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From the 1870s through 1941, Roton Point Park was one of the preeminent attractions along the shores of Long Island Sound. From its shady picnic grove overlooking the water to its sandy beaches, hotel, dance floor, carousel, roller coaster, and midway rides, Roton Point attracted thousands of visitors each season. Damage from the 1938 hurricane and the start of World War II led to the park's closing in 1941, and Roton Point was divided into two private beach clubs and a public beach. Some of the old buildings remain, including the bathhouse, hotel, and gazebo at Roton Point, and the roller-coaster entry at Bayley Beach.

Savin Rock Amusement Park began to grow in the 1870s when George Kelsey constructed a pier to extend ferry service between the opposite coastlines of New Haven Harbor. This opened the door for further, more sophisticated

development of amusement attractions that drew fun seeking patrons from throughout southern New England. The park thrived until the combination of affordable personal transportation and urban redevelopment forced its demise in the 1960s. Today Savin Rock is a quieter spot fi lled with beachside apartments, a shopping plaza, and a more tranquil grassy park jutting into the harbor. Only a few of the original restaurants remain, changed somewhat from their earlier days but still holding tight to the memories of a different time. Savin Rock Amusement Park contains postcards from the private collection of Ronald P. Guerrera. As an antiques dealer in Waterbury, Guerrera compiled one of the largest and most picturesque collections of postcard memorabilia in Connecticut.