Nature Is Never Far Away In Beautiful Avon

12/5/2020 (Permalink)

Water damage can affect your home from any direction. Contact our certified SERVPRO team to mitigate the situation and remediate the damage.

Enjoy Recreation Time Among Stunning New England Scenery

The Farmington Valley is a lush place of lowlands and greenery, beside the Farmington River at the edge of Hartford County in Connecticut. Avon is the perfect base for exploring the valley and the many natural wonders it has to offer.

Avon has been around since 1645 and was originally part of Farmington. The Avon area became a separate parish, known as Northington, in 1750. Northington was separated because the settlers wanted to plant a church that would be accessible to the local people. A graduate of the Yale School of Divinity, Ebenezer Booge, did just that in 1752 when he arrived in the Avon area.

Avon grew steadily after that, thanks to the Farmington Canal opening, which brought plenty of new business to the village. The Connecticut General Assembly incorporated Northington as Avon in the late 19th century, naming it after the English county of Avon. Unfortunately, Avon did not experience the boom its townspeople were hoping for, and it became a suburb of Hartford. Nowadays, Avon has a population of 18,302. This makes it a perfect spot to live or visit, as it's close enough to Hartford to have all the amenities you could want while still retaining a rural feel, with plenty of places to enjoy nature and stunning historic buildings that make it feel like you took a step back in time.

Take A Stroll Through History

Take a walk through Avon or nearby Hartford, and enjoy the many historical sites and buildings. You do not want to miss:

• Pine Grove School House is a tiny one-room schoolhouse in Avon. The schoolhouse has been around since 1865. It originally had the uninspiring name Schoolhouse #7, but a teacher noticed the nearby stand of pine trees and renamed it Pine Grove. The schoolhouse has also been used as a library, a boy scout hut, and a nursery school. These days it has been lovingly restored by The Avon Historical Society, so you can see how it looked back in the days when students were responsible for keeping the wood-burning stove alight throughout the school day!
• Avon Old Farms Boarding School. This beautiful red brick building has been around since 1927. It is unusual in that it was designed by a woman – not common for buildings in that era. The school's designer was Theodate Pope Riddle, an aristocratic woman who was a self-taught architect. She was licensed by the American Institute of Architects in 1933, becoming the sixth licensed female architect in Connecticut. Education was another of her passions, and she designed Avon Old Farms to promote good morals and strong values.
• Nip across to Hartford and see The Mark Twain House, where Twain and his family lived from 1874 to 1891. Mark Twain authored many of his most famous works here, including A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court, The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn, and The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer. The house has been carefully restored to the state it was in when the Twain family lived there, and there is also a visitor center where you can learn more and view artifacts from the house.

Enjoy The Great Outdoors

When you have finished enjoying Avon's historical sites, you'll find plenty of hikes suitable for all abilities so that you can enjoy the natural beauty of New England. Some popular nature spots are:

• The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. This trail offers 81.2 miles of easy walking and follows the Farmington Canal and Hampshire and Hampden Canal's previous routes. If you join the path at nearby Cheshire, you can view Lock 12. This restored lock offers a glimpse at Connecticut's rich canal heritage and includes a museum and picnic area. The trail area around Cheshire is a multi-purpose trail that is ideal for walking, biking, jogging, and even in-line skating and cross country skiing.
• The Metacomet Trail is easily accessible from Avon or Hartford and yet offers wild and rugged walking trails with dramatic hills, gorges, and rivers. You will feel like you are miles from civilization, and yet you can quickly get back to the more populated areas and enjoy some of the fine restaurants and bars Avon has to offer. Do not forget to drop by Hill-Stead, a historic home built to the designs of Theodate Pope Riddle.
• Fisher Meadows is the ideal spot to relax and enjoy leisurely strolls. The Fisher Meadows trail takes you down to the Farmington River banks, where you can wander the woods and fields and enjoy the peace. You will also find a playground and two pavilions, plus softball fields, a lake where you can fish (with a permit), and plenty of space for cross-country skiing and bird watching.

SERVPRO Helps Avon Residents With Water Damage Restoration

Older Connecticut residents might remember the Connecticut floods of 1955. In August of that year, Connecticut was hit hard by two hurricanes, Connie and Diane. In October, Connecticut flooded again. The floods caused 80 deaths and millions of dollars worth of property damage. They are widely considered the worst natural disaster to hit the state.

Water damage is stressful, whether it comes from a flood or storm, or whether a broken appliance or damaged plumbing is the cause. SERVPRO is on hand to help all residents whenever they need water damage restoration. Our process is built on:

• Fast response, before mold can set in and cause more damage.
• Thorough assessment using moisture probes and meters, thermal imaging, and thermo hygrometers.
• Powerful extraction first, to remove as much water as possible before we begin drying.
• A carefully monitored drying process to eliminate all excess moisture.

We aim to leave your home, "Like it never even happened." Because we focus on restoring rather than replacing items, you know your precious belongings are in good hands, and we will do everything in our power to clean and fix them. Many insurance companies prefer to restore rather than replace too, as it is cheaper, so working with us can make your insurance claim run more smoothly.

For help with water damage restoration, call SERVPRO of The Farmington Valley at (860) 675-4500.