Mill Pond Falls on Mill Brook, Mill Pond Park, Newington, Connecticut
© 2015 J. G. Coleman
In my new piece, “Heart of the Old Mill”, Mill Pond Falls slips over a shadow-cloaked ledge, its frigid cascades churning to whitewater as it skips over time-worn stone. Above the precipice of the falls, dawn casts warm, sharp light upon a footbridge and snowy woodlands nearby.
Nestled within the center of Newington, Mill Pond Falls is certainly one of Connecticut’s lesser waterfalls at perhaps just 12 to 15 feet in height. Still, the town’s claim that it’s the “smallest natural waterfall in the United States” is no less perplexing.
But while Mill Pond Falls may measure a bit short, it is arguably more beloved than most waterfalls that are several times larger. Each year it is the centerpiece of the “Newington Waterfall Festival” and its cascades are even featured prominently on the town seal! Why so much fanfare over such a diminutive waterfall? During the earliest era of its settlement between the late 1600s and mid-1700s, Newington’s fledging economy was wholly dependent upon these falls to power a local sawmill. So if not for this tiny waterfall, its safe to say that the old colonial village of Newington may have vanished from the map centuries ago.
Purchase a Fine Art Print or Inquire About Licensing
Click here to visit my the landing page for “Heart of the Old Mill” to buy a beautiful fine art print or inquire about rights-managed licensing for this image.
Want to See More?
Be sure to stop by my Waterfalls of Connecticut website to see my photography from a broad range of Connecticut’s exquisite waterfalls.
