Farmington Canal

This article is about the original 19th-century canal. For the modern rail trail, see Farmington Canal Trail.

Farmington Canal-New Haven and Northampton Canal
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location:	New Haven, Connecticut to Northampton, Massachusetts
Coordinates:	42°00′35″N 72°46′04″W / 42.0098°N 72.7679°W / 42.0098; -72.7679 (MA border) 41°19′N 72°55′W / 41.31°N 72.91°W / 41.31; -72.91 (New Haven outlet)
Area:	247.6 acres (100.2 ha)
Built:	1829
Architect:	Hurd, Davis; Farnam, Henry
Governing body:	Local
NRHP Reference#:	85002664[1]
Added to NRHP:	September 12, 1985

The Farmington Canal, also known as the New Haven and Northampton Canal, was a major private canal built in the early 19th century 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-19th century and in recent years has been converted to a multi-use trail (a rails-to-trails project) after being abandoned for years.

The entire length of the still extant canal right of way in Connecticut (covering 25 segments and a total area of 247.6 acres) from Suffield to New Haven was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 under the name "Farmington Canal-New Haven and Northampton Canal".^[1] The 1984 NRHP nomination document provides a detailed history, and describes 45 separate bridges, aqueducts, weirs and other surviving features.^[3]

The Farmington Canal Lock in Cheshire, Connecticut, and the Farmington Canal Lock No. 13 in Hamden, Connecticut were listed separately on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1973 and 1982, respectively.^[1] Those are locks 12 and 13 out of 28 original locks on the canal.^[3]

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 Company 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.^[4] 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. A two-mile section from the Main/Whiting Sts intersection in downtown Plainville, to just south of Townline Rd (Plainville/Southington) is still in use(2009).

Trail

Farmington Canal Lock 12, Cheshire, CT

During the 1990s, 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.

See also

• Hampshire and Hampden Canal
• New Haven and Northampton Company
• Farmington Canal Trail

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://www.cr.nps.gov/. 
2. ^ ^{a b} G. M. Guignino, The Farmington Canal 1822-1847: An Attempt At Internal Improvement, Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute
3. ^ ^{a b} Michael S. Raber and John Herzan (November 30, 1984). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Farmington Canal (New Haven and Northhampton Canal) / Farmington Canal". National Park Service. http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/85002664.pdf.  and Accompanying 20 photos, from 1984
4. ^ Joseph Sheffield Biography

External links

• Farmington Valley Greenway and the Farmington Valley Trails Council (FVTC)
• Farmington Canal Rail-to-Trail Association
• The Farmington Canal 1822–1847
• Farmington Canal Greenway Vision Trail