Living Well in Litchfield County, Connecticut

Colebrook

Causes

Organized in 1986, The Colebrook Land Conservancy, Inc. is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Colebrook’s rural character through the conservation of its natural resources. The Conservancy protects 1,306 acres of woodlands, wetlands, and scenic roadsides, as well as the historic Hale Farm. An important part of the Conservancy’s mission is fostering an appreciation of the environment. To that end, they sponsor a variety of educational and recreational activities throughout the year. 

Colebrook Land Conservancy
P.O. Box 90, Colebrook
860-379-1679

Farms

Norbrook Farm is hosting food trucks and live music when the brewery is open. They also offer hiking trails, bike trails, and a disc golf course, which are open 24/7. The brewery is open 12pm-8pm Wednesday through Saturday, and 12pm-6pm on Sundays. Stop by and enjoy farm fresh, homegrown beer or the beautiful trails!

204 Stillman Hill Rd, Colebrook CT, 06021

860-909-1016

Instagram: @norbrookfarm 

Landmarks

According to the original store ledger, the Colebrook General Store was built and opened for business in 1803 by Martin and Solomon Rockwell. The original store, a one room, one story building, is known today as the Woodbine Cottage.  It stands directly behind the Colebrook Store. The need for a larger store to serve the growing population resulted with the Rockwell’s having master builder William Swift construct another building directly in front of the original one in 1812.

559 Colebrook Rd., Colebrook

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, wealthy New Yorkers established country estates in western Connecticut. One of these was Rock Hall, begun in 1911 for Jerome Alexandre, the heir to a shipping fortune. Alexandre’s architect, Addison Mizner, is best known for luxurious Mediterranean Revival estates in Palm Beach, Florida. For Rock Hall, Mizner employed a simplified version of 16th-century English design, which he called ‘Tudor’ and which reflected the Anglophilia of the American upper class at the time. The exterior is a severe composition of rubble stone and stucco, achieving visual effect from contrasting textures. The interior is more elaborate, and in an eclectic mix of styles—English, French Renaissance, and Georgian—characteristic of Mizner’s work. In the landscape are curving drives, allées of trees, a rustic garden pavilion, and a balustrade terrace, which, before the trees grew up, would have provided scenic views. Rock Hall continued to serve as a summer home until 2007, when it became a bed-and-breakfast.

19 Rock Hall Rd., Colebrook

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  • Karen Raines Davis