Red Clover Farms: October 2011

The Kellogg Environmental Center

The Kellogg Environmental Center is a $1.2 milli

on natural science and environmental educational facility operated by the Bureau of Parks and Recreation of the CT department of Environmental Protection. The design of the Center reflects a deliberate synthesis of form and function which accommodates its multiple missions as a visitor center, an educational program facility, and a technical support facility for the Bureau's other interpretive efforts. The Center houses two public exhibit spaces, two classroom/labs, an exhibit preparation area, a reference library, a nature store, a solar exhibit area, staff offices, and a functional solar greenhouse.

The building incorporates many state-of-the-art solar and energy conservation features including both active and passive heating, hot water, and heat storage systems. The Center currently provides a wide variety of hands-on environmental and natural science programs to schools, civic organizations, and the general public

Tuesday - Saturday

9:00 AM - 4:30 PM

(203) 734-2513 Phone

PO Box 435

500 Hawthorne Avenue
Derby, CT 06418

The Osborne Homestead Museum

The Osborne Homestead Museum was originally a farm house built in the early 1800's. Nothing is known about the original occupants. The first Osbornes to occupy the house, Wilbur Osborne and Ellen Lucy Davis, married and moved into the farm house in 1867. Together, they managed the Estate as a dairy farm, and Mr. Osborne owned and ran several industries in Derby, Ansonia and Bridgeport. Their only surviving daughter, Frances, became a prominent business woman after her father's death. She became the president of the Union Fabric Co., V. President of Connecticut Clasp, Treasurer of the F. Kelly Company, as well as a founding partner of Steels and Busks, Ltd. Of Leicester, England.

Miss Frances Osborne became Mrs. Waldo Stewart Kellogg in 1919. During their marriage, Waldo took charge of the operation of the Osbornedale Dairy, and, with the acquisition of a prize bull, began to improve the herd through selective breeding. The resulting herd soon became famous throughout New England for quality milk production.

In 1951 Mrs. Kellogg deeded the Estate and the farm to the State of Connecticut to be maintained as open space and made available to the citizens of Connecticut. After her death in 1956, the farm became Osbornedale State Park

May through October

Thursdays and Fridays, 10 AM to 3 PM;

Saturdays 10 AM to 4 PM; and Sundays 12 noon to 4 PM.

Beginning Thanksgiving weekend through mid-December,

the museum is open for wonderful holiday tours.

Please call 203.734.2513

Yale's Gilder Boathouse

Frank Gates of Derby undertook to induce Yale to bring its rowing activities to Derby, first in lower Derby near Burtville and later on Lake Housatonic above the dam starting in 1918. Mr. Gates managed to convince Yale's British head coach Guy Nickalls of the suitability of the Housatonic for his crews, and in 1918 the first intercollegiate race was held on the lake with Yale and Harvard competing. At the same time, the Robert Cooke boathouse was dedicated in honor of one of Yale's famous rowing coaches.

The new Gilder Boathouse pictured below was completed and dedicated in October, 2000. This world class rowing facility is a magnificent architectural achievement and ushers in a whole new era of excellence for Yale rowing.

Indian Well's State Park

The state of Connecticut first obtained 151 acres for a recreation area in 1928. This stretch of the river was once a ship building center owned by the Leavenworth family. Ship building declined after the War of 1812. A community of homes in an area of Indian Well known as The Great Plain" was buried under Lake Housatonic by the creation of the dam.

It was also the site of Camp Irving, a Boy Scout encampment during the 1920's and 1930's. It is now a state owned and managed facility established in 1927. It offers boating, fishing, picnicking, swimming, hiking, and a sports field.

The legend of the falls at Indian Well--something we are not able to verify--is that an Indian princess killed herself by jumping off the top of the falls, in anguish over her forbidden love of a rival tribe's favorite son. One version of the legend has her young lover also leaping to his death after he discovers her body at the base of the falls.

Olde Derby Uptown Burial Ground

This is reputed to be the oldest public burial ground in the United States.

One hundred years before the Revolution, the first inhabitants established this community cemetery on its present site, a ridge overlooking the Naugatuck River.

The oldest remaining marker is that of Rev. John Bowers, the resident clergyman who died in 1687 after serving as parson of the First Congregational Church for 12 years. The cemetery is the resting place of soldiers who fought in King Philip's War (1675-76), the three French and Indian Wars(1675-76), as well as the Revolution and Civil Wars. Indians and slaves and freed slaves are also buried here.

Downtown Seymour

After crossing the bridge and going under the Route 8 overpass, continue to the traffic light before the train trestle, staying to the right. At this traffic light, turn right onto Seymour's Main Street. The first building on your right is the Strand Movie Theater. This building owned by the Knights of Columbus for many years houses not only the movie theater but has a large open floored reception area on the second floor. The movie theater has been in existence for over 50 years and in 1997 the theater's interior was restored to an art deco style of decor. Price of a ticket was once only 25 cents for a double feature, cartoon and newsreel. Today a ticket to see a movie is still a bargain at $2.00. Movies are regularly shown Thursday through Sunday.

