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Goshen, Connecticut: The Birthplace of Pineapple Cheese

Goshen, Connecticut

Pictures from Goshen

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Church of Christ Congregational, Goshen West Goshen Historic District Goshen town sign

Goshen's town center was first settled in 1738 and the town incorporated a year later, taking its name from the biblical Land of Goshen. Primarily a farming community through the 18th century, Goshen manufactured musket rifles during the Revolution. Its best-known export was culinary: inspired by a Dutch cheese his uncle brought home in 1808, Lewis Norton of West Goshen began making "pineapple cheese" in 1809, patented the process in 1810, and built a factory beside his house in 1844 — among America's earliest cheese factories — pressing curds into pineapple-shaped molds; Kraft eventually bought the business and sold the product until 1931. Astronomer Asaph Hall, born in Goshen in 1829 to a Hart Hollow clockmaker, discovered the two moons of Mars in 1877 while working at the U.S. Naval Observatory. The Goshen Fair descends from an annual Labor Day horse race, with its first recognized fair opening September 5, 1910.

  1. A Labor Day agricultural fair dating to 1910.

  2. A drive-thru safari with 350-plus exotic and heritage animals.

  3. A 160-acre crossroads village listed on the National Register in 1982.

  4. An estate winery on the Connecticut Wine Trail.

  5. A free, moderately easy hiking network through hemlock forest.

  6. A village pizzeria on Torrington Road.

  7. Steaks and pizza, with free peanuts since 1995.

  8. A dairy farm turning its own cream into artisanal chocolates.

  9. Hand-cured, hardwood-smoked bacon, hams and sausages.

Pineapple cheese and an astronomer

Lewis Norton's pineapple-shaped cheese molds left a diamond rind pattern that became a Goshen trademark; by 1888 the operation was using roughly a million pounds of milk a year, and Kraft sold the product until 1931. Potter Hervey Brooks, who arrived in Goshen in 1795 at age 16, fired his kiln just one day a year from 1828 to 1864, making 26 forms of red earthenware; his original shop moved to Old Sturbridge Village in 1961. Asaph Hall, born in Goshen's Hart Hollow section in 1829, discovered Mars's two moons — Phobos and Deimos — in 1877 and returned to Goshen in 1901 after winning the French Academy of Sciences' Lalande Prize and the Royal Astronomical Society's gold medal.

Getting there

Goshen has no passenger rail service of any kind. Route 4 is the east-west spine, running from Sharon and Cornwall east through Goshen to Torrington, meeting Route 63 at a roundabout in the village center; Route 63 is the main north-south corridor linking Litchfield to the south and Canaan to the north. Route 272 runs northwest through Goshen toward Norfolk and the Massachusetts line. The nearest limited-access highway is Route 8 in Torrington, about six miles east.

A wildlife park and a fairground

The Goshen Fair, always held over Labor Day weekend since its 1910 debut, is Goshen's biggest annual event, with livestock, crops and wood-chopping competitions. Action Wildlife Foundation runs a drive-thru safari with more than 350 exotic and heritage animals on Route 4. Part of Mohawk State Forest — centered on 1,683-foot Mohawk Mountain in neighboring Cornwall — extends across the Goshen town line. On Torrington Road, Thorncrest Farm turns its own cream into artisanal chocolates, and AJ's Steak and Pizza has handed out free peanuts to customers since 1995.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Goshen?
By car — Route 4 runs east-west through the village, meeting Route 63 at a roundabout in the center, with Route 272 heading northwest toward Norfolk. There's no passenger rail service in Goshen or anywhere in the immediate Litchfield Hills.
What is pineapple cheese?
A cheese Lewis Norton of West Goshen began making in 1809 and patented in 1810, pressed into pineapple-shaped molds that left a distinctive diamond rind. His factory, built beside his house in 1844, was among America's earliest cheese factories; Kraft later bought the business and sold the product until 1931.
When is the Goshen Fair?
Always Labor Day weekend — September 5, 6 and 7 in 2026 — at the fairgrounds on Old Middle Street. The fair descends from an annual Labor Day horse race and first opened as a recognized fair on September 5, 1910.
Can I visit Mohawk State Forest from Goshen?
Yes — the forest, centered on 1,683-foot Mohawk Mountain in neighboring Cornwall, extends across the Goshen town line with hiking trails, a black spruce bog and long-range views.
Where can I eat and stay in Goshen?
Goshen Pizza and AJ's Steak and Pizza anchor Torrington Road, with Thorncrest Farm's chocolate shop for something sweeter. No hotel, inn or B&B operating in Goshen could be verified; the nearest option is the Litchfield Inn, about seven miles south via Route 63.

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