The two “historic” Connecticut River ferries will close for the 2023 season on November 30, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
The quote marks are added to the word historic because the DOT always calls the ferries historic.
Are they historic?
Well, according to a story by a Hartford Courant reporter, the one that crosses the rover from Rocky Hill to Glastonbury is historic.
Here’s why, according to the story: The seasonal ferry crossing between the towns of Glastonbury and Rocky Hill is part of Route 160 and is the oldest continuously running ferry service in the United States. Started in 1655, it began before the founding of the towns — both were part of Wethersfield at that time.
As times were, let us say, not so technologically inclined back in the 17th century, the ferry back then was just a raft and it was poled across the Connecticut River. (ugh, right?) Later, and that means the 18th century, it got horsepower, literally. That’s because a horse on a treadmill powered it until it became a steamship around 1876.
According to the story, the ferry now is a three-car barge, “Hollister III” and it’s pulled by a diesel towboat. The barge and towboat were built in 1955 and that’s not quite historic, right?
All that said, until they stop running Nov. 30, the ferries will operate weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. and weekends from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no service on Thanksgiving Day, November 23. (The service be interrupted due to weather conditions, water levels, or mechanical issues. Any closures or delays will be posted on the CTDOT real-time travel and traffic website CTroads.org.)
According to the DOT, to date this year, the Chester-Hadylme Ferry and the Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry have combined to carry nearly 48,000 vehicles and 120,000 passengers across the river.
And that’s even with the ferries being closed in July when the Connecticut River hit high water levels that also flooded some local land. That story also did not fail to note the historic nature of the ferries.
“It was another great year for ferry operations on the Connecticut River. Thank you to thousands of passengers for riding with us and to our crews for delivering another safe and successful ferry season here in Connecticut,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Deputy Commissioner Karen Kitsis said, in a statement “We look forward to next season’s operations as we continue providing alternative transportation options across the scenic Connecticut River. In the meantime, there’s still time for folks to experience Connecticut’s wonderful ferries over the next couple of weeks.”
The statement confirmed that “The Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry is the nation’s oldest continuously operating ferry, first coming into service in 1655.”
The Chester-Hadlyme Ferry, however, launched service in 1769 and continues in the “scenic Route 148 between Chester and Hadlyme and is a shorter travel route than crossing over the East Haddam Swing Bridge,” the statement said. That makes that one historic too.