On the corner of Main and Bank Streets is Rogel's Clothing Store, a longtime Seymour business. It was on this site in August of 1900 that the Valley National Bank opened for business. In 1905 the Bank, due to increased business, moved from this location to further down Main Street to where today the Fleet Bank is located. Over the years the bank has gone through several mergers and even in 1981 a large fire. After the fire, the bank building was enlarged and now has expanded to cover much of the area to the left of the original bank building.

Main Street has changed over the years. Many of the bustling family businesses that lined the street are long gone. However, the Humphreys and Beach Block buildings built in the late 1800's still stand and the friendly family butcher shop still opens its doors every day to the smell of sawdust on the floor and the sight of cold, red fresh meat being cut to order.

We suggest you now park you car on Main Street and walk the brick sidewalks to acquaint yourselves with the many unique antique shops that are revitalizing and renewing the downtown area. Along Main and Bank Streets you will find wonderful shops filled with unusual and colorful trinkets of yesteryear - something for everyone who remembers yesterday! Not only does Bank Street have a number of quaint shops but it also has a large multi-dealer antique shop where everything from the smallest glass paperweight to a large wooden sideboard can be found.

As you explore more of the downtown area, you will notice on the corner of Main and DeForest Streets, Seymour's prominent Post Office that was built in 1916. Across the street from the Post Office is the New Haven Copper Company factory and office complex. This is a business that has been in operation since 1848, a short period of time before the Naugatuck Valley was considered the center of brass and copper manufacturing in America. It's mainstay of production is sheet copper on all lengths and gauges, however, it was the first mill to roll copper on a new-type mill previously only used in the steel industry. The company has gone through many ups and downs in its long history, including a devastating fire in 1986, but has always been able to beat the odds and remain one of the leading industries in the town of Seymour.

Just behind the Post Office on the corner of DeForest and First Streets is Seymour's town hall. The original structure built in the early 1900's is to the left. Because of a rapidly growing population, more space was needed for local government offices and records and an addition was added several years ago. You will notice on the front lawn to the right of the main entrance is a metal statue of a boy and girl standing under an umbrella. Originally this statue was a beautiful water fountain with the water cascading over the umbrella and graced the lawn of the home that was situated in this area. For many years the boy and girl statue were lost - many didn't even know that they ever existed. In the early 1980's the statue was found in the basement of an abandoned building and the Historical Society had them restored and in 1985 presented them to the town of Seymour, asking that they grace the property that they had once adorned.

You will also notice that a short distance to the right of the boy and girl sits a large bell. This bell originally hung in the bell tower of Center School and each day of the school year was faithfully rung calling the children to school. When the town of Seymour decided to sell the building, the historical society was given permission to remove the historic bell and in 1989 had it placed here for all, young and old, to appreciate.

On DeForest Street to the side of the town hall, is the Citizens Engine Company #2 firehouse and the headquarters of the Seymour Volunteer Ambulance Association. The history of this fire company goes back to April of 1882 when a disastrous fire easily consumed a large three story furniture warehouse, two other stores and an adjoining house. This tragedy brought about the organizing of Seymour's all volunteer fire department.

The first engine was a $600 second-hand fire engine that was pumped by hand. In October of 1882, the original fire fighting brigade was called the Ocean Fire Company #1, named for the type of hand pump used as a main weapon against flames. In November of the same year they once again changed their name to the Humphrey Engine and Hose Company #1. By early 1884 enough capitol had been raised by the citizens of the town for the fire company to purchase a new steam engine for $3,100. Thus in August of that year the Company changed its name for the last time to Citizens Engine Company #2. The next year, 1885, a wooden bell tower was constructed on the one bay firehouse and a bell was installed. During an alarm, the first man to arrive at the engine house would ring the bell, and the second man would light the fire on the steam engine.

In 1891, the town appropriated money to build a new firehouse. The original one bay house was to be moved to the rear of the lot and used as the town hall. A new two bay brick with granite trim engine house was built. A brick bell tower was constructed and used, not only for the alarm bell but also for hanging wet hoses for drying.

As the town grew so did its emergencies which meant more room for newer more advanced equipment was needed. In 1973 a committee was authorized to secure plans and costs to construct a firehouse for the Great Hill Hose Company which oversees, even today, emergencies in the Great Hill section of Seymour and for an addition to the present two bay firehouse downtown. The ground breaking ceremony for the addition was in March of 1975. The new addition consisted of three bays for the fire company and an additional bay to house ambulances and quarters for the volunteers of the Seymour Ambulance Association. This new addition would cost $430,000. Credit has to be given, in that the fire company has insisted on retaining the 1892 engine house, tower and alarm bell. Today this original building to the left of the new addition is used as quarters for the Company, the meeting room on the second floor has been refurbished and the first floor has been renovated to include anew kitchen, a picture gallery and housing for the Company's antique fire apparatus. All this work was done at the expense of the Citizens Engine Company. There was no cost to the taxpayers of the town of Seymour. In 1978 the brick exterior of the 1882 firehouse was restored and from that time on , when further restoration has been needed, the fire company made sure it was done and the 1882 has been kept in excellent shape.

