265:, which had used the lakes as part of its route. Curtis Babb capitalized on the increasing popularity of the lakes as a destination by building a series of small cabins on the lakefront, and offering steamship service to the train on the far shore. Babb's son Nelson took over the property in the 1910s, and expanded its facilities. He converted a horse barn into a dance hall, and also built a bathhouse and boathouse on the waterfront. Facing competition from other lakefront amusement operators, he also offered a variety of rides, including a
65:
872:
90:
250:
48:
242:. The property is about 7 acres (2.8 ha) in size, and has 375 feet (114 m) of shoreline that is mostly beaches. The beach is separated from the balance of the property by a low bluff. The remainder of the property is an open grassy area, with the surviving buildings of the amusement park era on the northern edge. A split-rail fence separates the property from the road, with an opening and a short gravel drive leading to an informal parking area.
883:
97:
72:
245:
The most significant building is a large dance hall; other surviving buildings are an arcade, a shooting gallery, and a small generator shed. The dance hall is a single-story wood frame structure, with a central hip-roofed element ringed on three sides by extensions for services, and with a smaller
761:
856:
792:
776:
226:, a small amusement park that was active in the first half of the 20th century. At its height in the 1930s, the surviving dance hall hosted dances for up to 3,000 weekend patrons. The property, owned by the town since 1977, was listed on the
907:
766:
309:
851:
797:
438:
917:
818:
720:
751:
685:
650:
725:
630:
590:
415:
690:
680:
675:
655:
771:
605:
520:
300:, which destroyed the park's waterfront facilities in 1955. Babb turned the property over to the town in 1977, but continued to operate the dance hall as a roller skating facility until 1997.
640:
635:
510:
730:
695:
600:
575:
715:
665:
645:
620:
610:
595:
585:
570:
550:
525:
515:
505:
735:
710:
615:
555:
535:
530:
500:
490:
670:
625:
565:
540:
495:
802:
700:
580:
545:
927:
756:
705:
660:
560:
468:
453:
408:
484:
269:
that was built on a platform in the lake. The dance hall proved a major draw, and was eventually replaced by a larger structure. Performers at the venue included
886:
401:
912:
876:
448:
64:
238:
Babb's Beach is located in northwestern
Suffield, on the eastern shore of the Middle Pond of the Congamond Lakes, which separate Suffield from
130:
89:
424:
387:
337:
227:
34:
257:
The
Congamond Lakes began to develop as a leisure and recreational destination beginning in the 1850s, following the construction of the
839:
258:
922:
288:, which Nelson Babb sought to counter by offering more amusements. He built an arcade, and adapted the dance hall to permit
844:
823:
239:
458:
463:
443:
342:
219:
118:
292:. The hall became known as one of the region's finest for that activity. Business declined after
249:
47:
370:
365:"National Register of Historic Places Registration: Babb's Beach / Babb's Beach Amusement Park"
364:
393:
285:
262:
297:
289:
266:
199:
901:
372:
Accompanying nine photos from 2004 (see photo captions pages 34-35 of text document)
857:
University and college buildings listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
293:
270:
274:
278:
310:
National
Register of Historic Places listings in Hartford County, Connecticut
145:
132:
852:
List of jails and prisons on the
National Register of Historic Places
908:
National
Register of Historic Places in Hartford County, Connecticut
248:
218:
is a municipal public recreation area located at 435 Babbs Rd. in
332:
397:
918:
Buildings and structures in
Hartford County, Connecticut
832:
811:
785:
744:
477:
454:
History of the
National Register of Historic Places
431:
205:
192:
184:
169:
161:
124:
113:
485:List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state
246:projection on the north side for the stage area.
