Thursday, February 9, 2012

Glastonbury had a Coal Dock?

Horton's Farm
If you follow the river upstream from the ferry landing, through the pastures of the Horton and Packard Farms, you will stumble upon the site of Glastonbury's 19th century coal dock.





Coal Dock Site
While it is currently a peaceful jetty in the river, back in the day it was a bustling wharf. Glastonbury was a shipbuilding town. There were three major shipbuilders, and many supporting industries such as saw mills and foundries.
Old Well
The coal used to power the factories was brought by boat from the Connecticut River. Once unloaded onto the dock, horses were used to haul the coal to factories throughout the town. Just north of the dock are the remnants of a well that was used to water the animals.

The Great Meadows Conservation Trust periodically hosts walks out to the site. A schedule is available on their website at http://www.gmct.org/.