52 Weeks of Fun

Not Just Destination Finders, But Destination Storytellers

Town of Granby CT

Granby Chamber of Commerce CT

Pride of the Valley

Local Attractions

Settle by Puritans in the 1600s, Granby was originally known as Salmon Brook. It is a rural town located at the base of the Litchfield Hills in the Berkshires. Besides the suburban natured center, the outskirts of town are filled with dense woods and rolling hills and mountains.

From the 1890s to the 1920s many immigrants from Sweden came to reside in the town. The town is noted for its numerous historical buildings, including Allen’s Cider Mill, which began making of cider in 1783, and Granby Center, a historic district located in the eastern part of the town, one of three villages that arose in the town. It has historically been Granby’s principal civic center.

In 1993 and 1995, the McLean Game Refuge in Granby was the subject of an archaeological survey. The researchers said that the investigation produced some important information about the prehistoric landscape of the region and prehistoric Native American use of the interior portion of the Farmington Valley.

One of the most notable historical landmarks is New Gate. in 1705, 64 town residents became proprietors of a copper mine. They used the mine’s revenues to pay town expenses and hire a schoolmaster. At the same time, the public became more sensitive to the harsh penalties of inflicting such pain and degradation on law-breakers. When the demand for copper dropped, the State of Connecticut wanted to use the mine as a place to isolate prisoners while reforming them. With the installation of an iron gate over the opening of the mine, it operated as a prison from 1773 to 1827, accommodating more than 100 prisoners in its caverns at any one time.

Today, Granby is recognized as one of the best places in Connecticut to visit and live.

State of Connecticut
Wikipedia

A 52 Weeks of Fun Fascinating Fact about Granby

The first unauthorized coins in the American colonies were minted in Granby. These pure copper coins were inscribed with a value of three pence.

Upcoming Events

Wikipedia

The 50-year-old tree is known as the Dewey-Granby Oak Tree. The town of Granby and its preservation society go to great lengths to protect it.
Wikipedia

Allen’s Cider Mill is just one of the many Granby buildings of historical interest.
State of Connecticut

What began as a copper mine became a notorious prison for over 50 years.
McLean Game Refuge

Located on the 4,400-acre McLean Game Refuge are the remains of the private cabin of former Governor and Senator George McLean.

Coming Soon: To do, see, stay, etc