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A bygone community on the banks of the Quinnipiac

Weed-dappled asphalt, rusty vine-tangled fences, fragments of piers and retaining walls, stone stairs dipping toward the river. A hike through Quinnipiac River State Park, north of Banton Street, reveals remnants of a history much different from the quiet forest that greets us today.

In the 1920s, families flocked to the banks of the Quinnipiac in North Haven, drawn by the beauty and recreation of the woods and water: picnics, swimming, fishing and peaceful living. Called “Little Savin Rock,” it became a hub of summer activity, especially for those escaping the New Haven city heat. A bath house and refreshment stand were built; summer cottages constructed. Over the years, the seasonal retreat grew into a permanent neighborhood, boasting three dozen houses and more than a hundred close-knit neighbors.

For decades the riverside community thrived, but the tide was soon to turn. Upstream development, in particular the construction of I91, altered the watershed, increasing flooding to dangerous proportions. The river rapidly rising, at times up to five feet above its banks, destroyed property and left residents stranded on roofs and porches, requiring rescue by rowboat and rope.

The once cozy community had become a dangerous floodplain and, by 1973, it was clear that a more permanent rescue was in order for the people who called Banton Street home. The state appropriated funds, purchased the properties and relocated the families to higher and drier ground.

Banton Street was abandoned; homes boarded up or hauled away. Streets that once invited recreation, now drew vandals. The ghost town grew dangerous and unsanitary: suspicious fires, seeping septics tanks, weed-filled foundations filling with water.

Eventually, bulldozers dealt with the abandoned structures, and what remained was left to be reclaimed by nature.

Today, we hike among magnolia trees, marsh daisies, moss, and mud. The serenity of a forest-ensconced river mingles with the muffled hum of the nearby Merit Parkway, and, among it all, the vestiges of Banton Street still spark curiosity of the community that once called these Quinnipiac banks their home.

For more information on Banton Street, visit North Haven
https://www.northhaventrails.org/press

and to view trail information visit https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/connecticut/quinnipiac-river-loop?p=22423753

Marooned with chickens on rooftop. Overbook road. Earl Coughlin’s home.
Photo courtesy of North Haven Historical Society and Museums Archives