Mount Tom State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Tom State Park |
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Mount Tom Tower
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 Mount Tom State Park
Location in Connecticut
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| Location | Litchfield, Morris & Washington, Connecticut, United States |
| Area | 231 acres (93 ha) |
| Elevation | 981 ft (299 m) |
| Designation | Connecticut state park |
| Established | 1915 |
| Administrator | Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection |
| Website | Mount Tom State Park |
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Mount Tom Tower
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| Location | Mount Tom State Park, Litchfield County, Connecticut |
| Area | 20 acres (8.1 ha) |
| Built | 1921 |
| Built by | John DaRoss from Litchfield, CT |
| Architect | Alfred M. Turner |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Jacobean Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 93001247 |
| Added to NRHP | December 12, 1993 |
Mount Tom State Park is a fun outdoor area in Connecticut. It's located in the towns of Washington, Litchfield, and Morris. This park covers about 231 acres of land.
The park is right next to Mount Tom Pond. It's also home to the famous Mount Tom Tower. This tower is so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection takes care of the park.
Contents
Park History: How It Started
Mount Tom State Park is one of the oldest parks in Connecticut. It was created a long time ago, between 1913 and 1918. It was one of the first 15 parks opened by the state.
The land for the park was given as a gift in 1911. A man named Charles H. Senff wanted it to be a state park. After he passed away, his wife, Gustavia A. Senff, made sure the gift happened. The state officially took over the land in 1917. Mount Tom State Park was actually the very first park to open in Connecticut!
Mount Tom Tower: A View from the Top
When the Senff family gave the land, they had one special request. They wanted a strong observation tower to always be at the top of Mount Tom. Before the current tower, there was an old wooden one built in 1888.
The State Park Commission decided to build a new stone tower. Alfred M. Turner, the commission's secretary, helped design it. A builder named John DaRoss from Litchfield constructed the tower. He used rough black gneiss rocks found right there at the site.
The tower is about 34 feet tall and 15 feet wide. It was finished in 1921. You can climb to the top for amazing views! On a clear day, you might see Mount Everett in Massachusetts. You can also spot the Catskill Mountains in New York and even Long Island Sound.
Park Geology: Rocks and Glaciers
The park is a cool place to learn about rocks. You can find metamorphic rocks like gneiss and schist here. There are also minerals like quartz, garnet, and hornblende.
You might also see huge boulders scattered around. These boulders were carried to the park by giant Ice Age glaciers long, long ago. It's like a natural history lesson!
Fun Things to Do at Mount Tom State Park
Mount Tom State Park offers lots of fun activities for visitors:
- Fishing: You can go fishing in Mount Tom Pond.
- Swimming: The pond is a great place for a swim on a hot day.
- Canoeing: You can also go canoeing on the 56-acre Mount Tom Pond.
- Hiking: There's a nearly one-mile-long loop trail. It goes up Mount Tom to the observation tower.
- Picnicking: The park has nice spots where you can enjoy a picnic with your family and friends.
