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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
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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.
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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
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
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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
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Babb's Beach is located in northwestern
Suffield, on the eastern shore of the Middle Pond of the Congamond Lakes, which separate Suffield from
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The
Congamond Lakes began to develop as a leisure and recreational destination beginning in the 1850s, following the construction of the
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365:"National Register of Historic Places Registration: Babb's Beach / Babb's Beach Amusement Park"
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Accompanying nine photos from 2004 (see photo captions pages 34-35 of text document)
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University and college buildings listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
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National
Register of Historic Places listings in Hartford County, Connecticut
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List of jails and prisons on the
National Register of Historic Places
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National
Register of Historic Places in Hartford County, Connecticut
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is a municipal public recreation area located at 435 Babbs Rd. in
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Buildings and structures in
Hartford County, Connecticut
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History of the
National Register of Historic Places
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246:projection on the north side for the stage area.
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253:View from the bluff down to the beach and lake
222:. It is the former site of what was known as
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363:Stephen Olausen (September 2005).
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16:United States historic place
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367:. National Park Service.
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234:Description and history
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459:Keeper of the Register
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923:Suffield, Connecticut
464:National Park Service
444:Contributing property
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220:Suffield, Connecticut
165:7 acres (2.8 ha)
146:42.03000°N 72.75111°W
119:Suffield, Connecticut
819:District of Columbia
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27:Babb's Beach
812:Other areas
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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
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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
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432:Topics
277:, and
803:Palau
701:Texas
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546:Idaho
170:Built
757:Guam
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661:Ohio
561:Iowa
369:and
177:1898
173:1898
162:Area
195:No.
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