My Sweet Summer
The Abandoned Case Cabin
Written by: Wilk
Photographs by: Lassie
What is it about summer time that makes it so magical? To me, it always seems like the shortest season. When I was a kid, August was my least favorite month of the year. And it was because the shadow of September and the dread of going back to school made it so hard to enjoy anything. But July, that was always the best. Vacations. Ice cream. The beach. Hiking. All the best summer memories come from July. And yet it always feels like the shortest month of the year. You had no worries about school, or homework. All that mattered was having fun. But I guess that’s just the brevity of human existence. Enjoy what you can while you can, because time stands still for no man. And few places we have ever visited have experienced such an extreme fall from grace as the once adored now abandoned Case Cabin.
In 1862, two brothers of the well-known Case family purchased two acres around the beautiful Case Reservoir in Manchester, Connecticut, and this is where they built their summer home. The Case family were successful industrialists from the area who owned and operated multiple factories and processing plants. The exquisite log cabin was first built in 1917 using sturdy chestnut wood from the neighboring forests. Throughout the early twentieth century, this place was the vacation paradise of the wealthy Case family. But much like the summer beauty, the prestige of this wondrous place eventually waned. The prestige of the family slowly came to end, and the summer home was eventually left behind.
We have visited Case Cabin many times over the years. And with each passing visit, the magic of the grounds disappears ever so slightly. And this was the visit for us where the most changes had been made to the grounds. There was a time where there were no fences, security systems, and renovations. The back and side decks were once accessible, now removed from existence. The entire back house has even been demolished at this point, leaving only a bare foundation of stone walls and broken memories. While a family of chubby bunnies now happily resides within the perimeter, the entire Case Cabin has been sealed off by a chain link fence. A few yards away, the boat house still stands. An old swimming ladder still pokes out of the nearby pond.
Much like the passing days of summer, the time for Case Cabin seems to be sadly drawing to a close. Though she was once enjoyed by the local high society, today she is nothing more than a withering spirit. She is lost to the slow decay of time, at the mercy of the unstoppable sands of the hourglass. But that’s what makes places like this, and summer itself, enjoyable. We know that our time is short, which is what drives us to make the best and most out of each moment. She once had a flourishing history and pedigree. But those days are gone. The sun is slowly setting on this once wondrous and wealthy place. Case Cabin will inevitably be gone someday. But the memories will always be with us.
“The Gods envy us. They envy us because we’re mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we’re doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again.” -Troy (2004)
celebrated here during the roaring twenties, and the family commonly lived here during the summertime. But much like the summer beauty, the prestige of this wondrous place eventually waned. The prestige of the family slowly came to end, and the summer home was eventually left behind. The Case family remained a powerful and successful family until the 1960’s, when their company was bought out. Over the last few years, their former land has been steadily acquired by the town of Manchester as part of an initiative to create more open and recreational space for town residents.
Case Mountain Recreation Area is a large town park located in Manchester, CT, just over the border of Bolton/Glastonbury. It is commonly used today by locals and visitors from all over the state for walking, hiking, and kayaking. The focal point of this park is Case Pond. It is a small body of water with several little streams flowing into it. Along one side of the pond are a series of large houses. Most of them have little boat houses or docks along the banks of the pond. On the other side, is Case Mountain Recreation Area. This area was made possible due to land donations and conservation from the town of Manchester and from several families in the area. The town of Manchester purchased several acres for the recreation area a few years ago. Included in that purchase, was the former Case family summer home. Most recently, the cabin was the setting of an independent horror film entitled Animal. The film starred Joey Lauren Adams (Mallrats) and Keke Palmer (Akeelah and the Bee).
Abandoned Wonders 