Farmington Canal

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Farmington Canal-New Haven and Northampton Canal
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location: New Haven, Connecticut to Northampton, Massachusetts
Built/Founded: 1829
Architect: Hurd, Davis; Farnam, Henry
Added to NRHP: September 12, 1985
NRHP Reference#: 85002664 [1]
Governing body: Local

The Farmington Canal was a major private canal built in the early 1800s to provide water transportation from New Haven into the interior of Connecticut, Massachusetts and beyond.[2] Its Massachusetts segment was known as the Hampshire and Hampden Canal. With the advent of railroads, it was quickly converted to a railroad in the mid-1800s and in recent years has been converted to a multi-use trail (a rails-to-trails project) after being abandoned for years.

Contents

[edit] Canal and railroad

Ground was broken for the canal in 1825 and by 1828 the canal was open from New Haven to Farmington. By 1835 the complete route to Northampton was finished and operating.[2] The canal, however, was never successful financially. Competition with railroads threatened the canal. The New Haven and Northampton Railroad was built along the canal's right of way in 1848. Joseph Earl Sheffield was involved with the financing of both the canal and railroad.[3] This railroad merged with the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1887. Portions of the railway were in use up until the 1980s.

[edit] Trail

Farmington Canal Lock 12, Cheshire, CT
Farmington Canal Lock 12, Cheshire, CT

During the 1990's, the railroad right-of-way was converted to a rail trail for recreational use. The Farmington Canal Trail runs from downtown New Haven to Northampton, Massachusetts, closely following the path of Route 10.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
  2. ^ a b G. M. Guignino, The Farmington Canal 1822-1847: An Attempt At Internal Improvement, Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute
  3. ^ Joseph Sheffield Biography

[edit] External links

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