Last week, we had the chance to explore two fascinating places in Connecticut that have a lot of history: the Bridgeport Wood Furnishing Co and the Indian Springs House. They are both located in Lovers Leap State Park, which has beautiful views of the Housatonic River and the hills around it.

Bridgeport Wood Furnishing Co

The Bridgeport Wood Furnishing Co was a company that made wood fillers, stains, dyes, paints and other products for the woodwork industry. It started in 1888 and closed in 1955. The company had several buildings, including a big silex mill in Branchville, Connecticut.

The silex mill was where they ground quartz into fine powder, which they then mixed with other things to make wood fillers. The mill used water from the river nearby to power the machines, and had a complicated system of belts, pulleys, gears and shafts to run them. The mill also had a lab, a warehouse, a boiler room and a railroad track.

Now, the silex mill is a ruin that shows the industrial history of the area. The mill is partly fallen and covered with plants, but some of the original parts are still there, like the stone walls, the metal pipes, the wooden beams and the iron wheels. You can get to the mill by a short path from the park’s main entrance.

Indian Springs House

The Indian Springs House is a little building that can be found off of the Waramaug Loop trail. This trail gives beautiful views of the valley, the river, and is an easy walk along a well kept trail.

Conclusion

We had a lot of fun visiting these two historical sites. They taught us a lot about the history and culture of Connecticut, and also showed us how nature has taken over some of the things that humans made over time. We would suggest anyone who likes history or nature to visit these places.