Historic Sites Come to Life on Woodbridge Trails
Conservation Commission's QR code sign project nears completion
Hikers exploring Woodbridge’s Greenway Trail system can now discover the town’s history as they walk, thanks to the installation of new interpretive signs developed through a Connecticut Recreational Trails Program grant.
The Woodbridge Trail QR Scan Initiative for Historic Sites was spearheaded by the Woodbridge Conservation Commission, in partnership with the Woodbridge Land Trust and the Amity & Woodbridge Historical Society. Fourteen plaques are being placed along trails and open spaces across town, each marking a site of historical or cultural significance — from early mills and cement kilns to Native American landmarks and Revolutionary-era refuges.
Each sign features a QR code that links to the Historical Society’s website, where visitors can learn more about the people, events, and environments that shaped Woodbridge.
The project was supported by an $8,400 state grant from the Connecticut Recreational Trails Program administered through the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
Local volunteers, including Trail Master Andy Danzig, Land Trust and Historical Society members, and Conservation Commission Co-Chairs Sharon de Kadt and Diana McCarthy-Bercury, collaborated on planning, design, and installation. The Historical Society’s Barbara Hagan-Smith, who also serves on the Conservation Commission, coordinated content for each marker, ensuring accuracy and accessibility. Valerie King, another commission member, worked on developing educational units related to each site.
“This project connects our trails to our town’s stories,” said de Kadt. “It invites residents and visitors to enjoy Woodbridge’s open spaces while discovering how our landscape reflects centuries of community life.”
Several of the sites, such as the Thomas Darling House property, include stories of the families who lived and worked there — some newly researched through other recently-funded grants.
Members of the Conservation Commission, Land Trust, and Historical Society, along with the First Selectman, gathered at one of the new QR code sign installations in front of Town Hall to celebrate a visible milestone in their ongoing effort to make Woodbridge’s natural and historic treasures more accessible to all. Left to right are: Conservation’s Valerie King and Diana McCarthy-Bercury, the Land Trust’s Bryan Pines, the Historical Society’s Lisa Flaherty, First Selectman Mica Cardozo, and Conservation’s Sharon de Kadt, Ben Carlson, and Barbara Hagan-Smith.