877:National Register of Historic Places portal
253:View from the bluff down to the beach and lake
222:. It is the former site of what was known as
409:
8:
928:Defunct amusement parks in the United States
416:
402:
394:
358:
356:
354:
352:
46:
425:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
35:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
96:
71:
321:
333:"National Register Information System"
327:
325:
296:, and was dealt a significant blow by
18:
7:
338:National Register of Historic Places
228:National Register of Historic Places
913:1898 establishments in Connecticut
840:National Historic Preservation Act
363:Stephen Olausen (September 2005).
259:New Haven and Northampton Railroad
14:
882:
881:
870:
95:
88:
70:
63:
793:Federated States of Micronesia
439:Architectural style categories
261:along the former route of the
194:
1:
284:Business declined during the
104:Show map of the United States
16:United States historic place
224:Babb's Beach Amusement Park
944:
845:Historic Preservation Fund
824:American Legation, Morocco
865:
786:Lists by associated state
193:NRHP reference
57:
45:
41:
32:
25:
21:
767:Northern Mariana Islands
367:. National Park Service.
240:Southwick, Massachusetts
234:Description and history
79:Show map of Connecticut
762:Minor Outlying Islands
745:Lists by insular areas
459:Keeper of the Register
254:
923:Suffield, Connecticut
464:National Park Service
444:Contributing property
343:National Park Service
252:
220:Suffield, Connecticut
165:7 acres (2.8 ha)
146:42.03000°N 72.75111°W
119:Suffield, Connecticut
819:District of Columbia
151:42.03000; -72.75111
142: /
390:- Town of Suffield
255:
895:
894:
449:Historic district
345:. March 13, 2009.
213:
212:
935:
885:
884:
875:
874:
873:
798:Marshall Islands
418:
411:
404:
395:
375:
368:
360:
347:
346:
329:
286:Great Depression
263:Farmington Canal
196:
188:Babb, Nelson Sr.
180:
178:
157:
156:
154:
153:
152:
147:
143:
140:
139:
138:
135:
105:
99:
98:
92:
80:
74:
73:
67:
50:
19:
943:
942:
938:
937:
936:
934:
933:
932:
898:
897:
896:
891:
871:
869:
861:
828:
807:
781:
740:
473:
427:
422:
384:
379:
378:
362:
361:
350:
331:
330:
323:
318:
306:
298:Hurricane Diane
236:
176:
174:
150:
148:
144:
141:
136:
133:
131:
129:
128:
117:435 Babbs Rd.,
109:
108:
107:
106:
103:
102:
101:
100:
83:
82:
81:
78:
77:
76:
75:
53:
37:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
941:
939:
931:
930:
925:
920:
915:
910:
900:
899:
893:
892:
890:
889:
879:
866:
863:
862:
860:
859:
854:
849:
848:
847:
836:
834:
830:
829:
827:
826:
821:
815:
813:
809:
808:
806:
805:
800:
795:
789:
787:
783:
782:
780:
779:
777:Virgin Islands
774:
769:
764:
759:
754:
752:American Samoa
748:
746:
742:
741:
739:
738:
733:
728:
723:
718:
713:
708:
703:
698:
693:
688:
686:South Carolina
683:
678:
673:
668:
663:
658:
653:
651:North Carolina
648:
643:
638:
633:
628:
623:
618:
613:
608:
603:
598:
593:
588:
583:
578:
573:
568:
563:
558:
553:
548:
543:
538:
533:
528:
523:
518:
513:
508:
503:
498:
493:
488:
481:
479:
478:Lists by state
475:
474:
472:
471:
469:Property types
466:
461:
456:
