Thursday Doors – Stafford Springs

Back in May, when I took the photos of American Woolen Company, I snagged a few other pictures from the Towns of Stafford and Stafford Springs, Connecticut. The area was originally settled, in part due to the abundant water supply, both in the form of rivers and mineral springs – hence the name.

The rivers are tributaries of the Willimantic River, and they helped power a variety of mills in the 1800s. During the Civil War, factories in Stafford made war supplies for the northern forces, including cannonballs. After that, textile and fashion accessories like buttons were manufactured in Stafford.

The buildings in Stafford are beautiful and even though some of the doors have been replaced with modern, soulless glass and aluminum substitutes, I think it’s pretty easy for door lovers to imagine.

I’ve featured a few buildings today. Some were once industrial buildings. Some, such as the two churches are survivors. I wasn’t able to find enough history about any of the buildings to tell a complete story. The answers may lie inside the Stafford Historical Society, but it was closed the day I drove through. I do know a little about the building it’s in, and I’ve included that.

If you’ve been here before, you know that I favor the “Tiled Mosaic” gallery for my photos. I had to partially abandon that feature today, so I could better control the flow. It’s hard to organize the galleries so that you see one photo before the others. So, today, you get a stream of large photos and a few small galleries. Please feel free to let me know if you prefer this over one large gallery. Otherwise, I will probably return to the tiled-gallery next week.

Next week, in fact, every week on Thursday, I participate in Norm Frampton’s Internet phenomenon known as Thursday Doors. If you want to participate, or if you just want to see a lot of interesting doors from around the world, hop on over to Norm’s page. After you check out his doors, click the blue button and a world of doors will be yours. And, you will be able to add your doors.

As you drive into Stafford on CT Route 190 from I-84, you arrive at a New England staple, a traffic circle. The first group of doors on display here are located around that circle.

Congregational Church

Congregational Church

Congregational Church

If you stay on Rt-190, you’ll drive through Somers and Enfield, CT. However, if you cross the river and wind around a few hills, you ‘ll drive through Crystal Lake, Ellington and East Windsor, CT. That’s the route I took, and I brought me by the Historical Society Museum, a mineral spring and another church.

This is the lower level of the Episcopal church

This door would lead to the alter area of the Episcopal church. Not easy access.

The building that houses the Historical Society Museum was the Stafford Public library for over 100 years. The building dates to 1885 when it was an office for Julius Converse, owner of the Mineral Springs Manufacturing Company.

I have to finish with a non-door tribute to the water that brought this area of Connecticut to life, over 200 years ago.