HADLYME — During an April 2 celebration of the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry’s 253-year legacy of service on the Connecticut River, Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto cut a ribbon before welcoming new passengers aboard.
Attending the event were State Rep. Devin Carney, R-23rd, whose district includes Lyme and Old Lyme; State Rep. Christine A. Palm, (D-36th District); State Rep. Irene Haines, (R-34th District); District); Senator Norman Needleman, D-33rd District); Lynn Wilkinson, President of the Friends of Gillette Castle State Park, and Tyke and Theodora Niver (a.k.a. William and Helen Gillette).
The event was sponsored by the Friends of Gillette Castle State Park with refreshments from the Hadlyme Country Market.
The boat loaded first on the Chester side and then made its five-minute run east to the Hadlyme landing adjacent to the park, where members of the Friends of Gillette Castle State Park gathered to mingle with regional dignitaries.
Access to the western landing is on Rte. 148 at Ferry Road in Chester. The eastern landing is on park property at the base of Seventh Sister Hill, with a road and footpath leading up to the castle, the eccentric, century-old home of the late actor William Gillette.
The event included the portrayal of Gillette and his wife by Harold and Theodora Niver of Rocky Hill, who have portrayed the Gillettes at the castle for decades.
The park itself is in the towns of East Haddam and Lyme along the Connecticut River, and is open daily from 8 a.m. until sunset.
In addition to being a continuation of scenic Rte. 148, the initiation of ferry service is an important lifeline between Chester and Hadlyme, Lynn Wilkinson, president of the Friends of Gillette Castle State Park, noted.
“The ferry offers a wonderful alternative traffic route, and this year especially it will help ease the pressure of traffic during closures this year of the East Haddam Swing Bridge, which carries Rte. 82 over the Connecticut River,” Wilkinson said. “It also gives park visitors a really fun and ‘photo-friendly’ way to get to the castle.”
The bridge-rehabilitation project is expected to have no impact on the ferry’s operations or hours, according to John Kennedy, the ferry’s captain. The Connecticut DOT launched the project in 2022 to improve the swing-span operation’s reliability, extend its service life and improve the roadway. Completion is expected by late 2024.
A series of 63-hour road-closure periods are planned during which traffic will be detoured away from the bridge, according to a state-published pamphlet. Several closures are to take place this year, beginning at 8 p.m. Sundays and ending at 11 am. Wednesdays, except on holiday weekends.
For details about the bridge project, visit easthaddamswingbridgeproject.com.
The ferry is expected to operate through Nov. 30, and will be closed Thanksgiving Day. Additional ferry information may be found online at portal.ct.gov/DOT/Traveler/ferries/Chester-Hadlyme-Ferry.
Ferry passengers will be charged current rates to ride the 65-foot diesel-run Selden III, which include a walk-on charge of $2 to pedestrians and bicyclists, $5 for vehicles on weekdays and $6 for vehicles on weekends. A $3 commuter rate requires pre-purchased coupons priced in a book of 20 for $60.
Because the boat is a public conveyance, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may affect the boat’s capacity as well as safety precautions such as masking and social distancing while aboard the boat. Under normal conditions, the boat has a nine-vehicle capacity.
A book detailing the history of Connecticut ferries is available for purchase at the Gillette Castle souvenir shop.
The Chester-Hadlyme Ferry began service in 1769 as Warner’s Ferry, and is one of the oldest continuously operating ferries in the United States. It is also Connecticut’s second-oldest ferry service, after the Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry, which began in 1655.
A steam-powered barge began to serve the ferry crossing in 1879 and was named the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry in 1882 while it was operated by the town of Chester. In 1917, the Connecticut Department of Transportation took over the service, and the current boat has been in operation since 1949.
The Friends of Gillette Castle State Park is a nonprofit, all-volunteer group dedicated to the preservation, conservation and educational activities of the building and its grounds. More information may be found at www.gillettecastlefriends.org.