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Harwinton, Connecticut
First settled in 1731 and "incorporated" in
1737, Harwinton has had a proud and very interesting
history. From its beginning as a "Western Land"
to serving as today's "Eastern Gateway" to
Litchfield County, Harwinton is a town that has strived
to maintain its history and rural environment. This
Web Site is committed to providing information for reference
and educational purposes to all interested parties.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Sightseeing Tour
of Lost Villages and Thomaston Dam
Waterbury, CT…Mattatuck
Museum Arts & History Center offers a guided bus
tour of the Thomaston Dam and Reservoir that includes
stops in Northfield and Harwinton. The bus tour, scheduled
for Thursday, July 15, 2010, will begin boarding at
the Mattatuck Museum at 4:00 p.m. and leave for Northfield
by 4:30. The guided tour will begin at the historic
center of Northfield with independent curator Ann Y.
Smith and will continue onto the east side of the Naugatuck
River with Harwinton First Selectman, Frank Chairamonte;
they will provide stories and facts about the villages
of Fluteville and Campville. The tour will conclude
with a ride to the top of the Thomaston Dam and Reservoir
guided by Thomaston Dam Project Manager, Vincent A.
Gualtieri. A twilight reception of wine and cheese at
the Vista Picnic Area will be served from 7:30 to 8:30
p.m. All participants will board the bus for the return
to the Mattatuck Museum.
On August 1955, a catastrophe
hit Connecticut. The catastrophe was the Flood of 1955.
It started a chain of events that would eventually lead
to the displacement of small communities along the Naugatuck
River in Litchfield County; among them the villages
of Fluteville and Campville. Historically, these villages
were 19th century farming communities with some significant
water-power industries. Today, as a result of dam construction,
building removal and landscaping, little evidence of
these communities remains.
Participants will learn about
the dam and its history and how the dam affected residents
of Fluteville, Campville and Harwinton. Located on the
Naugatuck River in Thomaston, the Thomaston Dam is part
of a network of flood control dams and local protection
projects built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in
the Naugatuck River Basin. The Dam, with its magnificent
views, was completed in 1960.
The public is invited to join
this tour by registering online at www.mattatuckmuseum.org
or by registering with Cathy Filippone at (203) 753-0381
ext 10. The fee is $10.00 for members and $12.00 for
non-members. Advanced registration is required.
The tour is in conjunction with
the museum’s current exhibition The Lost Villages
of Fluteville and Campville. The exhibition is on display
now through Sunday, September 5, 2010. The Lost Villages
of Fluteville and Campville is made possible by a grant
from the Connecticut Humanities Council and was developed
in collaboration with the historical societies of Litchfield,
Harwinton, Thomaston, Torrington and Northfield, which
loaned objects from their collections to illustrate
the fascinating stories.
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