I can immediately think of a ton of taller buildings in East Hartford alone along the banks of the Connecticut River.īack in its infancy, featured performers of the day were brought to East Haddam by steamboat, many directly from theatres in New York. What? That must’ve been the case in 1876. And if and when you tour it, you learn things like how at six stories, it’s the tallest building along the entire Connecticut River! Wait. Not only is it beautiful, but the Goodspeed is one of the most important production theaters in the country. It was almost lost to history more than once – slated for demolition in 1958! – but was saved through the efforts of theater lovers and preservationists to re-open in 1963 with its original splendor.Īnd thank goodness. In the 150 years since it was built, the building has endured a few vastly different lives – of course, originally as a theater, steamboat passenger terminal, and professional office space, it positively bustled.Īfter William Goodspeed’s death in 1882, the opera house fell into disrepair, facing a series of less glamorous uses - from a militia base during World War I to a general store and a Department of Transportation storage facility. Goodspeed, a shipping and banking magnate who loved theater. The building was built in 1876 for William H. Oddly enough, the Goodspeed was never an opera house. I finally did with a large group on an annual Open House Day and I’d recommend you do the same – whether your interest lies in architecture, history, museums, or theater. The Goodspeed offers tours on occasion and I’d been itching to catch one for years. Tourism brochures love to feature the striking Victorian building whenever possible. Um, Greenwich wealth? CTMQ?īut if we shrink our 30,000 foot view and come down to earth a bit, I’d argue that the beautiful Goodspeed Opera House on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River fits the “icon” bill for sure. Yale, New Haven pizza, Mark Twain’s House, Mystic Seaport maybe… insurance? The Whalers logo for sure. Religion, Remembrances, Statuary, & Outdoor Artįrom a national view, there are very few things that are truly iconic in Connecticut.Towers, Bridges, Forts, Tunnels, Roads, Canals, Dams, Fishways, Airports, & Ferries.Houses, Communities, Urban Legends, Lighthouses, Libraries, Schools, Businesses, & Theaters.Sports, Thrills, Cruises, Trains, Fairs, Parades, & Events.Animals, Farms, Gardens, Plants, Trees, Rocks, Waterfalls, & Caves.Firsts, Onlies, Oldests, Largests, Longests, Mosts, Smallests, & Bests.Homemade Ice Cream, Cheese, & Chocolate Trails.Best, Historic, & Unique Restaurants & Foods.Cycling, Multi-Use, & Rails-to-Trails Paths.Audubon, Nature Conservancy, RWA, and US Army Corps of Engineers Trails.State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites.
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