The Green Fall River is a forested river corridor and an environmental treasure. From its top, a long section of the river runs through Patchaug State Forest, Connecticut’s largest forest. A dam created Green Fall Pond on its upper reaches. The Green Fall River is also part of the Great Thicket National Wildlife Refuge.
The Green Fall Rift Valley is a memorable, dramatic and majestic six-mile long fault line, with the river flowing beneath steep rocky ridge lines and embankments rising over 400’ on either side, with dark, green forests, the result of a geological traumatization of the southern RI and CT borderlands that took place during the assemblage and subsequent breakup of the Pangea supercontinent.
Extensive Native American ceremonial stonework can be seen throughout the river region. They include Manitou hassunash, and hassuneutunk, stacked stone structures and serpent effigies of the Narragansett Indians. Colonial agricultural walls, the remains of foundations and other more ambiguous features also dot the area.
The rich flood-plain soils at the river’s southern end continue in agriculture with five farms in production. There are over 375 acres under purchase of development rights to ensure that these prime farm soils will be continued to be used only for agriculture. Today the Green Fall River flows peacefully through the northern forested areas and the quiet villages of its southern course. In times past these villages were very active with mills and other industries that accessed the water power provided by the river. A variety of mills and industry developed on the Green Fall River and its tributaries, Wyassup Brook, Pendleton Hill Brook, Peg’s Mill Brook, Palmer Pond Brook and Glade brook. The villages of Laurel Glen and Clark’s Falls were created around this available power. Iron works, shingle mills and lumber mills were built in the forested areas near to their raw material. Grist mills, fulling mills, woolen mills and other operations centered close to and in the villages. Along with the work places, there were schools, stores and churches. The industry based on the water power provided by the Green Fall River existed from early eighteenth century through to the late twentieth century when the Clark’s Falls Grist Mill ceased operations.
