Gales Ferry
Encyclopedia
Gales Ferry is a village in the town
of Ledyard
, Connecticut
, United States
. It is located along the eastern bank of the Thames River
. The village developed as a result of having a ferry to Uncasville
located at this site, and from which the village was named. Gales Ferry has been designated as a census-designated place
for the 2010 Census.
Much of the core of the original settlement at the site of the former ferry has been included in two separate historic districts
, each with several farmstead buildings from the late colonial and early national periods (late 18th and early 19th century). The two historic districts are irregularly shaped, and are separated by a railroad cut and some non-contributing buildings.
Several farmsteads that are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places
are located close to Gales Ferry. These are: the Nathan Lester House
on Vinegar Hill Road, the Perkins-Bill House
at 1040 Long Cove Road, and the Capt. Mark Stoddard Farmstead
at 24 Vinegar Hill Road.
crew training camp. Gales Ferry is part of the town of Ledyard, with a post office(ZIP code
06335) and the Gales Ferry branch of the Ledyard library. The community has several neighborhoods including The Village, Birdland, Christy Hills, Sherwood Forest, Glenwoods, and Presidential Estates. The community of Gales Ferry also has its own volunteer fire department, a small marina, and Dow Chemical operates a plant located on Route 12. Much of the economic activity in the town revolves around the US Naval Base
just to the south of the town in Groton, Connecticut
. The community has three schools: Juliet W. Long, which is Grades 3-6, the newer Gales Ferry school, which is K-2,and Ledyard Middle School grade 7-8. They are located off the Thames River next door to each other.
The old Gales Ferry School, located on Hurlbutt Road, has been vacant since 2001. In 2007 the town announced that an agreement had been signed with a developer to convert the school into the Ledyard Medical Center and to construct a Rite Aid Pharmacy on a baseball field located on the school property. Construction was to begin in May 2008. The main developer made a separate agreement to sell the drug store portion of the site to another development company associated with Rite Aide. However, as of February 2009 no progress had been made. The main developer claims that the start of construction is dependent on the installation of a traffic light at the intersection of Hurlbutt Road and Rt. 12. The town disagrees, pointing out that while the traffic light is part of an agreement between the two development companies it is not part of the agreement between the main developer and the town. The town has begun the process of terminating the purchase agreement with the main developer.
The Ferry landing site at Gales Ferry (41°25′50.41"N 72°5′36.06"W at 2 Riverside Place, is now occupied by a complex of buildings owned by Yale University
which serve as a training camp for the Yale Heavyweight Men's Crew for the Yale-Harvard Boat Race. The complex consists of the Varsity House, Manager's House and the Boathouse. The oldest structure on the site is the front portion of the varsity house which was originally constructed in the late eighteenth century as a private home and which has since been considerably expanded by multiple additions. The boathouse was designed by James Gamble Rogers
who was also responsible for much of the gothic revival architecture at Yale's New Haven campus.
The boathouse adjoining the dock serves as a center of activity when the camp is occupied and provides storage and repair space for the boats. Freshman oarsmen are also quartered in the second floor of the boathouse. Upperclassmen, including all of the rowers in the varsity and junior varsity boats, are quartered in the top floor of the varsity house. Women on the team, if there are any serving as coxswain
s, are housed either in the front wing of the varsity quarters or in the manager's house. The varsity house also contains several common spaces including a game room, a central common room and the dining room as well as bathrooms and the kitchen.
The Ferry is of considerable historical interest since Yale's Crew is the oldest college athletic
team in America. The complex's buildings are filled with memorabilia and artifacts from the team's history. This is a living history however, because of continuing use and occupation that bring the camp to life every year for the race. As the center of Yale Crew's institutional memory and the annual home of the longest running rivalry in American college sports the Ferry serves as an important site in the history of sports.
, each with several farmstead buildings from the late colonial and early national periods (late 18th and early 19th century). The two historic districts are irregularly shaped, and are separated by a railroad cut and some non-contributing buildings.
Gales Ferry Historic District No. 1
Gales Ferry Historic District No. 1 is an irregularly shaped historic district
in the area of the junction of Hurlbutt Road and Riverside Place. It includes work designed by Stephen Gray and examples of Greek Revival, Italianate, and Federal architecture. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1992. In 1992, it included 31 contributing buildings over 13 acres.
