CTMQ

Destroying the myth that there is nothing to do here

green mountain modern house
  • CTMQ’s Town Guides
    • Town Completion Celebrations
  • Museums
    • Museum Visits
  • Hikes, Bikes, & Paddles
    • CFPA Trails & Blue Trails Challenge
    • State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites
    • Land Trust Trails
    • Town Trails
    • Audubon, Nature Conservancy, RWA, and US Army Corps of Engineers Trails
    • Highpointing and Peakbagging
    • Cycling, Multi-Use, & Rails-to-Trails Paths
    • Water Trails
  • Food & Drink
    • Best, Historic, & Unique Restaurants & Foods
    • Classic Diners & True Taverns
    • Homemade Ice Cream, Cheese, & Chocolate Trails
    • Breweries, Brewpubs, & Cideries
    • Wineries & Meaderies
    • Distilleries
  • Everything Else
    • National Designations
    • Firsts, Onlies, Oldests, Largests, Longests, Mosts, Smallests, & Bests
    • Geography
    • Animals, Farms, Gardens, Plants, Trees, Rocks, Waterfalls, & Caves
    • Sports, Thrills, Cruises, Trains, Fairs, Parades, & Events
    • Houses, Communities, Urban Legends, Lighthouses, Libraries, Schools, Businesses, & Theaters
    • Towers, Bridges, Forts, Tunnels, Roads, Canals, Dams, Fishways, Airports, & Ferries
    • Religion, Remembrances, Statuary, & Outdoor Art
    • Cultural, Heritage, & Historic Trails
    • CT Books, Movies, People, & Stories
  • Non-CT
    • Travel & Vacations
    • World Soccer Stadium Tour
    • Highpointing & Peakbagging
    • Books & Reading Challenges
    • Oscar Movies Project
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Family
    • Smith-Magenis Syndrome
    • Press
CTMQ > Firsts Onlies and Oldests

Hillside Intermediate School

November 7, 2018 by Steve Leave a Comment

Three Sides to Every Story Hillside School Naugatuck One of my favorite things about writing CTMQ is when I pop into (yet) a(nother) town historical society museum, go through the motions, and then am stopped in my tracks by a town place or fact that just blows my mind. Such was my experience at the small … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everything Else, Houses, Communities, Libraries, & Businesses, New Post Tagged With: Cool Architecture, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, naugatuck

3 Cool Historic Buildings in Essex

March 26, 2018 by Steve Leave a Comment

A First, An Oldest, and The House Witch Hazel Built Remodeled Essex Essex. Always on everyone’s list when it comes to top 10 Connecticut towns; whether that list is “cutest” or “quaintest” or simply “best.” Heck, it is one of the four Connecticut entries in 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. There … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everything Else, Houses, Communities, Libraries, & Businesses, New Post, Superlatives Tagged With: Cool Architecture, Essex, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, Industrial History, Private Residences

First Baptist Church (Essex)

March 26, 2018 by Steve Leave a Comment

Tut, Tut, Calvin First Baptist Church (Essex) I usually give away why I'm dedicating CTMQ space to something in the title or at least a subtitle. But not today! I'm making you READ a few lines! But just a few. The First Baptist Church of Essex, Connecticut is... one of only three Egyptian Revival churches in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everything Else, New Post, Religion, Cemeteries, Monuments, Statuary, Greens, & Outdoor Sculpture & Art, Superlatives Tagged With: Calvin, churches temples & synagogues, Essex, Firsts Onlies and Oldests

NHL: Henry Whitfield House

February 12, 2018 by Steve 1 Comment

CT National Historic Landmark Henry Whitfield House 248 Old Whitfield Street, Guilford You’re darn tootin’ this is a National Historic Landmark! One of the best, in fact... not just in Connecticut, but in the entire country. Not just because it has housed an excellent museum (since 1899!), but because it … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everything Else, National "Stuff", Superlatives Tagged With: Firsts Onlies and Oldests, Guilford, historic house museums, Historic Houses, National Historic Landmarks

