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| 04/22/2008 10:10 AM |
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A century of Quassy Park
BY MATT O'ROURKE | REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
MIDDLEBURY -- On Monday, Eric Anderson moved swiftly from one end of Quassy Amusement Park to the other, clutching a checklist in his hand.
The hum and whiz of power tools pierced the air while mechanics bolted down a new giant yellow carnival slide and made repairs to rides that had been out of commission since last summer.
Anderson said inspectors from the state would arrive at the park in a matter of days to check every nut and bolt on each machine before the park opens April 26.
However, this year is different, as Quassy prepares to open for its centennial season. Anderson attributes the park's success to one-on-one interaction with the park's patrons.
"It's a busy, busy time for us. We have to get everything just right," Anderson, the park's president and co-owner, said. "It's an exciting time."
The park, which opened in 1908 as a "trolley park" built by the Connecticut Trolley Co., was located at the end of the rail line connecting Middlebury to Waterbury. At the time, entertainment parks were located at the last stop of many trolley lines across the country.
Today, Quassy is one of 11 remaining trolley parks in the country, evolving from a lakeside picnic destination into the go-to amusement park for families to bring their children in the summertime.
Quassy, once known as Lake Quassapaug Park, first became a hot spot in the 1920s for teenagers who would play croquet or go canoeing during the afternoons before dancing in the park's large halls seven nights a week. Shortly after 1930, the park made its first major adjustments, as patrons began riding the rails less and began taking buses. In 1937, the Frantzis, Terezakis and Leon families, which ran concessions at Quassy, purchased the park from the Connecticut Trolley Company.
The Frantzis family has continuously owned and operated the park ever since.
While growing up, George Frantzis II, one of the park's co-owners, said he spent most of his time at the park, helping his father, George, and grandfather, John, with maintenance and concessions.
"I lived here for the most part. The beauty of it was there were so many different families with children my age," Frantzis said. "This was our playground and that was exciting."
Frantzis' family has taken pride in Quassy as an "affordable family fun place," and not a large-scale amusement center, he said.
"We've always wanted it to be a place where a family can spend the day with as little financial pain as possible," Frantzis said. "That's something that hasn't changed."
The park has evolved over the years. Quassy began to adjust its attractions to more carnival-style rides in 1950s and '60s, including a roller coaster and bumper cars. Frantzis said the "growth spurt" was necessary to keep patrons coming back. Quassy became well-known for its Friday night specials, where patrons could ride attractions for only a quarter and purchase hot dogs for 50 cents, he said.
In 1989, the park auctioned off its antique carousel, which had run at Quassy since 1927. Despite the auction raising more than $630,000, Frantzis said, it was a bittersweet moment for his family.
"It was something awful to do at the time, but we simply couldn't afford to insure it anymore," he said.
Resident Donna Hine, 54, said she has fond memories of crawling with her friends under a chain-link fence that divides Quassy from the Middlebury Recreation Area to get into the park, even though Quassy doesn't charge an admission fee. When she was older, she took her children to Quassy on Middlebury Day, when residents ride for free.
"We'd go to the arcades and play ski-ball or get ice cream cones," Hine said. "It was the best way to spend a hot summer day."
In 2003, the park expanded once more to include the Saturation Station, a water park that features water cannons and a 300-gallon bucket that fills up every two to three minutes before dumping on people standing beneath it. Anderson said that year the park underwent renovations, including a new roof for its carousel building.
"It gave us new life. That part of the park has kept us going," Anderson said.
Anderson said that while the park doesn't compete with larger parks such as Lake Compounce in Bristol or Six Flags New England in Agawam, Mass., the addition of the water park did allow Quassy to adjust to what patrons want. The park has also become popular for group outings and corporate events, which has become another source of income, he said.
For the park's centennial, Anderson had hoped to open a new wooden roller coaster that would have been 1,250 feet long running adjacent to Lake Quassapaug. However, Anderson withdrew the park's application before the Planning and Zoning Commission after complaints from neighbors about noise.
"We hope to have it at some point, but there were other considerations," Anderson said. "There are always challenges to improvements."
Instead, the park will open two other rides — a giant slide and a swinging pirate ship ride — on April 26.
Looking ahead, Anderson said he wants to preserve the family feel of Quassy, gearing it toward "Mom, Dad and the children."
"We always want to be in that right niche," Anderson said. "Somewhere between a mix of nostalgia and looking toward the future."
Link to Quassy Amusement Park: http://www.quassy.com/index.asp
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| 10/22/2008 10:04 PM |
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| A Plaque was sent to Quassy from NAPHA celebrating their 100th anniversary September 19, 2008. Congratulations!!!! |
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