Similar to when I tried to explore Dogtown in Gloucester and buckets of rain were literally dumped on us, some Backyard Road Trips just do not work out. Running through the BYRT Index and realizing that we really haven’t shown Little Rhody too much love, I decided to venture out to Arcadia Management Area in Exeter. In the end, the Arcadia trip didn’t last long since, considering the time of year, we did not want to be confused with deer, so my wife and I decided to head to the tried and true, Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, CT, instead.
Crossing into Rhode Island on Route 165, I was excited to explore Arcadia Management Area. I had been there once before and found some cool old graveyards buried in the woods. This time I was hellbent on seeing a waterfall. Trying to find the location via the map, we passed the street a few times. This was because unplowed snow covered the road. Take 2- we found a lot near a former visitors’ center. On the road toward the path were signs that if you were not wearing 100 or so square inches of orange, you could be fined.
This was February, and snow and orange were not our friends. A family we passed was decked out in orange and said they had to buy this just to go for their walk. I didn’t think I looked too much like a deer (I mean maybe I shouldn’t have worn my antlers on that day), but either way, we decided to leave defeated, sans orange.
Harkness Memorial State Park
Deciding on Harkness, we first stopped at the Mystic Diner for a quick bite to take with us. Look for this diner in an upcoming feature.
Harkness State Park is the crown jewel in the fantastic state park system in Connecticut. It consists of the Eolia Mansion, popular as an event venue (Full disclosure: I had my wedding here), an expansive lawn, and breathtaking gardens. It also has an amphitheater, a beach, walking paths, and spectacular views of Long Island Sound.
The History of Harkness
Harkness State Park is named for Edward and Mary Harkness, the couple whose summer retreat they called Eolia, named for Aeolus, the Greek god of the wind’s island home Aeolia. Harkness is truly a 230-acre paradise by the sea. Being a part of the Connecticut State Park system, access to the grounds is granted for a nominal fee during summer. Harkness is a park that can be explored for hours.
Although the mansion was the center of the Harknesses’ lives, it is not the focal point of the state park. After parking the car, a wide expanse of lawn greets the visitor. Perfect for kite flying and family picnics, this area can be loud and full of revelers. Long Island Sound was literally in the Harkness family’s front yard. From the lawn, watch the ferries, sailboats, and other watercraft coming and going out of the New London harbor. Past the wide swath of green lawn, dirt roads lead to entryways. The one on the right-hand side is a boardwalk that crosses over sand dunes that leads to the beach.
This beach, although small compared to nearby Westerly, Rhode Island, beaches, is a perfect place to dip your feet in the water. Although you can’t swim here, wading in for a quick cool down is just fine. The left side of the beach is noted for its large boulders and on the right is an inlet. Notice when looking on the right a spire rising above the horizon; this is the tower of the former Seaside Sanitarium.
Exploring Harkness Memorial State Park
Harkness has many nooks and crannies to explore. Although I have been going here ever since I can remember, as the years rolled on I discovered more and more facets of the property that I was previously unaware of. On the eastern edge of the property is an amphitheater, hidden behind shrubbery and with a direct view over the marsh to Long Island Sound. Close to this spot is a path that traverses the marshland of Harkness.
Even when the parking lot is full of cars and the smell of barbecues is overwhelming, certain spots in the park, like the marsh path, will be empty. It is truly an explorer’s delight. Closer to the mansion, shaded behind tall trees is a former water tower that used to have a windmill attached to the top. Also on the grounds are acres of former farmland, with roads and paths which wind around, towards the western end of the property.
Due west though is Camp Harkness, which, through Mary Harkness’s philanthropic legacy, is a camp for children with special needs that has its own facilities, including a beach with ramps that make it wheelchair accessible. In addition to the impressive gardens that flank the mansion itself, other gardens pop up in seemingly everywhere throughout the estate. The four bay carriage house contains a small gift shop which is open seasonally; in most places, this building would be the centerpiece! I even discovered in the shade of an ancient looking tree with twisted branches, a small burial plot, seemingly for family pets. Speaking of pets, dogs are prominent guests at Harkness!