Significant buildings within the district include:
Gales Ferry Historic District No. 2
Gales Ferry Historic District No. 2 is another irregularly shaped historic district that runs roughly along Hurlbutt Road, from Allyn Road to Military Highway. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. It is an irregularly shaped area, with boundaries drawn to include historic Colonial, Federal
and other architecture, and to exclude more modern intrusions. In 2002 it included 44 contributing buildings, 14 non-contributing buildings, two other contributing structures, and two contributing sites over 25 acres (101,171.5 m²). The Gales Ferry Cemetery is one of the contributing sites.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
of Ledyard
Ledyard, Connecticut
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,687 people, 5,286 households, and 4,101 families residing in the town. The population density was 385.1 people per square mile . There were 5,486 housing units at an average density of 143.8 per square mile...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located along the eastern bank of the Thames River
Thames River (Connecticut)
The Thames River is a short river and tidal estuary in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It flows south for through eastern Connecticut from the junction of the Yantic and Shetucket rivers at Norwich, to New London and Groton, which flank its mouth at the Long Island Sound.Differing from its...
. The village developed as a result of having a ferry to Uncasville
Uncasville, Connecticut
Uncasville is an area in the town of Montville, Connecticut. The area traditionally known as Uncasville is a village in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River...
located at this site, and from which the village was named. Gales Ferry has been designated as a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
for the 2010 Census.
Much of the core of the original settlement at the site of the former ferry has been included in two separate historic districts
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
, each with several farmstead buildings from the late colonial and early national periods (late 18th and early 19th century). The two historic districts are irregularly shaped, and are separated by a railroad cut and some non-contributing buildings.
Several farmsteads that are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
are located close to Gales Ferry. These are: the Nathan Lester House
Nathan Lester House
The Nathan Lester House is a farmstead house built in 1793. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.It is located in the Gales Ferry section of Ledyard, Connecticut....
on Vinegar Hill Road, the Perkins-Bill House
Perkins-Bill House
The Perkins-Bill House is a Colonial style farmstead house in the Gales Ferry section of Ledyard, Connecticut, that was built in 1781. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000....
at 1040 Long Cove Road, and the Capt. Mark Stoddard Farmstead
Capt. Mark Stoddard Farmstead
The Capt. Mark Stoddard Farmstead in the Gales Ferry section of Ledyard, Connecticut, was built in 1770. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992....
at 24 Vinegar Hill Road.
Village
The village is named for the ferry operated by Roger Gale at the current site of a Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
crew training camp. Gales Ferry is part of the town of Ledyard, with a post office(ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
06335) and the Gales Ferry branch of the Ledyard library. The community has several neighborhoods including The Village, Birdland, Christy Hills, Sherwood Forest, Glenwoods, and Presidential Estates. The community of Gales Ferry also has its own volunteer fire department, a small marina, and Dow Chemical operates a plant located on Route 12. Much of the economic activity in the town revolves around the US Naval Base
Naval Submarine Base New London
Naval Submarine Base New London is the United States Navy's primary submarine base, the "Home of the Submarine Force", and "the Submarine Capital of the World".-History:...
just to the south of the town in Groton, Connecticut
Groton, Connecticut
Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....
. The community has three schools: Juliet W. Long, which is Grades 3-6, the newer Gales Ferry school, which is K-2,and Ledyard Middle School grade 7-8. They are located off the Thames River next door to each other.
The old Gales Ferry School, located on Hurlbutt Road, has been vacant since 2001. In 2007 the town announced that an agreement had been signed with a developer to convert the school into the Ledyard Medical Center and to construct a Rite Aid Pharmacy on a baseball field located on the school property. Construction was to begin in May 2008. The main developer made a separate agreement to sell the drug store portion of the site to another development company associated with Rite Aide. However, as of February 2009 no progress had been made. The main developer claims that the start of construction is dependent on the installation of a traffic light at the intersection of Hurlbutt Road and Rt. 12. The town disagrees, pointing out that while the traffic light is part of an agreement between the two development companies it is not part of the agreement between the main developer and the town. The town has begun the process of terminating the purchase agreement with the main developer.
