Home Care In Cornwall, CT

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The sphagnum moss-matted surface looked solid enough.

But when Bill Moorhead pushed his soil core sampler probe through that moss, it cut through and dropped through it to its handle in sodden peat.

Moorhead — a botanist and ecologist with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection — was exploring the world along the boardwalk at the 19-acre Black Spruce Bog at Mohawk State Forest in Cornwall.

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It’s one of the few bogs in the state, with a unique collection of fauna that grows only in such a high-acid environment.

The peat, compacted there over centuries, runs some 40 feet deep and is thousands of years old. Instead of hardwoods, it’s got wildflowers like golden thread and wild sarsaparilla, and trees like black spruce and larch.

It’s something completely different.

“It could be called a larch bog as much as a black spruce big,” said Moorhead, whose job includes collecting field data for the state’s Natural Diversity Wildlife Data Base.

Along with David Irvin, a DEEP forester whose territory includes the 3,300-acre Mohawk State Forest, Moorhead gave a guided tour of the bog last week.

It’s not a true bog — a place that depends only on rain and melting snow for its water.

Because some groundwater seeps into the Black Spruce site from its bedrock foundation, it is more properly called a poor fen, Moorhead said. There are also medium fens and rich fens, depending how much water and nutrients feed into the place.

Moorhead said there are only about 30 such boggy fens in the state. Run-off from development has degraded some of these places. Land trusts have protected others, like the Nature Conservancy’s Beekley Bog in Norfolk.

There are bogs that over time have become swamps as well, Moorhead said.

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The Black Spruce Bog gets its protection by being surrounded by the Mohawk State Forest.

It got its origins when the glaciers retreated at the end of the last Ice Age, about 14,000 years ago.

Those retreating glaciers gouged out a depression in the bedrock at Mohawk Mountain and left a huge chunk of ice behind.

When such big ice chunks melt and connect with underground springs, they create what are called kettle ponds. But at the Black Spruce Bog, the melting water from the ice stayed in its bowl, with nothing but bedrock underneath, with no stream to replenish it and a only small watershed to feed it.

Over thousands of years vegetation grew up around the spot and falling leaves settled into the water.

Ordinarily, a mix of oxygen and microbial life breaks down that leaf matter, releasing carbon dioxide. But, Moorhead said, bogs are special places that are low in oxygen and nutrients — calcium, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Plant matter in such places accumulates faster than it decays. Over time, the bowl fills up with peat — partially decayed vegetation.

“It’s all because of its geology,” Moorhead said.

Bogs are high-acid environments. The plants that thrive in them have evolved to live there.

The two dominant trees in the bog — black spruce and larch — aren’t common in the rest of the state.

There’s also sedges — grass-like plants that aren’t true grasses — liverwort and cinnamon ferns. There is also the carpet of different species of sphagnum moss that carpets the bog. (The boardwalk that laces through the bog protects those species from heavy, ruinous human tread.)

At one time, there were also sundew and pitcher plants at the bog — plants that snare insects and feed on them. But Moorhead said that over time, as other vegetation has grown up at the bog, it’s overshadowed the sunny spots that those artful carnivores need. They’re hard to find now, he said

But there are plenty of heath plants — high-bush blueberry, black huckleberry, mountain laurel and sheep laurel (aka lambkill and calfkill, because it’s toxic to any livestock grazing on it.)

Moorhead said there is also a trio of plants at the Black Spruce Bog — mountain holly, smooth holly and viburnum — that seem to mark a place as a bog.

The Black Spruce Bog is changing, slowly over time. Moorhead said that if climate change makes the state wetter, the increased precipitation might change it as well.

Every bog is a one of a kind. Plants adapted to high-acid environments don’t thrive elsewhere. And bogs in different locations have different ecologies, with a different set of plants.

“It’s island biology,’’ Moorhead said.

Contact Robert Miller at [email protected]

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There used to be a game we played as kids called — well, it didn’t really have a name. You took a broom from the closet, brought it outside and held it up to the sky and twirled in a circle. After a few moments the fun really began as your now-dizzy self tried to navigate the backyard.

That childhood game may come to mind as you find yourself spinning and twirling under the boughs of giant white pines at Cornwall’s Gold’s Pines and Ballyhack Preserve — Connecticut’s much smaller version of the redwood or giant sequoia forests of the West.

Tornadoes devastated a large part of an equally impressive 200-year-old stand of the nearby Nature Conservancy’s Cathedral Pines in 1989. Gold’s Pines and Ballyhack have taken over as one of the oldest publicly accessible pine groves in the state.

