floor was rented out to local merchants.
12. Hillside Cemetery Enter through the red sandstone arch and read the names inside of Cheshire men who served in the Revolutionary War. The oldest cemetery in town, many gravestones date from the 1700s.
13. Cheshire Watch Factory Explore the inner courtyards at the site where pocket watches were manufactured from 1883 to 1891. The buildings were later used as a dormitory by Cheshire Academy and are now occupied by small retail shops and offices. Cross Academy Street.
14. Cheshire Academy Originally formed as an Episcopal school for boys and girls, the school was later reorganized as Cheshire Academy boys' school and a Civil War military academy. The beautiful campus with woods, pond and playing fields is now a private K-12 coed school./B>
15. Temple Beth David The brick Methodist Church was purchased in 1970 by Temple Beth David along with three houses around the corner on Spring Street. Cross Spring Street, formerly Bunnell Lane, a path through the 400 acre Bunnell Farm which extended all the way west to the ridge.
16. Humiston School Cheshire combined its district schools into one large elementary school built with money donated by Julia Humiston in the name of her father, Daniel Humiston.
17. St. Peter's Episcopal
Church In 1760 Joseph Moss dedicated this land for the first Anglican Church in Cheshire. The first building was too small so a larger church was erected in 1770. After Zachariah Ives became the first resident pastor the church thrived. The 1840 church, designed by Sidney Hook, was built by Nettleton and Perkins at a cost of $4,000.
18. St. Peter's Cemetery Many town founders are buried in the cemetery, established in 1760. Pause here and look across to 84 Main Street.
19. Amos Baldwin House Amos, owner of a store in the Beach Tavern, built this house shortly after his marriage. The next owner, Rev. Asa Cromwell, ran a school in a small outbuilding east of the house. The Beadle-Johnson family has owned it for four generations.
20. Ebenezer Bunnell House One of the oldest houses standing in Cheshire, it has survived many owners and uses including that of a blacksmith shop and a cobbler shop. Ebenezer, his wife Lidia Clark and son Israel lived here and farmed the surrounding land.
21. Seth Johnson House Seth bought two acres from Ebenezer Bunnell, built this house and married Eunice Hitchcock, all in 1771. He later served in the Revolutionary War. Continue west on Main Street, turn left onto Horton Avenue and left onto Spring Street.
22. 45 Spring Street This building was once the old school library. The barn behind 33 Spring Street was the old district school gym. At end of Spring Street turn left onto South Main Street.
23. Rufus Hitchcock Store Built in 1787, this was a grocery store, owned first by the Hitchcocks and then other families, for 188 years. Additions and remodeling hide most of the original building, a bit of which is visible in the rear.
24. Moses Bradley House The original Cape Cod house on the site (which burned) included a silversmith shop and later a shoemaker shop.
25. Hitchcock Phillips House Built by merchant Rufus Hitchcock, it was passed down to his son and then to his granddaughter, Mrs. A. W. Phillips. In 1906 it was purchased by the Cheshire Academy which turned it over to the Cheshire Historical Society in 1972, which now operates it as a museum of Cheshire's historical past.
26. The Whiting House Built by the Rev. Joseph Whiting, first pastor of the "new" Congregational Church. Ownership passed to Arthur Sherriff, Cheshire Academy headmaster, and then to the Congregational Church.
27. Civil War Monument Note the name of Foote (house 6.) at the base of the monument. |