Southford Falls

Southford Falls borders Oxford and Southford, which is part of Southbury. This park has long walking trails with a lovely covered bridge at the bottom of a tumbling stream. There is a popular fishing pond that turns into an ice skating area for the winter.

One can see little evidence of the vast industry that was present in the eighteen hundreds. Various sawmills and grist mills were operated till 1855 when a vast paper mill was built. In 1901 The Diamond Match Co. of NY purchased the company. A fire destroyed the area about 1925 and the remains were sold to the Ansonia Water Co.

Quaker Farms

Many of the homes in the Quaker Farms area are from the original families of Oxford. Quaker Farms was originally called Quaker's Farm. Legend has it that before the first settlers came in 1680, there along the road lived a Quaker. He lived in a house by a babbling brook, in an open field, below the mountain. He never married. And so, the area was called Quaker's Farm. Of course, there is no proof to this story.

As you drive along the road here, you will see many historic homes dating back before the American Revolution. For a definitive look at all the historic homes in Oxford, read Early Houses of Oxford, published in 1976 by the Historic House Committee of the Bicentennial Commission in Oxford. Most of the information here came from that publication.

The sample houses here are the Hawkins House at 410 Quaker Farms Road and the Perry-Pangman House located at 411 Quaker Farms Road. This house is sometimes referred to as the "Flagg House" because of a later owner.

Little-Laurel Lime Ridge Park

Off Route 334
Seymour, CT

This park offers visitors scenic views to enjoy while engaging in vigorous, often challenging hiking trails. Bike trails are also available.Little-Laurel Lime Ridge Park

Tomlinson & Laurel Ridge Roads, Seymour, CT 06483

Open: Dawn to dusk, 7 days a week

209 acres including wild woods with extensive but partially developed hiking trails. Spectacular views of Housatonic River and Valley. Noted for its limestone caves and get-away-from-it-all atmosphere.

Rich’s Dairy Farm

Homemade ice-cream

In the middle of a very large old farm, belonging for many years to the Ajello Family, is some of the most scrumptious home made ice cream parlor in Connecticut. This is a must stop between April and November. Families come from far and wide for a taste of this creamy, delicious ice cream. While waiting for your order, you have a wide view of the countryside amidst the corn fields and cows mooing in the barn. The children are encouraged to scamper over to have a look at the cows and see any new additions to the herd.

691 Oxford Road Oxford, CT 06478 (203) 881-1040

Schreiber's Farm

Fresh hen and duck eggs

The Schreibers have occupied this farm for almost 70 years. Corn fields can be seen in the summer and pumpkins in the fall. The Schrieber Farm, consisting about 400 acres, was bought by the Schreibers in 1910 from a Mr. Ryder. It was originally a dairy farm and has been a farm since the early 1600s.

571 Quaker Farms Road Oxford, CT 06478 (203) 888-0832

McConney's Farm

Artisan Maple Syrup

The barn on the McConney farm was built in two parts. The right side was built in 1709 with lumber originally used in a barn built at great Hill. the left side was built in the 1850's. There's a story passed down that the man who shingled the room climbed down from his ladder & marched directly off to the Civil War.

During the Revolutionary War, Hessian soldiers camped on this property while in pursuit of Rochambeau. when the soldiers cleaned their straw mattresses carried from Germany, they left behind a straw seed. today, this very distinctive straw still grows in the area and is called Hessian Bed Straw.

There is a rather spectacular view of Lake Housatonic down below from the field adjacent to the barn.

795 Roosevelt Dr, Derby, CT 06418 203.735.1133

Bomba Brother's Farm

Beef & Pork

Bomba's Farm still has sweet corn and vegetables. They are also taking orders for custom beef and pork. They have all of your fall crops including mums, corn stalks, ornamental corn, pumpkins, winter squash, and mulch hay. They carry Hannon's Honey from Southbury and Maple Syrup from Lamothe's Sugar House in Burlington. They also have fresh pies and doughnuts.

79 Great Hill Road, Seymour, Ct 06483 203.735.2862

Little Bit Farms

Pony Rides

Little bit farm is a friendly professional facility where they pride themselves on the care of the horses. They also have riding lessons, pony parties, horse boarding, horse leasing, horses for sale and also have active show schedules. They also offer Ct's Buck's Icecream.

111 Bungay Road Seymour, CT 06483 203-881-0460

Little Bit Farm is open year round!