The Chester-Hadlyme ferry is the second oldest continuously operating ferry service in the state of Connecticut and is a designated state historical landmark. For over two hundrred the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry has provided public transporation across the Connecticut River.
Jonathan Warner of Chester, who owned land on both sides of the river, started the ferry service in 1769. The ferry was often used throughout the American Revolution to transport supplies across the Connecticut River.
In 1877, Warner’s Ferry came under the supervision of the Town of Chester. Soon after this, a steam-powered barge was put in service and the ferry was renamed the Chester–Hadlyme Ferry. This picture shows that steam-powered barge.
For those wondering, the oldest continuously operated ferry in Connecticut and the United States, is the Rocky Hill–Glastonbury ferry.
