Local Couple Uncovers, And Shares,

A Piece Of Newtown’s Recreational History

By Shannon Hicks

A piece of Newtown history was uncovered recently when a Queen Street couple pulled up an old piece of wood from their barn floor. The board turned out to be an old sign directing visitors toward Eden Hill Golf Course, a short-lived yet popular golf course that was situated in the Hattertown section of town for just a few years during the 1930s.

Kathy and Bob Geckle found the old sign, which was used as a patch to cover a hole in their barn, according to the November-December 2008 issue of The Rooster’s Crow, the newsletter of Newtown Historical Society. The society is now in possession of the wooden sign, thanks to the generosity of the Geckles.

When the sign was pried away from the floor of the Geckle barn, it was found to have letters on its reverse saying Eden Hill Golf Course. The sign’s background is white, and the lettering is black. An arrow points golfers or perhaps auto drivers to the left.

“This was probably placed on one of the nearby roads, possibly Route 25, to guide those who were not familiar with the road system in southern Newtown,” the note in The Rooster’s Crow continues.

Bob Geckle said he recognized the Eden Hill name immediately.

“I’ve lived in Newtown all my life, and I knew of Eden Hill,” he said this week. “We knew [the sign] had at least some historical significance.”

Mr Geckle and a friend, the woodworker Greg McEvoy, were restoring a section of the barn that was originally built in the late 1890s when the discovery was made. The sign was nailed to the floor, covering a hole as a patch.

“Greg pulled it up and said ‘Hey, this thing is really interesting,’” recalled Mr Geckle. “It was nailed face down, so that’s why the face side of it is in such good shape. We knew it was something we wouldn’t throw in the dumpster.”

The Eden Hill Golf Course, laid out in 1929 by owner Harry T. Batten off of Eden Hill Road and extending slightly into Easton, was the scene of many golf outing and evening events. Mr Batten, reported The Newtown Bee in July 1931, had wide experience as a golfer and also as a golf course builder.

The golf course was situated on the former Bolmer farm, formally named Eden Hill Ranch. It was more than 800 feet above sea level, and commanded a view of the countryside “for miles in every direction,” according to The Newtown Bee (June 23, 1930). “A pleasant breeze is always felt, even on the hottest day,” the paper reported a few weeks later.

The public golf course opened in 1930, featured nine holes with a total yardage of 2,900 yards, and, according to a note in the April 29, 1932, issue of The Bee, “is considered one of the sportiest courses in western Connecticut.” It was reportedly popular with local and out-of-town golfers.

In October 1931 a record crowd attended the club’s “Hallowe’en Dance” in its beautifully decorated barn.

In 1933 the club opened for the season by April, and by mid June was enjoyed large numbers of visitors. A note in the June 16, 1933, Bee mentioned that “during the extreme heat numerous golfers found [Eden Hill] cool and inviting. Its location is one of the highest in this section and it is seldom that the entire course is not swept by cooling breezes.”

By the end of the month the golf course was celebrating recordbreaking attendance, with more than 500 people enjoying the facilities of the course, “with many week end parties staying at the club house,” The Bee reported, and performances every Saturday night by Frank Powlosky and his Merry Makers in the Barn Dance Hall.

Despite all this, the venture was not successful and the golf course closed in 1934. The Rooster’s Crow attributes the failure to “not being able to sustain itself during the opening years of the Depression.”

Eden Hill Golf Course may be long gone, but thanks to the Geckles, a small piece of Newtown’s sports history and a recreational locale has found its way into the permanent collection of the town’s historical society.