Connecticut's Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park:

A Work in Progress
By Linda Lee Walden Photos by Lynn Laymon
Little more than a year ago, if you were to stop a resident of Portland, Connecticut, on the street and ask for directions to Brownstone Quarry Park, he or she would most likely have looked at you with a blank stare.
If you had happened to ask an old-timer, he might gaze to the sky and slowly recall that, yes, there had been several quarries in the area at one time. Down by the river somewhere. Or a younger Portland native might reply, "You mean the place we used to jump off the cliffs?"
Quite a change from the late 19th century when Portland brownstone quarries owned 50 schooners that delivered massive brownstone building blocks up and down the East Coast. According to one building trades Web site, the 1880 federal census reported that "78.6 percent of New York City buildings employing stone were all or part brownstone, most of which came from Portland." Hence the term "brownstones" applied to whole neighborhoods of buildings in New York and Boston.
Today, however, thanks to a trio of local brothers, the majority of Portland residents know exactly how to direct visitors to the Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park. In fact, many of the locals have now been there, either to see for themselves the amazing transformation taking shape in the former quarry or to enjoy the facilities along with scuba divers, swimmers and picnickers from several surrounding states.

Birth of Brownstone Quarries
Geologically speaking, the soft, reddish-brown sandstone known as "brownstone" was deposited 200 million years ago as the North American and African continents pulled apart, forming a series of rift basins stretching from Nova Scotia to South Carolina. The Portland Formation is not only the thickest deposit, but also the easiest to quarry and most uniform in color.
As early as 1650 local builders were already using the brownstone for building and by the early 1700s quarrying had begun in earnest. For 50 years in the mid-1800s the rights to the quarries were deeded to Portland's (then called Middletown) Wesleyan University and many of the Ivy League school's stately buildings are constructed of the stone.
The export of brownstone to major cities via the navigable Connecticut River grew rapidly and in 1886 the quarries employed more than 1,500 workers.
By the early 1900s, however, brownstone fell out of fashion for building as concrete-and-steel construction - cheaper and more versatile - was introduced. Then in 1936 the remnants of a hurricane caused the Connecticut River to overflow its banks, flooding the adjacent quarries. They were never reopened.

Rebirth as an Adventure Park
Although they're only a short walk from the town's main street, for most of the 20th century the Portland quarries sat idle, access and memory shrouded by a thick growth of trees and underbrush. Only local children made occasional clandestine summertime visits - for the forbidden thrill of launching themselves off its 80-foot-high (24-m-high) cliffs into the deep, cool water.
In the 1990s a small section of the quarries returned to operation as New York and Boston brownstones, more than a century old, began to require refurbishing of their crumbling facades. Concurrently, a local grassroots movement began promoting the designation of the quarries as a National Historic Resource, as well as advocating preservation and community-oriented use.
Enter the brothers Hayes. In November 2005 the town of Portland granted them a 25-year lease on the north and south quarry properties for the purposes of developing an "adult adventure sports park."
Ed Hayes, a master scuba instructor, had used the quarries for a decade to train Portland fire department divers. It was his vision of a recreational diving facility that sparked the larger idea for an adventure park to include climbing, swimming, hiking and kayaking.
Sean Hayes is the business manager, raising the substantial funds needed to accomplish the massive project. According to Sean, the brothers hope to complete their five-year development plan in two-and-a-half to three years.
If operations manager Frank Hayes, also a diver, is any indication, the brothers will reach their goal. Working 14-hour days from November 2005 through April 1, 2006, when the park opened for scuba diving, they had already turned the abandoned north quarry into a visually appealing and convenient dive venue, with lots more improvements planned. Many of these were already in place by the grand opening celebration in July.

