BARKHAMSTED - Fishermen took to Connecticut's streams and lakes in droves on opening day Saturday, but in the picturesque village of Riverton, it was standing room only.The sight of shoulder-to-shoulder anglers here is a metaphor for opening-day enthusiasm throughout the state. The village of Riverton opens its arms to the annual invasion with a popular fishing derby, fueled by an abundance of trout in the west branch of the Farmington River.

This year's event was particularly poignant because Hitchcock Chair Co., which has sponsored the derby for 56 years, has announced it is going out of business later this month.

"It's sad, really," said Acting Postmaster Janet Anstett, echoing the prevailing sentiment in this historic country village that constitutes Barkhamsted's flagship ttraction.

Given Hitchcock's world-wide reputation, dating back to 1826, any community would be traumatized by the loss of its most notable enterprise. The village was actually once called "Hitchcocksville" in honor of company founder Lambert Hitchcock, but the name was too much of a mouthful and was changed in 1866.

While hoping a buyer can be found for the historic white-brick factory by the river, Riverton is taking its future into its own hands.

To begin with, the fishing derby will continue, organizers say. It's likely that the fishermen who love the cold-water pools here would come anyway, but the contest helps draw fishermen from around the state and across borders.

The bikers, the bicyclists, the hikers, the shoppers, the weekenders and those who just enjoy a scenic ride are also likely to keep coming, especially during the warm months when local retailers have always done a brisk business.

"I have always liked the place," said Mike Dubourg of Winsted, who has fished here for 60 years. "The people have changed, of course, but the buildings are pretty much the same."

The old Look

Riverton has retained a 19th-century look without becoming an historical theme park that enforces strict architectural uniformity. Austere brick from the 1800s rubs shoulders with ornate wooden Victorian, and there's even a 1950s ranch house across the street from the Congregational Church, built in 1824.

Nestled in a valley just north of where the Still River empties into the Farmington, one can easily walk from bridge to bridge past the village's two dozen structures in less than 10 minutes. There are only three streets in the center of town.

It could have been different. As a water-powered mill town in the 19th century, Riverton rivaled nearby Winsted in industry. But when the railroads came to Connecticut in the 1840s, Riverton was bypassed in favor of the town directly south. Winsted now has three times the population of Barkhamsted's 3,800, but it also is suffering more from its dependence on manufacturing, which has nearly disappeared in the region.

Visitors are clearly key to this town's future, with the outdoor life its main attraction. First Selectman Michael Fox noted in an interview last week that non-residents bring in $3.8 million a year in revenue to the area. With a property tax rate of 27 mills, Barkhamsted can use every bit of it.

To strengthen its appeal to outsiders, Fox said Riverton's considerable array of volunteer organizations, in a village of only 500 residents, have come together - groups representing merchants, firefighters, farmers, churches, the arts and outdoor activities. "They are now pulling on the same oar," he said.

Among the fruits of this coalition, which pre-dates Hitchcock's announcement it would close last month:

"Streetscape" refurbishing that will add sidewalks and gaslight-style street lights, thanks to a $500,000 state grant;

A facade improvement project for commercial buildings, with the help of another $100,000 state grant;

Application for national recognition as an official historic district, following a professional inventory of the town's buildings.

Barkhamsted has two centers. While Riverton has become the preferred residential center, Pleasant Valley, six miles down river, holds Town Hall and the only remaining elementary school.

In between is a breathtaking natural corridor beneath the Ragged Mountains that is home to one of only six federally designated "wild and scenic" rivers in New England. Barkhamsted also contains four state forests, and fully half of all its 36 square miles is protected from development.

Good news

Meanwhile, Riverton has gotten some good news to offset the loss of its most famous commercial landmark.

Internationally renowned glass blower Peter Greenwood is planning his long-awaited grand opening May 13 and 14 in the former Episcopal Church building on Main Street. He bought it from the Hitchcock Co., which had been using it as a furniture museum, in January 2005, and it has taken him this long to refurbish it as a gallery and workshop.

"I was lucky to find this place," said Greenwood, who had been searching for three years to move his operation from a barn in Farmington and stumbled across it while on a country drive. Although the church building wasn't on the market, he said the Hitchcock Co. sold it to him for $97,000.

Residents also are heartened to hear the Old Riverton Inn, the 1796 landmark that was a stop on the stagecoach route from Albany to Hartford, is no longer on the market. Proprietor Mark Telford reconsidered after working out a deal to run an office at the inn for the Elyse Harney Real Estate Agency, for which he had previously worked part-time in Norfolk. The restaurant will be open on weekends, although rooms will remain available all week, and the inn will double as a real estate business.

As the town filled with fishermen Saturday, Town Historian Douglas Roberts surveyed the scene with pride.

"There's been a lot of work to make things better," the 81-year-old, lifelong resident said.

It's a far cry from the dark days he recalled of August 1955, when the rivers drowned the village, destroying four homes and killing a couple trapped in their house.

To prevent future tragedies, the upstream Hogsback dam was built, with a system that releases water from the bottom of the reservoir, instead of the top. The result is cold water in the summer and warmer water in the winter, a perfect environment for trout.