1654. That's a looooong time ago. But that's when the first settlers arrived in Ansonia. So it…read moremakes a sense that most of the homes in this area, at least on Elm Street, precede the American Revolution. This is a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has the same inscriptions on each side. The marker was dedicated in 1976 and is in excellent shape. The blue background is fairly bright with no signs of fading or peeling. You can see the marker directly across from the Police Department, more or less at the intersection of Elm Street and Platt Street. The full inscription reads: Here the first settlers came in 1654 and established a settlement called Uptown Derby. It is now part of the City of Ansonia, incorporated in 1889. South of this green is the home of General David Humphreys who, as aide-de-camp to General George Washington, accepted the British colors in surrender at Yorktown. Many of the private homes on Elm Street are pre-Revolutionary and the Episcopal cemetery has gravestones dating back to 1741. During the Revolution, men who lived here served with the Second Connecticut Regiment and drilled on this green, then called Cankwood Plain. Erected by the City of Ansonia The Ansonia Historic District Commission and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1976 155 CT towns done, 15 to go

Beautiful castle Visited over the winter. Worn down and decrepit. Amazing pictures with an eerie…read morefeeling.

Nothing much to see at this moment. A stone castle left in ruins, now adorned with fences,…read moregraffitis and boards. Just a short walk from nearby park where you could park your car.

Proving that Bruce K. will review anything, here's a five star review of a rock. It's an…read moreinteresting rock but it is nonetheless a rock. "This balanced rock is estimated to weigh 60 tones. Geologists refer to it as an "erractic." The boulder is composted of a type of granite that does not match rock normally found in this vicinity and is thought to have been deposited here during the glacial period. It has been suggested in recent years that this may be a dolmen - a Celtic ceremonial stone used to memorialize the dead." There is a small parking lot. I do not believe that there is lighting so you'll want to visit during daylight. [Review 1702 of 2024 - 547 in New York - 22725 overall]

I had no idea what this place was until my husband explained it to me and showed me a few podcasts…read moreand documentaries about it. We were super excited to see the sign when driving through one day so we of course decided to stop. Rating this a five star because it was a very intimate and cool experience since we were the only ones there, but there is really not much to it besides the sign and the rock itself. If you haven't heard about balance rock, you should definitely look into it because it is really cool!!

I needed to be a steeplejack to photograph this one. After walking down a long handicapped ramp, I…read morehad to climb a pretty steep grassy embankment in front of the Brookfield Historical Society to access it. This is a one sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. The inscription faces the street, with a blank blue reverse. It's in average condition with no bad flaws. The rather bland description reads as follows: Brookfield Parish of Newbury The land which comprises the geographical area of Brookfield belonged to the towns of Danbury, Newtown, and New Milford. In 1754 the Parish of Newbury was incorporated by decree of the General Assembly with boundaries and area similar to those of the town as it is today. In October, 1755 the Assembly approved as a site for the Newbury meeting house the location of the present Congregational Church. In 1788 the Parish of Newbury was incorporated as the Town of Brookfield, so named for the first pastor of the Congregational Church, the Reverend Thomas Brooks. Erected by the Town of Brookfield the Brookfield American Revolution Bicentennial Commission and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1975

It took the persistent white settlers five years to finally buy the land that would become New…read moreFairfield, CT from the Schagticoke Indians. When all was said and done the purchase price was agreed at sixty-five pounds sterling. This marker tells the detailed history of New Fairfield, from that 1729 purchase, its 1740 incorporation, and through the ensuing decades of farming, industrial, power plant, residential and recreational use. This is a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has different inscriptions on each side. You'll find it on a small town green where Routes 37 and 39 cross in New Fairfield. The marker was dedicated in 1979 and overall is in very good condition with traces of minor chipping at the top of the marker sides. The full inscription reads: In the year 1724 twelve men from Fairfield, Connecticut , came to this area to purchase land from the Indians who then inhabited it. They negotiated with Chief Squantz of the Schaghticoke tribe, who lived near the pond in this town which still bears his name. Returning in the spring of 1725 with the necessary documents, they learned that Chief Squantz had died, but his four sons and heirs refused to sign any deeds. Four years later, on April 24, 1729 the Indians finally deeded the land to the white men. The purchase price was sixty-five pounds sterling. This tract of land, together with a prior grant known as "Mitchell's Purchase", became the Town of New Fairfield. The original town comprised what was commonly called the "Upper Seven Miles" - now the Town of Sherman, and the "Lower Seven Miles" - the area that forms the present Town of New Fairfield. The town was incorporated in 1740, and the twelve "Proprietors" carried on civil affairs. When the first meeting house was built in 1742 by the South Society of New Fairfield (later known as the Congregational Church) it also served as the seat of government. In 1759 the civil government was separated from the Church and a town hall was built. During the early part of the 19th century, New Fairfield, always an important farming community, also developed as a sizable industrial center. In the 1860's there were at least a dozen business and manufacturing enterprises, but by 1900 most of these firms had moved elsewhere or had been liquidated. After the creation of Candlewood Lake in the late 1920's by the Connecticut Light and Power company for hydro-electric generation, this rural town gradually became a desirable residential and resort area. Erected 1979 by Town of New Fairfield, New Fairfield Historical Society, Connecticut Historical Commission.

