Babb's Beach

The Babb family operated a summer lake resort on the shores of the Congamond Lake starting in the late 1890s.  The current roller skating rink was built circa 1930 as a dance hall.  The facility hosted well-known musicians during the Big Band era.  The Babb family donated the approximately 7 acre property to the Town in 1977 and Nelson Babb had a life-use of a house and continued to operate the skating rink until 1996.  The 11,000 s.f. building was falling into disrepair and on October 31, 2003, the Town entered into a four-year lease with four extension periods with Citizens Restoring Congamond (CRC).  CRC agreed to utilize its non-profit status to conduct fundraising and restore the building as a rollerskating rink.  The Town recieved a $100,000 Small Town Economic Assistance Progam (STEAP) grant from the State of Connecticut to help with the restoration.  Babb's Beach was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 21, 2006.  Once the rollerskating rink is restored, CRC plans to sublease the building to a rink operator and any profits realized from the sublease will be used for CRC's mission of the protection and preservation of the Congamond Lakes.  Future plans for the town-owned property, pending available funding, include reutilizing the beach area, constructing a bathhouse, and building a pavillion overlooking the lake. 

For progress on the rollerskating rink restoration visit www.babbsbeach.org.