Farmington is best known for its charming Colonial era village, but its recent history has been dominated by the expansive UConn Medical Center complex, retail giant Westfarms Mall, swaths of stylish residential subdivisions and the recently remade Unionville center.

Farmington Village, a remarkably well-preserved array of Colonial homes and significant museums, stretches for more than a mile along Route 10 and is a designated State of Connecticut Scenic Route. Settled in 1640, this quintessential New England village center has a fascinating historical and cultural heritage.

Several early Farmington families were avowed abolitionists whose homes played an important part in the Underground Railroad. In 1841, 38 Mendi Africans and Cinque, the leader of their famous Amistad slave revolt, were housed and educated in Farmington while funds were raised for their eventual return to Africa. Because of their connection to abolitionism, many of these homes, though now privately owned, are part of the Connecticut Freedom Trail. (A walking- tour guide and site map of the Freedom Trail in Farmington is available from the Farmington Historical Society.)

Many notable museums are also located along Main Street: The Day-Lewis, a one-room, Native American artifacts museum, and the Lewis Walpole Library, which houses a collection of the letters and works of Horace Walpole. Both are owned by Yale University. The Stanley Whitman Museum is a few streets east of Main, on High Street. This classic Colonial has been restored to depict life in 18th-century Farmington. The historical society has developed educational programs here for visitors of all ages.

Higher up the hill (Mountain Road), past some meticulously landscaped estates, is Farmington’s greatest treasure, the Hill-Stead Museum. With a long driveway lined by native stonewalls, and sited gracefully on 152 acres above the Village, the Hill-Stead is the Valley’s premier tourist attraction.

Theodate Pope Riddle designed the Colonial revival home for her family of wealthy industrialists. Its 19 rooms hold a nationally recognized collection of Impressionist paintings by such masters as Manet, Monet, Whistler, Degas and Cassatt. The Hill-Stead’s unique Sunken Garden is the site of the annual “Sunken Garden Poetry Festival” that features some of the nation’s most famous poets as well as new local talent. The Hill-Stead’s programs, sprawling grounds and museum space are open to the public.

Miss Porter’s School, whose buildings occupy much of the village center, is a significant historic and cultural institution in its own right. Founded in 1843 by educational reformer Sarah Porter, Miss Porter’s has long been considered one of the finest girls’ college preparatory schools in the country.

The Village’s side streets have treats of their own to offer. Anthony and Kristine Giraulo’s beautifully restored 17th-century Grist Mill Restaurant has a view of the Farmington River from all of its white-linen covered tables. Their tavern caters to an upscale after-work crowd. Upstairs, Janet Owen’s Millrace Bookstore has satisfied literary palates for generations. Nearby, Haworth’s Greenhouse delights flower lovers.

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