The Harkness Gardens
The location of Harkness is Goshen Point. In my early years going to Harkness, I remember vividly the gardens on the grounds being in full bloom. Equipped with Asian-themed and gnome statuary, they were stunning. Unfortunately, for many years they were not tended to, and the mansion itself was looking a bit forlorn. Thankfully, those days are long gone as the mansion and gardens are kept up meticulously today. The gardens, a design by prominent landscape architect Beatrix Jones Farrand, are ever-changing with the season.
Some paths are geometrically traceable, and others meander here and there. Highlights are an Alpine rock garden and an Asian-inspired garden featuring a statue of Buddha. The park is simply a taste of Europe, as the visitor is allowed to linger on the stone benches in the pergola supported by stunning columns with vines snaking above and alongside the trellis. Just like the park’s grounds, the gardens harbor splendid little corners that veer off the beaten path.
Eolia Mansion
Eolia Mansion, constructed in 1906, designed by the firm of Lord and Hewlett, and bought a year later by the Harkness family, is simply stunning. The mansion’s design is the Second Renaissance Revival style, equipped with a Spanish hip roof. Looking north at the mansion from Long Island Sound, the Italianesque palazzo is next to the breakfast room. With large glass windows, the design of the room includes stenciled flowers and leaves, climbing and snaking alongside its cathedral-style archways. On the other side is another pergola, currently used as a porch. Inside the mansion, a grand staircase gracefully descends from the second floor to the first, directly to the glass doors facing the ocean. Although the decoration inside is sparse, the rooms spring to life during events as personal accouterments are on display.
Candlelight lavishly bathes nighttime activities at Harkness, which suits the mansion perfectly. The interior is Colonial revival and other features of the house include balustrades, Palladian windows, and chimneys. During its heyday, the grounds included a squash court, a billiard room, and a bowling alley. Even the current restroom facility and the guard booth were once part of the estate. Sixty-one buildings encompass the entire property (including Camp Harkness to which the public is not accessible by the public).
The Harkness Family
Edward and Mary Harkness were originally from Ohio, and Edward was the heir to his father’s fortune. His father had been a silent partner of John D. Rockefeller, investing in Standard Oil. In a poll in 1918, Edward was ranked the sixth richest man in the United States. Incredibly philanthropically driven, the Harkness name appears on buildings throughout the country including the Harkness Tower at Yale and the Harkness Chapel at Connecticut College.
The Harknesses’ year-round home was another fine mansion on New York City’s Fifth Avenue. Another remarkable Harkness gift is the Temple of Perneb to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This is the immense Egyptian temple that one can actually walk into as part of the museum’s extensive Egyptian collection. In total, the Harkness family, which included Edward’s philanthropic mother, Anna, contributed upwards of one to two hundred million dollars to worthy causes. The final gift that Edward and Mary left is their estate to the state of Connecticut, for enjoyment by all for posterity.
Camp Harkness
Camp Harkness was created by Mary Harkness as a summer camp for children who were stricken with polio. In 1920, she welcomed 30 children from New York City to spend the summer on their estate. This created the basis for what would become Camp Harkness. This lasted for years and eventually when the state attained the land in 1952, Camp Harkness itself was founded as a state park accessed by individuals with special needs. Facilities include a dining hall, a beach, cottages, tent sites, and horseback riding. Also located on-site was a working farm. Here the family raised its prized Guernsey cows, grew their own vegetables, and produced their own milk and eggs.
Harkness State Park is located on Great Neck Road in Waterford, just down the street from the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. In the summer, the lawn has played host to music, much of it classical in nature, but national names like James Taylor and Spyro Gyra have graced its stage.
Truly, visiting Harkness instead of getting shot at in Rhode Island was a good idea. Harkness is a park I return to time and again and is truly the perfect seaside state park.