Gold’s and Ballyhack have the first- and second-tallest measured trees in the state, at 155 and 149 feet, respectively, according to the Connecticut College’s Notable Tree Project. Six of the top 10 tallest trees in Connecticut are located within the pair of white pine stands.

Gold’s Pines, a Connecticut Natural Area Preserve designated by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, is located next to the Cornwall Conservation Trust’s Day Preserve, a 181-acre open space that includes an out-and-back trail. An interpretive board at the trailhead notes that the pines in the grove are estimated to be about 200 years old — middle age for the species. Let that sink in.

The former pasture was abandoned when farmers moved west for the more fertile, and less rocky, agricultural lands. According to the Cornwall Historical Society, Theodore S. Gold purchased a 12-acre plot of white pine and hemlock in 1870, eventually expanding it to 42 acres. The trail to the Day Preserve forks to the left while an unmarked woods road takes visitors through the heart of Gold’s Pines.

The woods road through Gold’s Pines passes a few white pine “saplings” that are probably 50–100 years old. Look for the giants starting at a clearing farther up the road. The tallest trees are next to the road, so it’s easy to marvel at the trunks and look skyward to the boughs, seemingly as high as the clouds. The 155-footer is on the right before the trail curves to the right.

The trail through the Day Preserve is marked with yellow blazes and runs up the western side of a rock formation known as “The Cobble.” There are moss-covered boulder fields as well as large hemlocks shading the trail. The trail leads to a large hayfield bounded by stone walls, patches of white pines and white birch trees.

Be sure to head to the top of the field for some wonderful views of the area and north to the mountains of Massachusetts. A loop trail along an old farm road brings visitors back to the forest and past a beautiful farm, where horses frolic uninhibited in a large field.

Although close as the crow flies, Ballyhack Preserve is several miles away from Gold’s Pines along Route 125 at Dibble Hill Road. At 55 acres, this preserve is also small, but the tree specimens are stunning as you hike into the “Valley of the Giants,” as noted by the trailhead kiosk. It’s a “bottomland stand of massive, old eastern white pines and eastern hemlocks that tower above the canopy.” DEEP has designated this museum of huge trees a “state critical habitat.”

Be on the lookout for Connecticut’s second-tallest tree (149 feet) as you hike through the preserve along a loop trail marked by yellow blazes. The mile-long loop trail passes through dense stands of mountain laurel and a rocky granite ledge with views down a ravine and a series of waterfalls along the energetic Baldwin Brook. One of the biggest pines hangs over the edge of the ravine.

The white pines in Ballyhack grow amazingly straight. They probably would be worth the “king’s mark,” a designation given the evergreens in Colonial times that were sought out for sailing masts. Trees would be given the “King’s Broad Arrow” mark preventing colonists from harvesting the timber set aside for British sailing ships.

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Gold’s Pines and Ballyhack Preserve, West Cornwall

The bottom line: This pair of Cornwall open spaces will take visitors under some of the tallest trees in the state. The Cornwall Conservation Trust’s 181-acre Day Preserve will bring hikers through a deep hemlock forest up to the top of a cobble with views across a field into the mountains and hills of Massachusetts.

Difficulty: Easy to moderate due to changes in topography.

Length: The Gold’s Pines trail is about a mile out and back. Day Preserve has a two-mile loop trail. Ballyhack has a mile loop trail.

Directions: Follow Route 128 several miles west of its intersection with routes 4 and 43 for Gold’s Pines and Day Preserve. A small parking lot is located on the left between the Little Guild of St. Francis animal shelter and the West Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department. Go to cornwallconservationtrust.org for a map of the preserves. Follow Route 128 south to Route 125 or Grange Hall Road and look for Ballyhack on the right. Park at the small lot on the opposite side of the street.

Pet friendly?:Leashed dogs are allowed and must be cleaned up after with the waste removed if placed in a plastic bag.