The town sign of Middlebury is in an okay location - it's right in front of Town Hall, so if you…read morewant to go see it there are places to park. There were people having some sort of informal gathering in back, but it was quiet so I can't fault the location. If you're on some quest to see the town signs, like I informally am, it helps to map this one out. Otherwise you end up looking for places to turn around while going around the town green. It is a little hard to read if you're doing a drive by, the angle just doesn't work. But it seems to be in good condition and legible up close.

Some historical nuggets:…read more 1- If you think the town's name has something to do with a central location, you'd be right -it's in the middle of three adjoining towns. 2- Revolutionary War troops marched through Middletown on way to the decisive battle at Yorktown, VA 3- The town's first house was built on Breakneck Hill Road. I wonder how and why that street was named? There's got to be one helluva backstory there... This is a 2 sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. The same inscription is on both sides. The side facing the street is in very poor condition with streaks and fading. The side facing the building is in much better shape. It's located in front of Town Hall on Whittemore Road. The full inscription reads: The name of the town derives from the central position its meeting house occupies, six miles from three older neighbors, Waterbury, Southbury and Woodbury. Winter ecclesiastical privileges, permitting local church services, were established for West Farms, originally the southwest portion of Waterbury, in 1768. In 1790, West Farms and adjoining portions of Woodbury and South-bury became a distinct ecclesiastical society under the name of Middlebury. The first house in the area was erected by Isaac Bronson before 1702 on Breakneck Hill. During the Revolutionary War, French General Rochambeau and his troops established a camp in the Breakneck Hill section on their march to the final campaign at Yorktown, Virginia. First petition to the General Assembly for independence of Middlebury from Waterbury was made in 1800. After much opposition incorporation was granted in October, 1807. Erected by the Town of Middlebury the Middlebury Historical Society, Inc. and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1976

"They took all the trees put 'em in a tree museum And they…read morecharged the people a dollar an' a half just to see 'em" (Joni Mitchell) The Fairfield Museum is undergoing renovations and we could just see two exhibits. The admission fee was accordingly waived for us. One exhibit was on quilts. The exhibits were drawn from their extensive textile collection. These colorful scenes of early New England life were gorgeous. If you ever wanted to know how quilts are pieced and stitched together or if you're just a quilt lover, you will enjoy this exhibit. The second exhibit was a biggie -it drew a TV crew (Cable Connecticut 12) into the room to film a segment. Guess who made a 2 second guest appearance in their piece? Ever seen those childrens books abiut "Busytown" by Richard Scarry? He was a Fairfield native and quite a few of Fairfield's businesses and landmarks ended up in those books. The exhibit is an immersive experience that allows you to select one of his animal cartoon figures and walk through the colorful streets of Busytown. You can teach your kids how communities work, what jobs people have, learn about transportation and all kinds of interactive exhibits- think opening doors and reading things inside the door. This has got to be a blast for kids or a nostalgic visit for anyone who grew up on Scarry's books.

Great local history museum! The front desk had great resources and the exhibits were wonderful.read more

Bizarre with a capital "B"…read more There is a Timexpo Museum in Waterbury that tells the story of the Timex company, and the history of watches and time. But as important as that might be, they are nothing when compared to the totally cool 40' tall Easter Island Moai statue that graces a strip of grass in front of the museum. What exactly this statue has to do with the history of time, I don't know. What I do know is this- I pity the poor drunken fool who might be unfortunate enough to be stumbling down Union Street when he glances up and sees this 40 foot tall beast blocking his path. I think that would sober up our poor guy pretty fast.

Discover the Easter Island Moai…read more Forget your bucket list. Don't wait till you can't climb the hill at the quarry to one of the world's most amazing places, Rano Raraku on isolated Easter Island. A giant Moai is waiting to be freed from a thousand years of captivity. What was the last carver's thoughts as he walked away from his final creation? Take a flight or a cruise to French Polynesia and visit Easter Island. Sign up with Tiare Edmunds of Easter Island Guides for a one or two or day tour and see what time left behind. Tiare is the only Rapanui native guide with direct descendents to the original natives. She leads you on an adventure back in time in her air conditioned vehicle. Easter Island is situated on a triangle of volcanic rock in the South Pacific over 2,000 miles from Tahiti and Chile. It's a living outdoor museum and Tiare has the E ticket pass. We were picked up at the pier and spent two incredible days exploring and learning about what might of happened to a thriving culture that almost lead to extinction. While historically no one knows exactly what happened to leave behind over 900 massive Moai, Tiare will help you understand the culture and the people. She also brought along a picnic lunch on both days of arugula from her garden on fresh sandwiches and olives and Rapa Nui locally brewed beer. What a treat. Looking out over the ocean, drinking a cold beer, having a great lunch and talking with a real local historian about her family's history. A truly memorable time. Don't wait.