Goodspeed Opera House

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When I first arrived at the boat launch in Haddam for the Eagle Cruise I spotted a gorgeous old building right on the river. I took some pictures from the dock and then returned to the car to drive over to the building.

To get there I just had to take a right out of the boat landing and cross a steel bridge and the building was right there on the right.

I had time so I parked and walked back up to the building.

On the front of the building is 1876. There was a large billboard in the window advertising a show. I wasn’t sure if this was current or just on the building for “show”. The building was certainly in excellent condition and quite impressive. It had to be to catch my eye. I am an architectural idiot. Buildings usually don’t catch my attention like that.

Back on the boat the Captain pointed out the building and told us it was the Goodspeed Opera House but that was about all he said. So it fell to me to do a little digging if I wanted to be able to give you any background.

What I found out is that the Goodspeed Opera house is a historic landmark. It was built in 1876 by William Goodspeed who was a merchant and banker. It’s original use was as a store, office and steamship docking point. Right from the beginning it had a theater on it’s top 2 floors.

The architectural style is listed as Second Empire because of the mansard roof.

The first performance in the Opera House was Oct. 24, 1877. William Goodspeed died in in 1926 and the building was used for various purposes after that including being a World War I militia base, a general store and a storage facility for the Highway department.

The building began to fall into disrepair until a non-,profit organization, Goodspeed Musicals, restored it in 1959. The building was rededicated in 1963 and has continued since then to be a home for musical performances.

I have listed a couple of links that you can check out for more information including a list of performances and ticket prices.

　

　

　

 

http://historicbuildingsct.com/?p=1540

　

 

http://www.goodspeed.org/

Gillette Castle and State Park

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As we cruised south on the Connecticut River our guides pointed out a huge stone building on a bluff overlooking the river. With no trees to block the view it was hard to miss and certainly does look like a Medieval castle.

I had noticed signs on the way to the boat landing referring to Gillette Castle and Gillette Castle State Park but I had never heard of it before so had no idea what it might be.

According to our guides, Gillette Castle State Park is located in Haddam, Ct. The Castle was built by “William Gillette as a private residence. It is said he came to visit and was so taken with the views that he bought 184 acres and built this huge stone house.

William Gillette was an American and made his money as an actor, most notably playing Sherlock Holmes on stage.

Gillette loved showing off his estate and even had a railroad track with a working steam engine so he could show his visitors around the grounds.

　

In 1882 Gillette married Helen Nichols of Detroit. They were blissfully happy. She died in 1888 from peritonitis caused by a ruptured appendix. According to our guides, Helen , on her death bed, begged him not to remarry and he honored that request. He was grief-stricken for years and in the Spring of 1890 was struck down by tuberculosis. By the time of his death he was almost penniless but he still had his home.

When Gillette died , he had no wife or children to inherit, his will precluded possession of the castle by any (and I love this) “blithering sap-head who has no conception of where he is or with what surrounded”.

Connecticut’s government took possession of the property in 1943 and renamed the home Gillette’s Castle and the land around it Gillette State Park.

The Castle is open during the summer and can be toured while the grounds are open all year. Even if the Castle is closed you can stand on the veranda and look out over the Connecticut River, enjoying the same views that so enamored William Gillette.

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Eagles on the Connecticut River

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After going up to the Shepaug Dam to see eagles on the Housatonic I thought it might be nice to try the Connecticut River. This area has been known for having a high concentration of Bald Eagles for a number of years. The Connecticut Audubon Society used to host a festival celebrating the eagles but in the last few years have not been able to get corporate sponsorship thanks to the poor economy.
But eagles don‘t care about the economy. They come to the lower Connecticut River to fish, build nests and mate. The bald eagles of Connecticut are really 2 groups. One is a resident population and the other just passing through on their migration.

Since I had tried the ground based “blind” method of looking for these birds, this time I would try the river. I booked an Eagle Cruise with River Quest. River Quest has been cruising the Connecticut River for 10+ years, 7 of which have included these eagle cruises in conjunction with the CT Audubon.

Other than being thoroughly chilled, it was a great trip.

RiverQuest
can be found at http://ctriverquest.com/

 

 

The launch location varies depending on the ice on the river. The coast guard normally sends an ice breaker up the river but their ice breaker broke this year! That delayed the start of the Eagle cruises until now. The ice finally “went out” yesterday so the boat will be leaving from Haddam instead of Essex.

It was about a 2 hour drive and I made good time. Even though I was heading from Massachusetts through Rhode Island and into Connecticut during rush hour, there were no traffic delays. Since I arrived early I had a chance to look around a little.

Right away I spotted some mergansers and a mute swan. The ever present Canadian geese were also wandering along the shoreline.

A really amazing building sits right on the water making a picturesque appearance. This is the Goodspeed Opera House, a historic building. I will tell you all about that in another post.

Pretty soon the boat pulled in from their morning cruise. Riverquest has a fully enclosed , heated cabin to take the chill off but the real action is outside so I came prepared. All week we’d had great, warm weather but overnight the temps had dropped to single numbers and on the river was a stiff breeze…closer to a cold wind, truth be told.