Diving Facilities
It's hard to give a precise accounting of the amenities available for scuba diving at Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park because they are a moving target - upgrades are being made continuously.
The first thing the brothers did was to develop convenient water access for recreational divers and classes. Directly inside the park entrance a wide, well-maintained ramp slopes to the waterline for unloading and loading gear - a remnant of the old quarry access road. Shaded picnic tables are spaced nearby along the graveled shoreline to provide individual groups with ample room for briefings and gear assembly. A permanent
restroom/changing facility and ticket booth are near the park entrance.
Divers can simply walk into the water on the quarry access road. Just 100 feet (30 m) off the entry point is a 15-by-15-foot (5-by-5-m) wooden platform anchored 10 feet (3 m) deep. An old pickup truck lies nearby in 25 feet (8 m) of water. Divers can follow a line from the shallow platform 100 yards (91 m) to a similar platform at 55 feet (17 m).
To the right of the walk-in entry is a short promontory jutting out into the quarry. This raised area once housed the blacksmith shop used for repairing quarry machinery. Now it serves as another staging area for divers, with picnic tables and water access. A walk-down ramp leads to a series of connected 15-foot-wide (5-m-wide) platforms that eventually will surround the promontory on three sides just above water level. The water here is 10-25 feet (3-8 m) deep, which is plenty deep for giant stride entries.
The shallow cove to the right of the promontory has been designated the primary Open Water training area. This part of the 27-acre (11-hectare) north quarry lake is a maximum of 25 feet (8 m) deep and contains two training platforms suspended at 20 feet (6 m). A marked navigation course includes a 100-foot (30-m) line to help calibrate distance swum by fin strokes.
When the Hayes brothers took over the quarry they knew the lake had been a dumping ground for stolen and unwanted vehicles, discarded appliances and other garbage, plus it still contained quarry machinery and vehicles abandoned when the quarry flooded in 1936. Although some of these items will be left in place for the enjoyment of divers, most of them are slated for removal as safety hazards and to prevent water contamination.
New underwater attractions are being added continuously. So far the brothers have scattered six boats of various sizes around the diving areas of the lake at depths of 20-85 feet (6-26 m). A fire truck, a Cessna and a large jet are in the works for this summer.
As the 2007 season progresses, additional 15-by-15-foot platforms will be tethered in groups out in the lake, forming 30-, 60- and 90-foot (9-, 18- and 27-m) squares. The intention is to prevent congestion at the entry areas. Instructors and recreational diving groups can rent a platform for the day as their private base camp. Each platform will feature picnic tables and easy water access. Staff will ferry divers to and from the private platforms in boats.
The maximum depth in the north quarry is about 80 feet (24 m). Summer water temperatures range from as high as 76 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius) at the surface to a constant 44 F (7 C) at depth, with two to three thermoclines. As with most quarries, visibility varies, from less than a yard (1 m) to a good 30 feet (9 m), depending on weather and how much the silt bottom has been stirred up by divers.
Also like other northeastern quarries, the lake supports a variety of freshwater fish: largemouth and smallmouth bass, perch, bluegill, huge carp and catfish as long as 6 feet (2 m). Freshwater eels are easily spotted living among the boulders at the base of the quarry walls and areas of aquatic grasses shelter multiple species of juveniles. In addition, Brownstone Park is home to osprey and fishing cormorants.
The much smaller south quarry will be developed in the future. This 9-acre (3.6-hectare) lake drops to 100 feet (30 m) and is used for technical dive training.
Exploration and Discovery
Brownstone Park offers several activities in addition to scuba diving, with more to come.
The opposite side of the quarry from the entry and scuba area is bordered by a sheer brownstone wall that rises more than 90 feet (27 m) above water level in places. Extending out from this wall into the middle of the lake is a large, tree-covered peninsula.
When the quarry was in operation, railroad tracks extended from the wall the length of the peninsula and connected to the near side via a strip of land that is now barely 6 feet (2 m) under the surface.
One rope-drawn ferry is already in operation, with another planned, to carry guests across this shallow isthmus to the peninsula, which has been turned into a family section called "Quarrytown." In the summer guests can picnic under the trees at tables and grills and swim at the lifeguard-protected beach.

Lap swimming lanes are in place, as well as a huge inflated water toy and slide. A 50-foot (15-m) tower has been erected as the jumping-off point for a 150-foot (46-m) water slide. Handholds are being installed on portions of the 80-foot (24-m) quarry wall for use by climbers. Two 150-foot (46-m) zip line rides have also been put into place.
Canoes, kayaks and diver propulsion vehicles are available for rent. An air filling station was added this spring. Plans call for the mobile food wagon provided by an independent vendor to be replaced by a permanent concession stand.
Proposals for events include concerts on the peninsula and laser light shows against the cliff walls. Several diving events are scheduled for summer 2007, including a swap meet, manufacturer demo days and a dive club day involving clubs from five surrounding states. Check the park's Web site for the exact schedule of events (see sidebar on Page 90).
Since the quarry does freeze in the winter months, ice diving is an option, as well as skating and ice sailing on separate areas of the north lake.
The "Exploration and Discovery" in the quarry's name refer to plans for a land-based challenge course, summer youth events, science programs and team building activities.

Essentials
Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park is in Portland, Connecticut, about 20 minutes south of Hartford, across the Connecticut River from Middletown.
Since the park is near downtown Portland, should the need arise for emergency services, the response time would be excellent. Oxygen is available on site and on summer weekends certified emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are on hand as rescue divers.
Overnight lodging is available in the surrounding towns and tent and recreational vehicle camping space is available right on the park grounds.
Summer hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., earlier for instructors with students, plus Wednesday night dives and additional days by request; winter hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Summer hours for 2007 run from Memorial Day through September. Admission for student and certified divers is $20 per day; instructors with students are free.
Even though Brownstone Park has only been open for business for just more than a year, the word has spread fast among northeast divers. Scuba centers from New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine and Connecticut have become regular visitors. The historic quarries have indeed been reincarnated.
For more information:
Web site: www.brownstonepark.com
E-mail: info@brownstone.com
Telephone: (860) 682-0053