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16-594: Hopeville Pond State Park is a public recreation area located on Hopeville Pond , an impoundment of the Pachaug River , in the town of Griswold , Connecticut . A portion of the 554-acre (224 ha) state park occupies the site of the lost village of Hopeville. The park manager's house occupies Avery House , which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The park offers fishing, swimming, camping, and trails for hiking and biking. It

32-448: A gristmill and sawmill, inundating the waterfall on the Pachaug River in the process. In 1818, Elizah Abel added a woolen mill to the site. Later, John Slater purchased the three mills and constructed a satinet mill which he named the "Hope Mill," the village, pond and state park names all having subsequently derived from his inspiration. By 1840, Hopeville was a "thriving village" according to Daniel L. Phillips, author of Griswold -

48-475: A history . On November 4, 1850, a meeting was held to discuss the construction of a house of worship. A church was erected for $ 1,700 and dedicated on December 12, 1852. The village of Hopeville reached its peak in 1860 and was well known for its production of woolens. In 1881, the mill, then owned by Edwin Lanthrop and Company, was destroyed in a fire and not rebuilt. The Ashland Cotton Company would later acquire

64-886: Is a 16.0-mile-long (25.7 km) river arising from the Pachaug State Forest at the Connecticut - Rhode Island border and draining into the Quinebaug River . It is crossed by the Ashland Mill Bridge in Griswold, Connecticut , a bridge which is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Hopeville Pond is a three-mile impoundment and widening of the Pachaug River in Hopeville Pond State Park in

80-557: Is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection . Before European colonization, the Mohegan people constructed stone weirs to harvest fish from the Pachaug River . The weirs directed water flow and fish to the center of the stream for easy capture in fishing baskets. In 1711, Stephen Gates was granted 14 acres of land lying within the modern state park's boundaries. Gates constructed

96-597: Is the largest forest in the Connecticut state forest system, encompassing over 27,000 acres (110 km²) of land. It is located on the Rhode Island border in New London County , and parcels of the forest lie in the towns of Voluntown , Griswold , Plainfield , Sterling , North Stonington , and Preston . The forest was founded in 1928, but most of the land came from purchases made later during

112-490: The "lost" village of Hopeville in the town of Griswold (much of the village was flooded by the creation of Hopeville Pond by a dam built to generate electricity). It has a public beach, kayak/canoe boat launch as well as camping and picnic facilities. Ashland Pond in the borough of Jewett City is another impoundment of the Pachaug River, one closer to the merger with the Quinebaug River . Glasgo Pond , Doaneville Pond and Pachaug Pond are additional impoundments of

128-648: The Connecticut Forest and Park Association , that run through Pachaug State Forest. The handicap (wheelchair) accessible Rhododendron Sanctuary Trail (which includes a planked wooden boardwalk section) in the Pachaug State Forest's Herman Haupt Chapman Management Area is spectacularly scenic when the Rhododendron are in bloom (June and July). There are several dirt and gravel road trails that cross Pachaug State Forest; Trail 1, Trail 2,

144-624: The Great Depression . It is named after the Pachaug River , which runs through the center of the forest. The forest is part of the Northeastern coastal forests ecoregion . The Pachaug-Great Meadow Swamp portion of the park was declared a National Natural Landmark in May 1973 due to its Atlantic white cedar swamp. This type of forest is at risk of being succeeded by hemlock . There are four popular hiking trails, maintained by

160-610: The Main Drive, and Stonehill Road. In combination with dozens of unmarked side trails, this makes for easy mountain biking terrain that has become popular among locals. Some trails and roads are marked as multi-use. One such is the Enduro off-road motorcycle trail which winds through Pachaug State Forest. On non–multi-use hiking trails in the forest, however, there is clearly both unauthorized vehicular and unauthorized equestrian use. The 58-mile Enduro trail in Pachaug State Forest

176-511: The Pachaug River in the villages of Glasgo, Doaneville and Pachaug in the town of Griswold, Connecticut. Sawmill Pond and Beachdale Pond are additional impoundments of the river in the town of Voluntown, Connecticut. The source of the Pachaug River is a small "stream-like" section in Exeter, Rhode Island north of and draining into Beach Pond , a large impoundment split between Voluntown, Connecticut and Exeter, Rhode Island. The Pachaug River

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192-564: The property. In 1900, the church and four houses also burned. In 1908, the original gristmill from 1711 was also destroyed by fire. Sometime before 1917, the Ashland Cotton Company erected a dam on the site and created the 145 acre reservoir; the dam was used to generate electrical power for its mills in Jewett City. The Avery House, also known as Hopeville Pond Park House, is a 20 feet (6.1 m) by 40 feet (12 m),

208-847: The rehabilitation of the property, the Avery House became the Hopeville Park manager's residence. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. The Civilian Conservation Corps , encamped in nearby Pachaug State Forest , developed the state park in the 1930s. Their efforts included adapting the Avery House for park use. Hopeville Pond was designated as a state park in 1938. The park's recreational activities include biking, hiking, camping, fishing, boating, and swimming. The park's campground features 80 campsites. Fish found in 137-acre (55 ha) Hopeville Pond include channel catfish , northern pike , largemouth bass , chain pickerel , and yellow perch . Hopeville Pond

224-539: The two-story central-chimney Colonial dating to circa 1770. The central chimney is on a stone base and has a built-in root cellar. In 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) rehabilitated the property for park use. The alterations in the house changed the traditional five-room first floor plan by eliminating the keeping rooms and the removal of the kitchen fireplace. It retains much of its original door frames and wrought-iron latch hardware. After

240-697: Was included in an 11-mile bike trail in Connecticut: Rides for the Casual Cyclist . The Lake Lubbers website states that Hopeville Pond is a popular location for fishing, including ice fishing. The reported fish include " northern pike , largemouth bass , smallmouth bass , catfish , chain pickerel , yellow perch , and bluegill ". The park's camp site received a positive mention in 2013 in Best Tent Camping: New England . Hopeville Pond The Pachaug River

256-656: Was used by the Mohegan Indians, who constructed stone weirs to direct the water flow and funnel fish to the center of the stream for trapping. In 1974 and 1977, a fishing advisory said it was in good to excellent fishing location. In the 1970s, a plan was drawn up to pump 7.5 million gallons of water a day from the river into the Rattlesnake Brook , which in turn would feed the Broad Brook . Pachaug State Forest Pachaug State Forest

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