Tariffville Village Association:
                    Preserving our Heritage,
                                        Planning for the Future

he Town of Simsbury holds the ultimate authority to decide what will happen to the lot at 31 Main St. However, because the residents of Tariffville have strong feelings on the subject, the town has put the issue on the back burner to wait and see what kind of plan the residents of Tariffville will come up with. The town has offered its assistance in this regard, to help us put together a plan everyone (or most everyone) can agree with. All the various and applicable boards and commissions and town employees have expressed their desire to assist us in this effort. Your input is important to us in helping develop a consensus of opinion.

The Tariffville Village Association’s position is that an overall plan for the Village needs to be developed first, before a plan can be devised for 31 Main St. This plan should address three areas: Economic Development, Recreational Development, and the Development of our Historic/ Cultural Assets.

Once these plans are in place, we can see how 31 Main fits into the plan. Would 31 Main function best as a Town Green, a place to hold festivals and other community events? Or would it be better utilized for some kind of economic development, such as a third restaurant? There is talk of putting a restaurant in the Mill overlooking the river as well. Is it possible that Tariffville could become a "restaurant destination" as it already is in some respects? Is there an option which we haven’t thought of, but which will come out as we study the issues? This remains to be seen.

Economic Development: The TVA has begun to organize the business interests in town, beginning with the First Annual Tariffville Village Festival . As the business community becomes better organized, our next step will be to begin writing a plan for the economic development of Tariffville. This plan should be specific to Tariffville but also fit with the overall plan for Simsbury. It should include the following areas of study:

What businesses do we want to attract to Tariffville?

Where should they be located?

How do we attract them to Tariffville?

The Economic Development Commission of the Town of Simsbury will be asked to provide input in the development of this plan.

Recreational Development: Tariffville has many remarkable recreational assets including: The Farmington River, The Gorge, The Metacomet Trail, the magnificent Cliff Views, Tariffville Park and the Governor’s Bridge Trail along the River. We also have the old Railroad right of way, which is destined to be added to the Farmington Valley Greenway biketrail. All these assets are in need of development and sprucing up, as well as advertising and improved access. These assets in themselves would form a very viable basis for continued economic development in Tariffville.

Historic/Cultural Development: Tariffville enjoys the distinction of being listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a beautiful little Mill Village and could be even more so, with a little polish and shine. Tariffville’s history is rich and varied and includes a number of "firsts", including one of the first places to grow shade tobacco, and the first carpet factory in America, the Tariff Manufacturing Co. These historic assets need to be developed and marketed. This Saturday, August 23, 2003, at the start of the Tariffville Village Festival, we will be having our first Historic tour of the site of the 1878 Tariffville Train Wreck. This is an example of an historic/ cultural event designed to increase awareness of our historic and cultural assets here in Tariffville.