The Ferry
The ferry which gave its name to the surrounding community of Gales Ferry was first established on the Thames in 1740. John Comstock, Ralph Stoddard, Jr. and John Hurlbut were the original three ferry men. It became known as Gale's Ferry when it was owned by Roger Gale from 1759 to 1764.The Ferry landing site at Gales Ferry (41°25′50.41"N 72°5′36.06"W at 2 Riverside Place, is now occupied by a complex of buildings owned by Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
which serve as a training camp for the Yale Heavyweight Men's Crew for the Yale-Harvard Boat Race. The complex consists of the Varsity House, Manager's House and the Boathouse. The oldest structure on the site is the front portion of the varsity house which was originally constructed in the late eighteenth century as a private home and which has since been considerably expanded by multiple additions. The boathouse was designed by James Gamble Rogers
James Gamble Rogers
James Gamble Rogers was an American architect best known for his academic commissions at Yale University, Columbia University, Northwestern University, and elsewhere....
who was also responsible for much of the gothic revival architecture at Yale's New Haven campus.
The boathouse adjoining the dock serves as a center of activity when the camp is occupied and provides storage and repair space for the boats. Freshman oarsmen are also quartered in the second floor of the boathouse. Upperclassmen, including all of the rowers in the varsity and junior varsity boats, are quartered in the top floor of the varsity house. Women on the team, if there are any serving as coxswain
Coxswain (rowing)
In a crew, the coxswain is the member who sits in the stern facing the bow, steers the boat, and coordinates the power and rhythm of the rowers.- Role :The role of a coxswain within a crew is to:...
s, are housed either in the front wing of the varsity quarters or in the manager's house. The varsity house also contains several common spaces including a game room, a central common room and the dining room as well as bathrooms and the kitchen.
The Ferry is of considerable historical interest since Yale's Crew is the oldest college athletic
College athletics
College athletics refers primarily to sports and athletic competition organized and funded by institutions of tertiary education . In the United States, college athletics is a two-tiered system. The first tier includes the sports that are sanctioned by one of the collegiate sport governing bodies...
team in America. The complex's buildings are filled with memorabilia and artifacts from the team's history. This is a living history however, because of continuing use and occupation that bring the camp to life every year for the race. As the center of Yale Crew's institutional memory and the annual home of the longest running rivalry in American college sports the Ferry serves as an important site in the history of sports.
Historic districts
Much of the core of the original settlement at the site of the former ferry has been included in two separate historic districtsHistoric district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
, each with several farmstead buildings from the late colonial and early national periods (late 18th and early 19th century). The two historic districts are irregularly shaped, and are separated by a railroad cut and some non-contributing buildings.
Gales Ferry Historic District No. 1
Gales Ferry Historic District No. 1 is an irregularly shaped historic district
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
in the area of the junction of Hurlbutt Road and Riverside Place. It includes work designed by Stephen Gray and examples of Greek Revival, Italianate, and Federal architecture. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1992. In 1992, it included 31 contributing buildings over 13 acres.
Significant buildings within the district include:
- Guy Stoddard House
- Benajah Davis House, 7 Riverside Place, c. 1750, Gambrel
- Daniel Copp House, 64 Hurlbutt Road, c. 1796, Federal
- Sarah Vincent House, 63 Hurlbutt Road, c. 1850, Victorian vernacular
- Thomas Geer House
- John Allyn, Jr., House, 54 Hurlbutt Road, 1795, vernacular Cape
- Stephen Gray House, 56 Hurlbutt Road, c. 1842, Greek Revival
- William Browning House, 52 Hurlbutt Road, 1827, Cape
- Capt. Austin Lester House, 1846, Greek Revival, 5 Riverside Place
- Rebecca Bailey House, 8 Riverside Place, 1857, Late Greek Revival
- John Bradford House, 57 Hurlbutt Road, c. 1850, 19th-century vernacular
- William Bracewell House
- Capt. Latham Brown House, 2 Riverside Place, c. 1875, Italianate
- Lucy B. Hempstead House, 53 Hurlbutt Road, c. 1910, Victorian vernacular
- Samuel Brown Store, 55 Hurlbutt Road, 1899
- Yale Boathouse, 2 Riverside Place, c. 1910
Gales Ferry Historic District No. 2
Gales Ferry Historic District No. 2 is another irregularly shaped historic district that runs roughly along Hurlbutt Road, from Allyn Road to Military Highway. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. It is an irregularly shaped area, with boundaries drawn to include historic Colonial, Federal
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
and other architecture, and to exclude more modern intrusions. In 2002 it included 44 contributing buildings, 14 non-contributing buildings, two other contributing structures, and two contributing sites over 25 acres (101,171.5 m²). The Gales Ferry Cemetery is one of the contributing sites.