National Register of Historic Places

Peoples Forest Museum

Barkhamsted, Litchfield County, Connecticut
Listed
September 3, 1986
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
86001737

About this property

The Peoples State Forest Nature Museum is a state-run museum on Greenwood Road in the Peoples State Forest in Barkhamsted, Connecticut. It features displays on forestry, plants and animals native to Connecticut, local history, rocks and minerals, and insects. The museum is open seasonally from Friday through Monday. The rustic style building was constructed in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. The Peoples State Forest Nature Museum is located in the southern part of Peoples State Forest, which is located on the east side of the West Branch Farmington River. The museum is set in a clearing on the west side of Greenwood Road, a forest road providing vehicular access to the forest's interior. It is a single-story structure, built mainly out of rubblestone, with a bellcast gabled roof covered in wooden shingles. The main facade is oriented to the southwest, with large window openings flanking the main entrance. A small stone ell extends to the right, partly sandwiching a rubblestone chimney. The interior of the museum is finished with a bluestone floor, chestnut paneling on the walls, and exposed queenpost truss timber framing with wrought iron strapping for the roof. The museum was built in 1934-35 by a crew of the Civilian Conservation Corps based across the river in American Legion State Forest, and was formally dedicated by Governor Wilbur Cross in 1935. It closed in the early 1950s, and was reopened in 1992 after standing unused for many years. National Register of Historic Places listings in Litchfield County, Connecticut

Location

Barkhamsted, Litchfield County, Connecticut
41.92545, -72.99686

Categories

ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

American Legion Forest CCC Shelter
Industrial
0.5 mi
Barkhamsted Center Historic District
Listed
1.6 mi
Moore Jr., William, House
Industrial
2.8 mi
Union Church/St. Paul's Church
Industrial
2.8 mi
Riverton Historic District
Listed
2.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Peoples Forest Museum listed on the National Register?

Peoples Forest Museum was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 3, 1986.

What type of historic resource is Peoples Forest Museum?

Peoples Forest Museum is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Peoples Forest Museum?

The period of significance for Peoples Forest Museum is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Peoples Forest Museum?

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