In the woods and under the brambles at Bluff Point State Park in Groton rest the remains of an important transportation facility that was located approximately half-way be-tween New York City and Boston. Given the name Midway, because of this central location on the Northeast rail corridor, the site once contained a massive railroad roundhouse and turntable, as well as a coal tower, sand houses, bunk houses, a hotel, ash pits, and an icing facility.

The location of both New London and Groton on Connecticut's Atlantic coastline near the mouth of the Thames River, made them ideal transfer points for travelers and freight moving up and down the coast as well as from inland towns and cities. As early as the 1840s, citizens in Connecticut were calling for the extension of established rail lines to their communities. This was mirrored all across southern New England as evidenced by the creation of over 100 independent railroads in the decade between 1850 and 1860. By the end of the 19th century, many of these independent lines had combined into the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad under the powerful leadership of J. P. Morgan. The final consolidation of these lines prompted the construction of the new centralized Midway freight yard in 1904.

Built under the direction of George A. Demore, a Division Road Master for the railroad and T. A. Londregan, the general foreman during construction, Midway's roundhouse contained 20 service stalls, or pits; and the surrounding yard had over 20 miles of track allowing room for up to 70 complete 40-car freight trains. One hundred and fifty men were hired to work at the facility. Once completed, the Vice President of the New Haven Railroad compared the Midway facility to the famous Altoona Shops on the Pennsylvania Railroad.

In 1912 the consolidated New Haven was operating over 2,000 miles of track. The Midway yard and specifically the turntable were upgraded in 1917 to accommodate all of the different types of engines that were used by the New Haven.

By 1926, as other yard facilities were constructed along the New Haven Line, Midway lost its status as the preeminent yard. For a few years, the yard was used for storage until the Great Depression made keeping the yard staffed unfeasible. In 1939, New London's newspaper, The Day, reported that after the railroad was unsuccessful at selling the property, the buildings in the Midway yard were to be razed and the tracks removed.

Today, scattered across the surface of the roundhouse, the service pits, and turntable foundations are piles of cinder, coal, sand, and a handful of historical artifacts that tell the story of this once bustling transportation facility. Looking at the remains of the former turntable and the individual stalls, one can almost hear the whistles of trains passing through.

It was local railroad enthusiast Greg Kent that brought the site to the attention of the Office of State Archaeology a few years ago. Through FOSA's foresight in recognizing the significance of the Midway complex, the site was researched, photographed, and successfully nominated to the State Register of Historic Places by Dr. Sara Mascia of Historical Perspectives. At the same meeting (06/30/2015), the Connecticut Historic Preservation Council designated Midway as a State Archaeological Preserve.