Hockanum Falls Ready for the Ribbon

The Rockville Downtown Association has finished a major project to spruce up the area around Hockanum Falls and fashion a lighted viewing area and now wants to celebrate. 

Mayor George Apel is scheduled to join the members of the RDA in cutting the aquatic-version of a ribbon at the falls on June 21 at 6 p.m. at the Falls.

The RDA and The Friends of the Hockanum River Linear Park Committee were awarded a grant to fix up the area around the Hockanum Falls.

The falls, located behind the Amerbelle and Ano-Coil plants in Downtown Rockville, are an industrial landmark that can be traced back to the height of the mill era in Vernon. A $10,000 grant, administered by the Connecticut Main Street Center and the “Preservation of Place” program in cooperation with the Commission on Culture & Tourism with funds from the Investment Act of the State of Connecticut, helped pay for the work.

The site is made up a two waterfalls that represent the origin of the town and the system used in some of the earliest textile mills. In 1821, the main waterfall was known as ''The Rock.'' It is a natural dam of solid stone that framed a high drop-off from the Hockanum River, that helped power ''Rock Mill'' and the McLean Woolen Factory, located just downstream, in 1823.

The falls were instrumental in the area of town being named Rockville.

Over the past several years, the area around the waterfalls has become overgrown and the brush blocks just about any view from the street. The project opened a line of sight and created of safe viewing area.

RDA Design Committee members included Jeff Hutton, Robert Hurd, David Lee, Ann Letendre and Cliff Edwards.