Barkhamsted Archives – J. G. Coleman Photography

To the Memory of Saville (Saville Dam & Barkhamsted Reservoir, Barkhamsted, Connecticut) — “To the Memory of Saville”
Saville Dam & Barkhamsted Reservoir, Barkhamsted, Connecticut
© 2016 J. G. Coleman

The Saville Dam represents one of the more ambitious civil engineering projects in Connecticut’s history; certainly one of the largest efforts aimed at securing drinking water. Spanning the east branch of the Farmington River in the northwestern hills, it impounds the watercourse for more than 8 miles in the Barkhamsted Reservoir and holds over 35 billion gallons of water.

Saville's Tower (Saville Dam & Barkhamsted Reservoir, Barkhamsted, Connecticut) — “Saville’s Tower”
Saville Dam & Barkhamsted Reservoir, Barkhamsted, Connecticut
© 2016 J. G. Coleman

At the planning stage in the 1920s, it was determined the village of Barkhamsted Hollow sat squarely in the footprint of the future reservoir and the earliest buy-outs began in 1927. Despite fervent outcry from the community, almost a decade of pressure left the township empty. Building of the dam itself commenced in 1936 under the direction of brilliant chief engineer, Caleb Saville. Saville Dam was completed in 1940 but, remarkably, it would take another 8 years before the Farmington could completely fill such a massive reservoir.

Kindling the Hills (Hills beside Barkhamsted Reservoir, Barkhamsted, Connecticut) — “Kindling the Hills”
Hills beside Barkhamsted Reservoir, Barkhamsted, Connecticut
© 2016 J. G. Coleman

As for the long-lost village of Barkhamsted Hollow, it’s been entirely wiped from the map. Community cemeteries, which were moved from the hamlet before dam-building began, can be found orphaned in the hills nearby. Old dirt roads that once led into the village abruptly terminate at the water’s edge. And although accounts suggest that most of the community was torn down prior to flooding, divers are said to have discovered everything from Ford Model Ts to old covered bridges on the bottom of the reservoir.

Purchase a Fine Art Print or Inquire About Licensing

Click here to visit my landing page for “To the Memory of Saville” to buy a beautiful fine art print or inquire about licensing this image.

Want to See More?

Be sure to check out all of my work from the Saville Dam, Barkhamsted Reservoir and nearby Lake McDonough.

Arise McDonough (Lake McDonough, Barkhamsted, Connecticut) — “Arise McDonough”
Lake McDonough, Barkhamsted, Connecticut
© 2016 J. G. Coleman

Nestled amidst a sprawling evergreen forest, the mirror-smooth waters of Lake McDonough lay in shadow even as the first searing beams of morning light break over nearby hilltops and cast a fiery glow upon the woodlands at the water’s edge.

"McDonough Daydream (Lake McDonough, Barkhamsted, Connecticut) — “McDonough Daydream”
Lake McDonough, Barkhamsted, Connecticut
© 2016 J. G. Coleman

“Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over.” So said the celebrated Mark Twain, whose words echo the bitterness which surrounded Connecticut’s hundred-year quest to build enough reservoirs to satisfy the water needs of its crowded capital region. Lake McDonough, at 400 acres, is among the more modest components of that system. Between the 1850s and 1960s, several dams were constructed in the hills west of the metropolitan area, completing a network of reservoirs that collects water from 90 square miles and provides for hundreds of thousands of people in Central Connecticut.

Interestingly, the dark side of this otherwise admirable accomplishment is nowhere in sight. That’s because rural towns and valley farms that found themselves in the path of these impoundments were buried without a trace in watery graves, sacrificed without ceremony in the struggle to secure mankind’s oldest necessity.

Purchase a Fine Art Print or Inquire About Licensing

Click here to visit my landing page for “Arise McDonough” to buy a beautiful fine art print or inquire about licensing this image.

Want to See More?

Be sure to check out all of my work from Lake McDonough, Saville Dam & Barkhamsted Reservoir.