451:
446:
441:
435:
433:
429:
428:
423:
421:
420:
413:
406:
398:
392:
391:
383:
382:External links
380:
377:
376:
348:
320:
319:
317:
314:
313:
312:
305:
302:
290:roller skating
267:merry-go-round
235:
232:
211:
210:
207:
203:
202:
197:
190:
189:
186:
182:
181:
171:
167:
166:
163:
159:
158:
126:
122:
121:
115:
111:
110:
94:
93:
87:
86:
85:
84:
69:
68:
62:
61:
60:
59:
58:
55:
54:
52:The dance hall
51:
43:
42:
39:
38:
33:
30:
29:
26:
23:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
940:
929:
926:
924:
921:
919:
916:
914:
911:
909:
906:
905:
903:
888:
880:
878:
868:
867:
864:
858:
855:
853:
850:
846:
843:
842:
841:
838:
837:
835:
831:
825:
822:
820:
817:
816:
814:
810:
804:
801:
799:
796:
794:
791:
790:
788:
784:
778:
775:
773:
770:
768:
765:
763:
760:
758:
755:
753:
750:
749:
747:
743:
737:
734:
732:
729:
727:
726:West Virginia
724:
722:
719:
717:
714:
712:
709:
707:
704:
702:
699:
697:
694:
692:
689:
687:
684:
682:
679:
677:
674:
672:
669:
667:
664:
662:
659:
657:
654:
652:
649:
647:
644:
642:
639:
637:
634:
632:
631:New Hampshire
629:
627:
624:
622:
619:
617:
614:
612:
609:
607:
604:
602:
599:
597:
594:
592:
591:Massachusetts
589:
587:
584:
582:
579:
577:
574:
572:
569:
567:
564:
562:
559:
557:
554:
552:
549:
547:
544:
542:
539:
537:
534:
532:
529:
527:
524:
522:
519:
517:
514:
512:
509:
507:
504:
502:
499:
497:
494:
492:
489:
486:
483:
482:
480:
476:
470:
467:
465:
462:
460:
457:
455:
452:
450:
447:
445:
442:
440:
437:
436:
434:
430:
426:
419:
414:
412:
407:
405:
400:
399:
396:
389:
386:
385:
381:
374:
373:
366:
359:
357:
355:
353:
349:
344:
340:
339:
334:
328:
326:
322:
315:
311:
308:
307:
303:
301:
299:
295:
291:
287:
282:
280:
276:
272:
268:
264:
260:
251:
247:
243:
241:
233:
231:
229:
225:
221:
217:
209:July 12, 2006
208:
206:Added to NRHP
204:
201:
198:
191:
187:
183:
172:
168:
164:
160:
155:
127:
123:
120:
116:
112:
91:
66:
56:
49:
44:
40:
36:
31:
24:
20:
691:South Dakota
681:Rhode Island
676:Pennsylvania
656:North Dakota
388:Babb's Beach
371:
336:
294:World War II
283:
271:Tommy Dorsey
256:
244:
237:
223:
216:Babb's Beach
215:
214:
27:Babb's Beach
812:Other areas
772:Puerto Rico
606:Mississippi
521:Connecticut
275:Harry James
149: /
125:Coordinates
902:Categories
721:Washington
641:New Mexico
636:New Jersey
511:California
316:References
279:Kay Kaiser
731:Wisconsin
696:Tennessee
601:Minnesota
576:Louisiana
230:in 2006.
185:Architect
137:72°45′4″W
134:42°1′48″N
887:Category
716:Virginia
666:Oklahoma
646:New York
621:Nebraska
611:Missouri
596:Michigan
586:Maryland
571:Kentucky
551:Illinois
526:Delaware
516:Colorado
506:Arkansas
304:See also
200:06000591
114:Location
833:Related
736:Wyoming
711:Vermont
616:Montana
556:Indiana
536:Georgia
531:Florida
501:Arizona
491:Alabama
175: (
671:Oregon
626:Nevada
566:Kansas
541:Hawaii
496:Alaska
432:Topics
277:, and
803:Palau
701:Texas
581:Maine
546:Idaho
170:Built
757:Guam
706:Utah
661:Ohio
561:Iowa
369:and
177:1898
173:1898
162:Area
195:No.
904::
351:^
341:.
335:.
324:^
281:.
273:,
487::
417:e
410:t
403:v
179:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