Things to do nearby

Bad Dog Brewing Co.: The brewery is housed in a restored former firehouse (complete with a restored antique fire engine) where flagship and seasonal beers are brewed in small batches, including Blonde Ale, brewed with single malt and single hop, Sunny Deez, the flagship New England IPA, Black Lab ale and Boats & Oats, a classic oatmeal stout. 117 Water St., Torrington, 860-335-5321

Falls Village Café: Breakfast is served all day on weekends and includes items like a burrito, croissant and breakfast plate with hash browns, scrambled eggs, sausage, grilled tomato, and mushroom with toast. Other menu items include Great Falls burger, cheddar BLT and spinach feta wrap. There are also special events including burger night Fridays and Tex-Mex Saturday nights. 107 Main St., Falls Village, 860-453-4183

Covered Bridge Electric Bike: This bike shop rents electric bikes for two hours, a half-day, or a full day, and offers several sizes and models. Self-guided tours designed to the biker’s abilities include hills, dirt or paved roads, farms or quiet routes to villages. For larger groups, the shop offers a variety of trips, all leaving from the historic West Cornwall Covered Bridge. 421 Sharon-Goshen Tpke., Cornwall, 860-248-3010

CONNECTICUT — Three Connecticut communities have made the list of America's favorite small towns to visit. FamilyDestinationsGuide.com surveyed 3,000 families to pinpoint the top 150 towns across the country where they'd like to vacation this year.

No. 1 happens to be the tiny village of Holualoa in Hawaii while No. 2 is Ely, Nevada. Rounding the top 5 towns are No. 3 Anna Maria Island, Florida; No. 4 Old Koloa Town, Hawaii; and No. 5 West Yellowstone, Montana.

Connecticut towns don't make an appearance on the list until No. 74, Chester. The FamilyDestinationsGuide.com editors loved how visitors can "enjoy a peaceful stroll through the historic downtown area, explore the nearby hiking trails, and visit the nearby museums and galleries." Chester's attractions straddle the whole cultural spectrum, from thousands of acres of state forest to the world renowned Goodspeed Opera House’s local Norma Terris Theatre. There's even a small public use airport located about three miles southwest of the town's central business district. The ferry leading from Chester to Hadlyme is one of the last remaining such rides in Connecticut, and provides the most thematically on-point way to get to the positively medieval Gillette's Castle in East Haddam. Gushing over the town's "picturesque scenery, friendly locals, and plenty of things to do," FamilyDestinationsGuide.com called Chester in Middlesex County "the perfect place for a family getaway."

At No. 100, Cornwall, the "Greenest Town in Connecticut" is also one of the smallest towns in Connecticut, with a population of just 1,567 reported in the 2020 census. This rural gem sits atop the Housatonic River in Litchfield County and in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, and boasts a portion of Mohawk State Forest. Cornwall has also been called the 'Home of the Covered Bridge," a reference to the 1864 West Cornwall Covered Bridge that is still in service today, and a popular tourist destination. The travel website called out Cornwall's hiking, fishing, biking, as well as the town's historic sites, shops, and restaurants.

See also: Longtime, Unique Restaurant Closes, Eyes New Home In CT

No. 115 on the list of best American small towns to visit is Chaplin, in Windham County. You can add whitewater boating to the list of family activities here, as the Natchaug River winds through a huge network of trails and fishing spots and swimming holes. The state calls Diana's Pool, a state-designated water access and fishing area along the river in Chaplin, "a romantic mix of local legends and clear waters with short trails and a splash of old mill ruins." Back in civilization, the Chaplin Historic District is soaking in early 19th Century architectural jewels inspired by the Federal or Greek Revival styles.

See the full 150 Best Small Towns in America in 2023 list.

On Tuesday, an unusual (for Litchfield County, at least) house hit the market: a castle sitting at the end of a mile-long private driveway on 275 heavily forested acres that includes a FAA-certified helipad.

The Cornwall Castle, as the estate is called, was dreamed up during the 1920s by New York socialite Charlotte Bronson Hunnewell Martin, who had a bit of a thing for manifesting architectural fantasies. Before the castle project, she bought and renovated 19 Manhattan townhouses in what is now designated the Turtle Bay Historic District, connecting all their backyards to a leafy common garden and eventually drawing a host of famous residents like Katharine Hepburn and E.B. White.

Meanwhile, the Cornwall kingdom, built with her surgeon husband, Dr. Walton Martin, comprises a roughly 8,800-square-foot main manor (which is completely made of stone, turreted, and adjoined to a massive terrace with a well, outdoor fireplace, and twin stairways leading down to the gardens), a four-bedroom gatehouse, a two-bedroom caretaker’s apartment, and a pool house. Not to mention: brooks, ponds, five waterfalls, and rolling meadows, where Martin used to ride a big white horse while wearing a white tailored cape.

