Connecticut Town Truly Is A Slice of Heaven

Another one in the books! This past weekend The Pear Tree Project attended the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival.

The Mystic Outdoor Art Festival was launched sixty-eight years ago when local business owners and art lovers proposed that downtown Mystic pattern a fair after the famous Washington Square Festival, in New York.

And so they did. That nascent start, in its first year, attracted a hundred artists and 5,000 visitors, the word began to spread, its reputation gained in stature, and it never looked back.

Today the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival, hosted by the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce, is one of the largest, of its kind in the Northeast. 

First established in 1957, it is held annually exhibiting the work of artists from across the United States. The festival features a variety of arts and crafts including oils, watercolors, photography, textiles, sculptures, woodworks, acrylics, and much more. It showcases close to 300 artists from around the country. 

What makes this event grow in popularity with each succeeding year? All the basics are covered. It attracts the top talent who bring along their best work. Add to that a highly organized and safe environment where visitors can soak up the ambiance; and finally, there’s no entrance fee.

However, the kicker has to be the enchanting Mystic River. Everyday, on this timeless estuary, modern day kayakers and paddleboarders pass by a 183-year-old Charles W. Morgan whaling ship in a time-warped juxtaposition. 

Mystic, Connecticut, was originally a “village” located in Pequot Plantation, (New London), at the head of the Mystic River. The name Mystic, as we now spell it, derives from the Pequot term missi-tuk, which means “a large river whose waters are driven into waves by tides or wind.” This village is known as Old Mystic today.

Before the 17th century, the Pequot people lived in this area of southeastern Connecticut. They were in control of the territory from the Pawcatuck River to the Connecticut River. In May 1637, Massachusetts Bay ordered captains John Underhill and John Mason to lead a mission through Pequot Country. They and their Narragansett and Mohegan allies attacked the Pequot settlement in Mystic in the conflict that came to be known as the Pequot War. On September 21, 1638, Connecticut colonists signed the Treaty of Hartford, officially ending the conflict. Massachusetts Bay Colony was not a party to the Treaty of Hartford. This treaty allocated Pequot territory to Connecticut’s jurisdiction and opened the land between the Mystic and Pawcatuck Rivers for settlement.

On September 1, 1654, the settlers of Mystic petitioned the General Court to be a separate town and have its own church. When the Court refused to allow this, these individuals requested the same from Massachusetts Bay around 1658. Massachusetts agreed and brought the town under its jurisdiction as Southerton. It remained part of Massachusetts until 1662, when King Charles II gave John Winthrop, Jr., a charter, fixing the eastern boundary of Colony at the Pawcatuck River. At that time, the town of Southerton was returned to Connecticut, renamed Mystic in 1665, and then changed to Stonington a year later, with the village of Mystic remaining at the headwaters of the Mystic River.

By 1705 the population east of the Thames River had increased sufficiently for the General Court to allow the inhabitants there to incorporate as a separate town, which they named Groton in honor of the Winthrop estate in England. This decision meant that the part of the village of Mystic that was west of the Mystic River ended up in the town of Groton and the part of Mystic on the east side of the Mystic River was now part of Stonington.

When the first Mystic Bridge was installed in 1819, the west side of the river near the bridge, (several miles south of Old Mystic), was called Portersville. The east side of the river then became known as Mystic Bridge. The first drawbridge was built in 1835; this drawbridge was opened and closed by oxen. Shortly thereafter, circa 1850, Portersville became known as Mystic River.

Mystic River and Mystic Bridge continued as they were until about 1890. At this point, without merging, they gave up their independent names and became known as Mystic. These changes were caused by the requirements of the US Post Office system, which has ever since treated the villages on the two sides of the river, belonging to two different townships, as a single entity for Post Office purposes with the ZIP code 06355.

Since the original bridge was constructed in 1819, it has been replaced by newer and more technically advanced models several times, always in the same location. The current bridge was installed in 1922.

Along the river during the 19th century, numerous shipyards sprang up between Mystic and Old Mystic, with merchant ships and whalers coming off the ways on a regular basis and Mystic sailors venturing worldwide.

With Mystic’s deep connection to the sea, its historical significance, and its evolving identity as a welcoming and enchanting place that blends past and present, it is the perfect destination for those searching for a sense of enduring history and the possibility of new experiences. 

So, whether it be to attend an art festival, partake in amazing culinary experiences, or to just get away for a weekend, Mystic truly has it all; but be warned – do not be surprised if you want to call it your forever home.

Did You Know? “Mystic Pizza” is a 1988 coming-of-age film about three young women working at a pizza parlor in Mystic, Connecticut, and their experiences with love, life, and relationships. The movie is named after the real-life Mystic Pizza restaurant, (much of the filming actually took place in the nearby town of Stonington, Connecticut, due to the original restaurant being too small for filming). The film is notable for being an early role for Julia Roberts, and it also features Matt Damon’s debut in a feature film.