Hayden Station
The Outpost
Hayden Station Road used to be the only road leading north to Boston. In 1814 a new road was constructed closer to the river, which became the north end of Palisado Avenue. Hayden Station Road was no longer the main road, and family houses began to replace the businesses that once thrived there. When the railroad line was completed in 1844, the Hayden Station train stop made the area easily accessible from Hartford and Boston, and the residential community continued to grow. The area has retained much of the character of its early history, and provides a glimpse into Windsor's past.
Hayden Station Road
The area around Hayden Station was originally very heavily wooded, and much of the wood that was eventually cut was used for fuel and for lumber to build houses. As the land was cleared, the area began to be used for growing crops and raising cattle. During the 1700's a shoemaker's shop, brickyards, a tannery, and a grist mill were established on Hayden Station Road. A stone quarry was also located near the area. In the mid 1700's a small community of African Americans was located farther west on Hayden Station Road, and in the late 1800's a church was constructed in this area.
The Railroad
The northern part of Windsor was originally called Hayden Station. William Hayden's house, located near the intersection of Hayden Station Road and Palisado Avenue, was built there in 1644. Many of the houses in this area were owned by the Hayden family until after the Revolutionary War. As a result, the district was first called Haydens, then Haydentown, and finally Hayden Station. The name Hayden Station was adopted as a result of the railroad line, which was constructed in 1844. In 1644 however, the area was considered the "outpost' of the more heavily populated Windsor settlements to the South, and William Hayden was responsible for warning the other settlers of Indian attacks.