The current owners, a local couple with a penchant for restoring period homes, are putting the place up for sale after a two-year renovation that touched essentially every corner of the property, inside and out, from repointing all of the stonework to dredging the pond and redoing all the floors, plumbing, and heating. That explains the massive price jump from when they scooped it up for just $1.6 million in 2019, after the property had sat empty for years and was then foreclosed under the previous owner, the former hedge-fund manager Buddy Fletcher.

Listing agents Maria Taylor and Graham Klemm, who have both been visiting the place on and off for 30 years (sometimes while representing the property, other times as a guest of the owner), say the castle is now in its best shape yet. While the kitchen and bathrooms have been updated in a white-and-greige, neatly polished way that could place them in any renovated house down the block, you’ll find some grander, more on-the-nose spaces, like the mahogany-paneled dining room and the living room with 20-foot high beamed ceilings and a huge limestone fireplace.

Per Taylor, there are also “little goodies at every turn,” like a variety of gargoyles, a grotto garden at the lower terrace, and a “cutting sink” — ensconced in an arched nook, with a faucet coming out of floral wall tiles — right as you walk in from the patio doors.

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CORNWALL — With a handful of new businesses and a plan for a new septic system, West Cornwall is well on its way to putting its name on the map, according to First Selectman Gordon Ridgway.

All the recently opened or soon-to-be-open stores in the village, located on the Sharon-Goshen Turnpike, are in walking distance of one another. Construction is underway on the town’s only year-round restaurant as well, Ridgway said. The building, which was previously an antique shop, is being converted into a 34-seat restaurant, which will have additional patio seating. The restaurant, which is not yet named, is expected to open by summer or early fall.

Also under construction is the building adjacent to the future restaurant, formerly called the River Inn. The inn was famous in the 1950s and 1960s, according to Ridgway. The inn had previously been a private residence called the Pink House, which caught fire about 12 years ago and has stood empty and in disrepair ever since. Once the building is renovated, it will be available for commercial use.

Additionally, the West Cornwall Library is supporting two new businesses in town — The Local, a market that sells all locally-made products; and The Union, a community work space.

Libby Mitchell, executive director of the library, said The Local, which opened in December 2020, started as an indoor farmers market and has grown. Merchandise includes coffee, soaps, syrup, breads, clothing and accessories. The shop also carries Ridgway Farm Maple Syrup from Ridgway’s own farm in town.

The Union, which is free to the public, opened shortly before the pandemic.

“If you’re stuck, if you have writer’s block and can’t get your work done, or if you want to hold a meeting, you can come here,” said Mitchell, adding The Union has high-speed internet service and is open by appointment only.

This summer, a Rock & Roll Camp for kids will make its debut in town. Campers will be able to take music lessons and, at the end of the session, they’ll perform in a concert.

Another new business — 3 Guys Ski & Ride — is preparing for a soft opening at the end of the month. The building had previously been the town’s general store, a restaurant and an art studio. It’s now going to be a full-service ski shop, also carrying skateboards, hiking and trail running shoes and accessories. Co-owner Michael Carr said the business also plans to be a full-service bike shop, “if and when bikes are available again for purchase.” Due to the pandemic, there’s an international shortage of bikes.

At the Covered Bridge Electric Bike Shop, which has been open for two years, owner Bob Ensign said customers span all ages. While some say they haven’t been on a bicycle in 50 years, that doesn’t appear to discourage them from trying an electric bike.

“There’s something about electric bikes in particular, that once they get over their intimidation of them, it facilitates somebody getting back on the bike and learning how to ride again,” Ensign said.

Once a week, Ridgway uses his own electric bicycle for the 10-minute ride from his Cornwall farm to work at town hall.

He said he has plans to have an electric vehicle charging station at the town’s new restaurant.

“We are trying to become an electric vehicle stop destination,” he said.

According to Ridgway, West Cornwall is positioning itself to become a leader in recreational supplies.

“You have fly fishing, boating on the river, hiking, skiing, electric biking — and it’s all right here,” said Ridgway, adding the town is on the western New England Greenway and the bicycle trail from New York City to Montreal in Canada.

Despite all the activity in town, there’s still some empty buildings — such as the former library building — that has been closed due to lack of a public septic system in that area of town.

But that’s all about to change, according to Ridgway.

“We’re applying for a state grant to get a septic system,” he said. “Hopefully, buildings like the former schoolhouse will be able to come back to use when we get that going.”

Ridgway said both residents and visitors walking through the village can already feel a new vibe.

“People feel there’s a new energy here — a rebirth,” he said. “Here we are in a 19th-century village without septic, and we’re trying to catapult to the 21st century.”

[email protected]