Ethos

New Hartford, Connecticut: Ovation Guitars and Satan's Kingdom

New Hartford, Connecticut

Pictures from New Hartford

See all 3 photos →
New Hartford Town Hall Ski Sundown aerial view Nepaug State Forest overlook

New Hartford was settled in 1733 and incorporated in 1738, the land available through the 1686 "Western Grant" to the proprietors of Hartford and Windsor, the source of its name. The town's early economy ran on farms and mills along the Farmington River and its tributaries, including the stretch known as Satan's Kingdom. Founder Charles Kaman, an aerospace engineer and guitarist, brought Ovation Guitars to New Hartford in 1967; his team spent 18 months developing the signature fiberglass-composite roundback, and players from Glen Campbell to John Lennon carried the brand. The factory closed in 2014 and reopened in 2015, and some models are still built there. The ski area now called Ski Sundown opened in 1963 as Satan's Ridge, named for the adjacent gorge. New Hartford spans 38.2 square miles and includes the villages of Bakerville, Nepaug, New Hartford Center and Pine Meadow.

  1. 17 trails and night skiing since opening as Satan's Ridge in 1963.

  2. Farmington River tubing through a rocky gorge, seasonal.

  3. A lakeside town park with swimming and hiking trails.

  4. A quieter, free hiking alternative to Satan's Kingdom.

  5. A seven-barrel brewery across the Farmington River from downtown.

  6. Breakfast and lunch on Main Street.

  7. A daily breakfast-and-lunch diner in the Foothills Plaza.

Guitars, mills and a ski hill

New Hartford's Hurley Business Park site housed, in succession, the Greenwoods Company's textile mills and the Underwood Typewriter Company before Ovation Guitars moved in — Charles Kaman's roundback bowl, borrowed from aircraft composite technology, became a signature sound for four decades of American guitar players before ownership changes shifted most production overseas after 2007. Three National Register properties survive from the town's earlier industrial era: Gillette's Grist Mill and the Philip Chapin House, both listed in 1977, and Esperanza, listed in 2002 — all viewable from the road only.

Getting there

New Hartford is a drive-to town with no passenger rail or scheduled transit of its own. U.S. Routes 44 and 202 run together through New Hartford Center as the main east-west corridor, with CT Route 219 branching toward Ski Sundown and CT Route 8 the nearest limited-access highway. The nearest CTrail Hartford Line station is Hartford Union Station.

Satan's Kingdom and Ski Sundown

Satan's Kingdom State Recreation Area is the launch point for Farmington River Tubing's roughly 2.5-mile float through a rocky gorge, run seasonally with tube, life jacket and shuttle bus included — call ahead, since the operator sets hours day by day rather than on a fixed schedule. Ski Sundown, independently owned since its 1963 opening as Satan's Ridge, runs 17 trails with snowmaking and night skiing most of the season. Brewery Legitimus sits directly across the Farmington River from downtown, and Nepaug State Forest offers a quieter, free alternative to the river crowds.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to New Hartford?
By car — U.S. Routes 44 and 202 run together through New Hartford Center, with CT Route 219 branching toward Ski Sundown and CT Route 8 the nearest limited-access highway. There's no passenger rail or scheduled transit in town; the nearest CTrail Hartford Line stop is Hartford Union Station.
What is Ovation Guitars' connection to New Hartford?
Founder Charles Kaman brought guitar production to New Hartford in 1967, developing the fiberglass-composite roundback bowl over 18 months. The factory was the company's primary manufacturing site for about four decades before ownership changes shifted most production overseas after 2007; it closed in 2014, reopened in 2015, and still builds some models today. There's no public tour or factory store.
Can I go tubing on the Farmington River?
Yes, seasonally at Satan's Kingdom State Recreation Area — Farmington River Tubing runs a roughly 2.5-mile float through three sets of rapids, with tube, life jacket and shuttle bus included. The operator doesn't post fixed hours; call ahead for current conditions.
Is Ski Sundown still open?
Yes — it opened in 1963 as Satan's Ridge and is still independently owned, running 17 trails across about 70 skiable acres with 100% snowmaking and night skiing most nights of the week, typically early December through late March.
Where can I eat and stay in New Hartford?
Brewery Legitimus sits across the river from downtown, with Germain's On Main for breakfast and lunch on Main Street. No lodging could be verified in New Hartford itself; the nearest option is the Old Riverton Inn in neighboring Barkhamsted.

Some booking links on this page earn Ethos a commission at no extra cost to you.

Connected pages

Nearby

Same region