Site of First Christmas Tree in US… Maybe

November 3, 2017 by Steve Leave a Comment

“Fröhliche Weihnachten!" Site of First Christmas Tree in US Windsor Locks CTMQ readers know that I love my dubious superlatives. Writing about one of our country’s oldest states means that I come across a lot of them. There are so many – and so many are impossible to really, truly corroborate. But this one … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everything Else, New Post, Religion, Cemeteries, Monuments, Statuary, Greens, & Outdoor Sculpture & Art, Superlatives Tagged With: Christmas, Dubious Claims, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, Trees, Windsor Locks

Cargill Falls

July 12, 2017 by Steve Leave a Comment

Just Wait a Cotton Pickin' Minute... Cargill Falls, Putnam May 2014 & February 2017 Cargill Falls is probably the thing in Putnam that most people associate with Putnam. Either the falls or the growing and cool little art community. The falls are more or less in the center of town, they are pretty, and they are … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Biology & Geology, Everything Else, New Post, Superlatives Tagged With: Dubious Claims, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, Industrial History, putnam, Waterfalls

East Windsor Hill Post Office

June 29, 2017 by Steve Leave a Comment

Is This Possibly True? Oldest Active Post Office in US South Windsor Something that is definitely true: I often do "hidden giveaways" towards the end of CTMQ posts. The thrill I get from knowing people read things I write is bigger for me than the thrill of winning is for them. The last one I did was for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everything Else, Houses, Communities, Libraries, & Businesses, New Post, Superlatives Tagged With: Dubious Claims, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, post offices, South Windsor

Martha A. Parsons House Museum

June 16, 2017 by Steve Leave a Comment

“Parsons Me, But I Need to Take Pictures” Enfield (Google Maps location) June 2017 CT museum visit #360 and is a site along the Connecticut Women's Heritage Trail. Remember back in the day when I started this website? Damian was a wee baby, Calvin not yet a twinkle in my eye, my hair was dark and my abs were … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Museums, New Post Tagged With: CT Women's Hall of Fame, Dubious Claims, Enfield, enfield historical society, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, Free Museums, Historic Houses, Women's Heritage Trail

Russian-Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Union

April 11, 2017 by Steve 1 Comment

Russian-Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Union Ashford This is one of those posts that very few will read and many more will question why it even exists. I’m in the the “many more” group. I think we can all agree that I can’t chase down every superlative and “first” and “only” in Connecticut. Hypothetically, the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everything Else, New Post, Religion, Cemeteries, Monuments, Statuary, Greens, & Outdoor Sculpture & Art, Superlatives Tagged With: Ashford, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, Russian

General Nathaniel Lyon Memorial State Park

April 11, 2017 by Steve 3 Comments

I Ain't Lyon General Nathaniel Lyon Memorial State Park, Eastford This was originally visited and written up as part of The Sky's the Limit 2017 Hiking Challenge. Eh, what the heck. If we were going to go all-in on the coldest day of Winter 2016-17 with a hike up in Union, we might as well pick up aother TSTL … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFPA Hikes, Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, Hiking Challenges, New Post, Religion, Cemeteries, Monuments, Statuary, Greens, & Outdoor Sculpture & Art, State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites Tagged With: Calvin, Damian, Eastford, Firsts Onlies and Oldests, Hikes with my Boys, Hiking Challenges with Rewards, Military History, Natchaug State Forest, natchaug trail, nathaniel Lyon Memorial State Park, Sky's the Limit Challenge

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • …
  • 11
  • Next Page »
  • Bluesky
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Goodreads
  • Instagram
  • RSS

Press & Media Inquiries

Latest Museum Visits

The heart of CTMQ

Totally Random Post!

World’s Largest Visible Model of the Solar System (Gone)

Sponsored Links

Recent Comments

  • Roberta on Camp Aya-Po
  • Emma on East Hartford Nature Park
  • Donna McNally on Nipmuck Trail: Section 3
  • Henry S on URR Trail: Middlefield
  • Mr.Z on Black Hog Brewing Company
Disclaimer
Mission Statement
Copyright © 2025 - CTMQ