Visit
Hosted curated exhibits on a seasonal basis.
The “Red Shed” & Park
108 Main Street
Noank, Connecticut
Call
(860) 536-3021
The “Red Shed” & Park
The Red Shed is an excellent example of the shacks and buildings that dotted Noank’s shoreline when it was a working waterfront in the early 20th century.
Originally located on a property on Front Street, the building was moved to its present location in the early 1920s by Dr. William Hill. Dr. Hill had taken over the Noank Coal Company as a service to the community in 1919, and used the shed as the coal company office. In 1941 the shed was transformed into a restaurant known as The Chowder Kettle by Hill's daughter, Frances Hill Jones. The Chowder Kettle also offered a canteen service for the many Noank Shipyard workers engaged in boat building during WWII, where a four course lobster dinner could be had for just $1.25. The restaurant was sold to Alta Allen Codman in the late 1940s and reopened as The Ship's Inn, Home of the Original Hamburg (which famously served "hamburgers" consisting of slices of ham on a bun).
The Red Shed was purchased by the State of CT for the UConn Marine Biology Laboratory in 1962, along with the Latham/Chester Store.
It was then leased and subsequently given to the Noank Historical Society in 1993. While the Latham/Chester Store was fully restored, the shed could only be stabilized due to a lack of funding. By 2010 the building had deteriorated badly and the NHS was faced with a dilemma – to demolish or restore the building. NHS undertook a major fundraising campaign and with an outpouring of support from our members and the Noank community, we were able fully restore the building. Today The Red Shed houses the Noank smack Jeff Brown as well as seasonal exhibits during the summer.
