Boothe Memorial Park and Museum
Encyclopedia
Boothe Memorial Park and Museum sits on a 32 acres (129,499.5 m²) site in the Putney
section of Stratford
, Connecticut
. Built about 1840 and remodeled in 1914, it is said to be "The Oldest Homestead
in America," since it sits on the foundations of a 1663 house, and has been continuously occupied. Circa 1914 two brothers, David Beach Boothe and Stephen Nichols Boothe, created the Boothe Memorial Museum which maintains a collection of twenty architecturally unique buildings. Some of the structures include a carriage house, Americana Museum, miniature lighthouse, windmill, a clock tower museum, trolley station, chapel, and a blacksmith shop. The property became a public park owned by the town of Stratford in 1949.
Boothe Memorial Park and Museum was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on May 1, 1985.
(1960) and 4 inch Unitron
refractor.
in Connecticut. It was removed from the Milford
side of the Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge
at the end of the Merritt Parkway
, when state toll booths were abolished in June 1988. The booth is of wooden log architecture and is also on the list of National Register of Historic Places.
.
A September 2010 bird watching festival held by the Connecticut Audubon Society found 262 birds of 49 species, including the bald eagle
, double-crested cormorant
, downy woodpecker
, great blue heron
, monk parakeet
and red-tailed hawk
.
Putney, Connecticut
Putney is a section in the north end of Stratford, Connecticut. The area includes Boothe Memorial Park and Museum and Putney Chapel and abuts the neighborhood of Oronoque. The area roughly includes all property from Chapel Street and Harry B. Flood Middle School across Connecticut Route 110 and...
section of Stratford
Stratford, Connecticut
Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. It was founded by Puritans in 1639....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. Built about 1840 and remodeled in 1914, it is said to be "The Oldest Homestead
Homestead (buildings)
A homestead is either a single building, or collection of buildings grouped together on a large agricultural holding, such as a ranch, station or a large agricultural operation of some other designation.-See also:* Farm house* Homestead Act...
in America," since it sits on the foundations of a 1663 house, and has been continuously occupied. Circa 1914 two brothers, David Beach Boothe and Stephen Nichols Boothe, created the Boothe Memorial Museum which maintains a collection of twenty architecturally unique buildings. Some of the structures include a carriage house, Americana Museum, miniature lighthouse, windmill, a clock tower museum, trolley station, chapel, and a blacksmith shop. The property became a public park owned by the town of Stratford in 1949.
Boothe Memorial Park and Museum was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on May 1, 1985.
Observatory
The BMAS (Boothe Memorial Astronomical Society) Observatory was built in 1957 on the grounds of the park, located near the cemetery. The observatory features two telescopes: a 16 inch CassegrainCassegrain reflector
The Cassegrain reflector is a combination of a primary concave mirror and a secondary convex mirror, often used in optical telescopes and radio antennas....
(1960) and 4 inch Unitron
Unitron
Unitron is a distributor of optical instruments including microscopes, binoculars, and formerly telescopes made by Nihon Seiko of Japan. The US based company was founded in 1952 and is based in Bohemia, NY...
refractor.
Putney chapel
Originally constructed in 1844 for Congregationalist services, the Putney Chapel was moved onto Boothe Park grounds in 1968 from a nearby location on Chapel Street. The chapel is officially non-denominational, handicapped accessible and can still be used as a place of worship or for events, being rentable by the day.Toll booth
The park also contains the last remaining highway toll boothToll house
A tollhouse or toll house is a building with accommodation for a toll collector, beside a tollgate on a toll road or canal. Many tollhouses were built by turnpike trusts in England, Wales and Scotland during the 18th and early 19th centuries...
in Connecticut. It was removed from the Milford
Milford, Connecticut
Milford is a coastal city in southwestern New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, located between Bridgeport and New Haven. The population was 52,759 at the 2010 census...
side of the Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge
Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge
The Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge carries the limited-access Connecticut Route 15 over the Housatonic River, between Stratford and Milford, Connecticut. The bridge was first referred to as the Sikorsky Bridge because Sikorsky Aircraft is headquartered just north of the bridge...
at the end of the Merritt Parkway
Merritt Parkway
The Merritt Parkway is a historic limited-access parkway in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The parkway is known for its scenic layout, its uniquely styled signage, and the architecturally elaborate overpasses along the route. It is designated as a National Scenic Byway and is also listed in the...
, when state toll booths were abolished in June 1988. The booth is of wooden log architecture and is also on the list of National Register of Historic Places.
Astronomy
The BMAS group meets the first and third Friday of every month from 8pm-10pm and is open to the public.Birding
The park is often a destination for bird watchers, and attracts a number of different species due to the large open areas, many trees and the nearby Housatonic RiverHousatonic River
The Housatonic River is a river, approximately long, in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. It flows south to southeast, and drains about of southwestern New England into Long Island Sound...
.
A September 2010 bird watching festival held by the Connecticut Audubon Society found 262 birds of 49 species, including the bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
, double-crested cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
The Double-crested Cormorant is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It occurs along inland waterways as well as in coastal areas, and is widely distributed across North America, from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska down to Florida and Mexico...
, downy woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
The Downy Woodpecker is a species of woodpecker, the smallest in North America.- Description :Adult Downy Woodpeckers are mainly black on the upperparts and wings, with a white back, throat and belly and white spotting on the wings. There is a white bar above the eye and one below. They have a...
, great blue heron
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...
, monk parakeet
Monk Parakeet
The Monk Parakeet, also known as the Quaker Parrot, is a species of parrot, in most treatments the only member of the genus Myiopsitta. It originates from the temperate to subtropical areas of Argentina and the surrounding countries in South America...
and red-tailed hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
.