River Mills Heritage Trail

Trail Map (pdf)

Trail Route

Monohansett Mill

Cargill Falls Mill

Morse Mansion

Old Putnam High School

Morse Mill

Belding Mill

Rhodes Mill

Nightingale Mill

A Bit of History

AN EASY WALK

The trail head of the River Mills Heritage Trail is located at the foot of Downtown Putnam. If you are reaching us from I-395, get off at Exit 95 and turn right onto Kennedy Drive. The Quinebaug River, park land, and our popular Putnam River Trail will be on your left; there are several small municipal parking lots where you can pull off, picnic, and enjoy the river views. Whether you are reaching us from I-395 or via Route 44 from the east or west, turn into the Kennedy Drive Municipal Parking Lot at the corner of Kennedy Drive and Pomfret Street where you will find free municipal parking and public restrooms.

The Trail threads its way for 1.1 miles around the Quinebaug River between Pomfret Street and Providence Street - linking together six historic mills and two other historic buildings. Follow the brown Trail Directional Signs leading from one site along the Trail to another. Stop at each site and read its historic marker to learn more. It's an easy, level walk or bike ride with good views of several of the dams and falls along the river.

The Trail begins on Kennedy Drive at the Monohansett Mill located adjacent to the Kennedy Drive Municipal Parking Lot. From the Monohansett Mill, cross Kennedy Drive and follow the Trail Directional Signs along the river to the corner of Kennedy Drive and Pomfret Street where you will turn left to cross the Quinebaug River. Our beautiful Cargill Falls at the Pomfret Street Bridge will try to lure you away into Rotary Park. Pause to take it in, but resist the call and continue across the bridge to the Cargill Falls Mill on the left - the oldest cotton mill site in the nation dating back to 1807.

The Trail crosses Pomfret Street and turns right onto Church Street to historical markers at the Morse Mansion and the original 1874 Old Putnam High School since converted to our Town Hall.

Turning right off Church Street and through Veterans Park to Bridge Street, the Trail cuts across Bridge Street just before the Bridge and travels along the western bank of the Quinebaug River in back of the Courthouse and tennis courts where there are very nice views of the upper falls and mills across and up the river. The Trail dogs to the left and returns to Church Street before coming to the third mill on the new Trail - the Morse Mill . From there, it runs to the Putnam Supermarket where it turns right onto Providence Street.

The Belding / Powhatan Mill lies just over the Providence Street Bridge on the left side of the street. If you are traveling the Trail during weekday business hours, stop in and visit the Quinebaug-Shetucket Heritage Corridor offices where you can pickup pamphlets and other information about the Last Green Valley. Then, it's across the street for a stop at Miller Park - a good resting point with interpretive displays of our river mills heritage. Just two more stops. Turn back down Kennedy Drive and right there next to one another, you will find our fifth and sixth mills on the Trail - the Rhodes Mill and the Nightingale Mill.

We hope that you enjoy walking or bicycling the new River Mills Heritage Trail, and that it will give you a better sense of the historical contribution made by Putnam's River Mills - our first industries and the early foundation of our community. We invite you to also travel along the very popular Putnam River Trail, and to stop and sample our shopping and dining in Downtown Putnam and Riverfront Commons.

CREDITS

• The River Mills Heritage Trail was made possible through a grant from the Quinebaug-Shetucket Heritage Corridor and funding from the Putnam Redevelopment Agency.
• Trail signage provided by Joel Perry of Graphics Unlimited in Pomfret, CT.
• Graphic design services provided by Jim Tourtellotte of Global Design in East Putnam, CT.
• Mill histories provided by Bob Miller, Putnam Municipal Historian.
  

Rhodes Mill Viewed From the West Bank

The map below shows the route of the new River Mills Heritage Trail, as well as the older Putnam River Trail and the area surrounding our downtown; also included are descriptions of the mills and two other historical buildings found along the new trail. This map can be found on the Directory Signs at municipal parking lots. Click here for pdf file.