Versailles Operator's Shanty

Operational History

Approximately 80 years ago, the Versailles Operator's Shanty was constructed by the New York, New Haven & Hartford RR in the village of Versailles, part of the town of Sprague. Its main use was for telegraph operators who relayed messages between other operators and who would pass train orders to the trains passing by. After the telephone replaced the telegraph for communications purposes, the shanty was used by Block Operators who were responsible for all activities within their block. The block to the west went to Willimantic and the block to the east went to Plainfield.

Museum History

After the railroad no longer needed the shanty, it was given to an employee who moved it to his yard. His family donated it to the museum on September 13, 2000. Currently it's being used as the museum's ticket booth and information center.