I thought I came prepared. I was wearing a turtle neck cotton pull over with a fleece vest over that. Then I pulled on my hooded sweatshirt and over that my heavy winter jacket. I have my baseball cap on with ear muffs over that. Then I pulled the hood up as well and tied it tight to hold all the layers in place. I have a pair of really heavy warm gloves but those would be off and on as needed with the camera.

We got the OK to board and I staked out a corner of the bow. It was windy and cold there but the captain said once he turned to boat to head downstream the wind would be at our back and the sun would be shining on the bow. The return trip would be a different story.

As I was standing in the bow of the River Quest, before we were fully loaded or cast off, someone yelled “eagle” and a fully mature bald eagle came winging right over our heads. That seemed to be a good sign for the cruise.

We were held up leaving because a van of school children had gone to the wrong boat launch so they were waiting for them. They had just decided they had waited long enough when we saw the van come whipping down the driveway so we pulled back into the dock to load about 20 more people. Then we were on our way.

We had a very knowledgeable crew including a representative from the CT. Audubon. In addition to pointing out and identifying the various birds, they told us about the river, the geology and the buildings and homes along the way. A lot of the land in this area is preserved land by way of Nature reserves and State Parks.

The cruise itself was about 2 hours. I stayed in the bow for most of the downstream leg. There were bald eagles, cormorants, Swans, Geese, Mergansers, and Turkey Vultures!

We looked for a Harbor Seal that has been spotted on other trips but we didn’t see it. Of course there were “gulls’. We were told that there is no such thing as a “sea gull”. The flocks we see are made up of a long list of specific types of gulls…none of them “Sea Gulls”!

The Naturalist pointed out an Osprey nest that was on a platform. The osprey haven’t returned yet, it’s still too early in the season.

Someone pointed out a bird they said was a Northern Harrier and another spotted a Red Tailed hawk. There was plenty to see.

　The cruise was very pleasant in spite of the cold and I may well do it again…when it’s warmer. I am still in pursuit of the Perfect Picture as my lens was just too small. At 200 MM I could see the shadows and silhouettes but even after “zooming” in with the computer there was more blue sky than bird. Even though the results are very poor, I am including a few pictures for illustrations. The River is beautiful.



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In the Summer they offer a Sunset cruise…I bet that would be really something!The ride back upriver was , as the captain had predicted, much colder than the ride downstream. I gave up and finished the return trip in the cabin. The cabin has large viewing windows so those inside can see too.

Back to Connecticut Chasing Eagles

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Editor in Chief

Dusty Roads, the author of this blog is on her way to Haddam, Ct this morning. She’s giving the eagles of Connecticut another chance to let her get a picture.

This time she’ s taking a river cruise with a group called River Quest.

The weather is supposed to be clear but bitterly cold so on the water she is going to freeze. She has her hat, ear muffs, super thick gloves (lot of good they will be when she’s using the camera), turtle neck shirt, fleece vest, insulated “hoodie” and winter jacket..she’s layered all right!

 Map quest says it’s a 2 hour drive and but it’s RT 95 and rush hour so Dusty is allowing an extra hour to get there.

Good Luck, Dusty. Can’t wait for your report!

Oliver Mill Park, Middleboro Ma

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A few posts ago I talked bout the Herring run in Middleboro but was stumped when asked what the ruins were. So I returned to the park today and learned that it’s official name is Oliver Mill Park. There is a large display board next to the parking lot before you reach the picnic area that has a sign and copies of several articles about the area and the herring run.

The sign says:

“Oliver Mill Park
“The Muttock area has a history of occupation and use that dates to the early Archaic Period, attracting Native Americans who came to fish in the Nemasket River and who probably established a small village nearby. In 1734 a dam was built across the Nemasket River here, replacing an old native fish weir.
“Between 1744 and 1776, Peter Oliver, an important provincial Tory official and judge, as well as an industrial entrepreneur, operated an ironworks that included one of the earliest rolling and splitting mills in New England. Oliver’s works dominated Middleborough’s early economy and were significant for the degree to which they exploited the power of the Nemasket River, using as many as eight water wheels to run an integrated cluster of iron works, grist, saw, and other water powered mills.
“After 1800 the site was converted into a shovel shop under the ownership of General Abel Washburn and operated into the 1840s.
“Following the abandonment of the site in the 1870s the area was largely ignored until the 1960s and 1970s when it was partially restored for recreational purposes. Oliver Mill Park survives as one of the most significant industrial archaeological sites in Middleborough and in the southeastern Massachusetts region.”

The park is located off Nemasket Street, and is very near the intersection with US 44.

After parking and reading the sign, walk along the paths to the stone mills ruins, literally a building shell with partial walls and no roof. There are several channels to look at, including one that allows herring to swim upstream. You can cross the river on a wooden bridge that allows you to look into the tea colored water. When the herring are running, you can easily see the fish as they travel back to their natal waters to spawn.

There is also an ample picnic area, if you want room to spread out.

The stone bridge that is so photogenic is the Muttock Bridge. It has quite a history, far more than I care to recite here but I will share a link with you to a great story with some historic pictures. It’s a really interesting history and a well written account. http://nemasket.blogspot.com/2010/01/muttock-bridge.html

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