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Kent, Connecticut: Iron Furnaces and a Covered Bridge

Kent, Connecticut

Pictures from Kent

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Bull's Bridge over the Housatonic River Kent Falls State Park Kent town center

Kent was incorporated in 1739 in Connecticut's northwest corner, on land sectioned in 1737 and settled two years later, taking its name from the county of Kent in England. Once a thriving iron-ore producer and farming community, the town is rural and residential today, its historic neighborhoods — Flanders, the Cobble, and Bulls Bridge — still carrying those names. Bull's Bridge, the covered bridge over the Housatonic River, was built in 1842 using architect Ithiel Town's patented lattice-truss design and once carried a major highway between Hartford and Newburgh, New York. The Schaghticoke Indian Reservation lies within Kent's borders, and Native Americans fished and camped at what is now Kent Falls in an area they called "Scatacook." In 1969 the Stanley Works tool company donated the building that became the Eric Sloane Museum, set beside the ruins of the old Kent Iron Furnace.

  1. A series of cascades descending 250 feet toward the Housatonic River.

  2. Eric Sloane's paintings and hand tools beside the Kent Iron Furnace ruins.

  3. Antique industrial and agricultural machinery, open during scheduled shows.

  4. An outsized 1751 colonial home in the Flanders District, open by seasonal tour.

  5. An 1842 lattice-truss covered bridge still open to cars.

  6. Tableside flambes and live piano, Kent's longtime dining hub.

  7. Flights and pours to go at a working farm brewery.

  8. A Main Street tavern that made The New York Times.

  9. Steaks and seafood overlooking the covered bridge.

  10. Ten rooms above and beside the restaurant in the village center.

  11. An 1890 boutique property renovated in 2022.

Iron ore, a furnace, and Seven Hearths

By the mid-1700s Kent's iron deposits had built a real industry, and the ruins beside today's Eric Sloane Museum are what remain of the Kent Iron Furnace, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a State Archaeological Preserve. In the Flanders District, Seven Hearths — built in 1751 by John Beebe, Jr. and notably larger than its neighbors at 32 by 52 feet — survives as the Kent Historical Society's museum. Downriver, Bull's Bridge still carries traffic on a single lane over the Housatonic gorge, one of only two Connecticut covered bridges still open to cars.

Getting there

Kent sits on US Route 7 in Connecticut's northwest hills, about 28 miles north of Danbury and 25 miles south of North Canaan, with CT Route 341 running east 8 miles to Warren. There's no rail station in Kent itself — the nearest is Dover Plains, New York, roughly a 15-minute drive west on Metro-North's Harlem Line, with service toward Grand Central Terminal.

Falls, a farm brewery, and Main Street

Kent Falls State Park's main cascade drops about 70 feet as part of a series of falls descending 250 feet toward the Housatonic, with a covered bridge and an art trail reproducing 19th-century landscape paintings at the entrance. On Main Street, the Fife 'n Drum has been Kent's dining and lodging hub for decades, with tableside flambes, a 7,000-bottle wine cellar, and rooms popular with families visiting Kent's private schools; Kent Falls Brewing Company pours flights at its working farm on Camps Road.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Kent?
By car via US Route 7 — about 28 miles north of Danbury or 25 miles south of North Canaan — or CT Route 341 from Warren, 8 miles east. There's no rail station in Kent; the nearest is Dover Plains, NY, about a 15-minute drive west on Metro-North's Harlem Line toward Grand Central Terminal.
What is Bull's Bridge?
A covered bridge over the Housatonic River built in 1842 with architect Ithiel Town's patented lattice-truss design. It's one of only two Connecticut covered bridges still open to motor vehicles, restricted to a single lane.
What is the Eric Sloane Museum?
A museum of artist and author Eric Sloane's paintings and early-American hand-tool collection, with the Noah Blake Cabin and the ruins of the Kent Iron Furnace on the grounds. It's a seasonal state museum — check current hours before visiting.
Is Kent Falls State Park free?
Yes, though there's a parking fee: free for Connecticut-registered vehicles, $10-15 for out-of-state vehicles. The park is open daily, 8 a.m. to sunset.
Where can I eat and stay in Kent?
The Fife 'n Drum Restaurant and its adjoining inn anchor Main Street, with Kingsley Tavern and Kent Falls Brewing Company nearby. Bull's Bridge Inn overlooks the covered bridge itself. The Kent Collection's Victorian is a boutique bed-and-breakfast a short walk from the village center.

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