New London, CT

Standing guard at the head of the Parade, a public plaza graced by the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, New London Union Station was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson, a noted architect who drew inspiration from Europe's medieval buildings and artwork. Opened in 1889, Union Station is a marvel of the bricklayer's skill and art, for its facades show off finely constructed arches and large gables whose brick surfaces are laid in decorative patterns that entice the eye.

Shabby and run-down by the 1970s, the structure was almost demolished before a Boston architect specializing in historic preservation and adaptive reuse led a group of investors to purchase and restore the building. In the early 2000s, a new partnership undertook further work that included the cleaning and repair of brickwork, installation of a new roof, and restoration of the waiting room's rich and lustrous woodwork.

New London, located on the Thames River near its entry into Long Island Sound, has long been shaped by its proximity to the sea. In the mid-18^th century, one of the nation's earliest lighthouses was erected to guide ships away from rocky outcroppings and into safe harbor. During the Revolutionary War, American privateers based at New London inflicted serious damage on British shipping, and in retaliation, British forces invaded the town in 1781 and set it ablaze. A generation later, the city grew wealthy off of whaling and the resulting export of oil, bones, and ambergris. The oil was valued for lighting while ambergris was a key component of perfumes. In the town post office, a series of murals depicts the rigors of long months and years at sea in search of the prized mammals.

By the end of the century, the land where sound and river met developed into a popular summer colony for the wealthy-arriving by train or yacht-who came to catch the sea breezes and socialize. Further up the river, old Fort Trumbull became home to the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1910, and in 1932 the citizens of New London donated the present campus. At Groton, across the river, the world's first nuclear powered submarine was launched in 1954, and Naval Submarine Base New London remains the home of the Navy's submarine force. Today, the history and stories of the city's proud seafaring past are available for exploration at the Custom House Maritime Museum, located in the oldest continuously operating custom house in the country.

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New London’s Historic Waterfront District will celebrate its sixth annual Fish Tales, Tugs and Sails children’s festival on Saturday, July 23 from 11am – 5pm.  The event will take place on Custom House Pier and along the promenade. The free nautically-themed event celebrates children’s literature and the environment. Fish Tales is a unique family event that features a wide variety of children’s literature authors and illustrators, story tellers, boats and sailing vessels, environmentally themed activities and interactive professional performances for children.