Town of Chester

Facts about Chester

Town/City established:

• Settled in 1692 and Incorporated in 1836.

Named from: 

• Named after the Chester, England.

County:

• Middlesex.

Notable citizens (past and present):

• Paul Hopkins (1904-2004). Baseball player.
• Sol LeWitt. Contemporary artist.
• Morley Safer. CBS news correspondent.
• Max Showwalter (1917-2000). Actor in film, Broadway and television.

Top Five Attractions:

• The Norma Terris Theater.
  The Noram Terris is the second stage of The Goodspeed Opera House. This intimate theatre is dedicated to developing and preserving new musicals.
• Chester/Hadlyme Ferry. A ferry that crosses the scenic Connecticut River near Gillette Castle State Park.
• Chester Museum at the Mill. Museum was a mid-1800s mill site, now houses the Chester Historical Society's award-winning exhibit Streams of Change: Life and Industry Along the Pattaconk.
• Cedar Lake.
• Cockaponsett State Forest. The state's second largest state forest offering horseback riding, fishing, hiking, youth group camping, swimming, mountain biking, cross-country skiing.

Annual Visitor’s Events:

• First Friday’s, First Friday of Every Month from 5-8 p.m. in Chester Village
• Town Wide Tag Sale, Memorial Day Weekend
• Farmer’s Market, Sunday's 10 a.m.-1 p.m.,  June-October
• 4 on the 4th Road Race, July 4
• Chester Fair, August
• Lobsterfest, September

Quality of the town/city:

• Unwind in  a unique town that celebrates art, history, music, theater, crafts and cuisine, a community and conversation located in the beautiful Connecticut River Valley. Enjoy art galleries, shopping and restaurants in the village center, ride the Chester/Hadlyme ferry across the scenic Connecticut River and visit the historic Gillette Castle, attend a performance at the Norma Terris Theater, bike through the Cockaponsett State Forest, or swim at Cedar Lake, or take a tour of the Chester Museum at the Mill. Visit www.visitchesterct.com for more info.