Hidden Gems Of Connecticut

GREENWICH, CT — The latest Hidden Gem is actually the southernmost point in Connecticut — and New England.

Welcome to Great Captain Island.

Known is local circles as "Captain's Island," the 17.2-acre land mass sits off the coast of Greenwich in Long Island Sound and its coordinates (40°58′57″N 73°37′24″W) tell us it's the extreme southern part of Connecticut — and New England.

It was acquired by the town in 1973 and is home to a 1800s lighthouse. It has long been replaced by a metal automated navigational lighted tower, but was restored in 2009 and then re-lit for non-nautical purposes three years later, according to town records.

Access to the island is via boat or a ferry run by the town in the warmer months. A short distance away are the other two islands in a chain — Little Captain Island (which serves as the town's Island Beach via ferry service) and Wee Captain Island (traditionally a private residence).

The Connecticut Audubon Society has cited Great Captain Island as one of the state's 26 "important bird areas."

Some trails and facilities are on the island for visitors, but no public tours of the lighthouse or island are offered.

The famed lighthouse was depicted in a series of sketches by popular Greenwich artist William Connolly in the 1970s, who gifted a copy to the late Herman Dehnel while he was in the Greenwich Police Department Marine Division:

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The Hidden Gems series features out-of-the-way mom and pop restaurants, small specialty stores you may have never heard of, little-known historical markers or beautiful nature spots that may be a bit off the beaten path, all located within Connecticut.

Columns in this series in 2022 include:

• The Willington Common Bell
• Chez Ben Canadian Diner
• Farmington Canal Aquaduct
• Grave of Civil War Casualty William Goodell
• Riverfront Park Boathouse
• The Connecticut Freedom Trail
• The David Smith Bridge
• Wadsworth Atheneum
• Southwest Cemetery
• The Polish Plate
• Ferry Grill & Chill

• Osborne Homestead Museum
• Lacrosse Unlimited
• The Holy Land Cross
• Jefferson Fry Co.
• Hartford History Center Suffragist Sculpture
• Windsor Locks Canal Irish Workers Monument
• Utsav Indian Cuisine
• The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route
• The Rein's Reuben
• Frontier Airlines at Bradley
• Munson's Chocolates
• Connecticut River Valley Wildlife Museum
• LobsterCraft
• Center Springs Park
• MLK Monuments
• The Connecticut Historical Society

Columns in this series from 2021 include:

• The First Decorated Christmas Tree
• Bolton Notch Trail Bridge
• Civil War Drum
• Civil War Powder Keg
• Mile 4, Manchester Road Race
• The West Hartford Armory
• The Capitol's Nooks and Crannies
• Wickham Park Aviary
• 55 West Main, New Britain
• Fox Hopyard Golf Course
• The Dodd Center For Human Rights at UConn
• Manchester Ropes Challenge Course
• 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm
• Fuego Picante Food Truck
• The Amistad
• 9/11 memorials
• Club Champion Golf Fitters
• New England Civil War Museum and Research Center
• Avery's Soda
• Salt 2.0 Restaurant
• The Grave of Jonathan, The Original Husky
• Golden Gavel Auction House
• Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut
• The Cogswell Temperance Fountain
• The Old State House
• BouNom Bakery
• Union Pond Park/Jay Howroyd Fitness Trail
• The Submarine Force Museum/USS Nautilus
• The UConn Dairy Bar
• Grove Hill Cemetery, Vernon
• Backwoods Smokin' BBQ
• The Ranch House
• Connecticut State Police Museum
• Berlin Historic District
• Connecticut Parachutists Skydiving Club
• Tail Winds Ice Cream Shop
• The MLK Mural
• The Hilltop Restaurant and Bar
• Fork & Fire
• Lena's Italian Kitchen
• The Benedict Arnold Trail
• Swank Pearce
• Vernon Depot Historic Park
• Farr's Sporting Goods
• Robs Drivin Diner