Note: Visitors to Schooner Wharf will find a community of shops, offices, waterfront businesses and more on both sides Holmes Street in Mystic, Connecticut. To enjoy the area it’s not necessary to know about the history. (Yet those who do wish to know more can peruse a segment about the Lathrop Engine Company, in part one of this story. See link below.)
Author and maritime historian Stephen Jones is a principal for the LLC that owns and manages the Schooner Wharf properties. As he led a tour in and around the site, topics ran from marine engines being refitted to power boats (the problem solving that would get a tractor engine into powering a water-soaked vessel intrigued me for days); to The Lionel Company; then to point out a clock salvaged after the hurricane of 1938; oysters and spat; and the invisible layers of industrial history.
“In 1916 when I went to Lathrop’s the two-cycle engine was in full production . . . One model that was very popular was a 24 horsepower two-cylinder with a 7 and a 1/2-inch bore. Mr. J.W. Lathrop used on of those to build a fire engine. It was on iron wheels and drawn by horses.” - Edward R. Welles, “Recollections of A Small-Town Yankee Mechanic, published by the Groton Public Library, 1987
As a devotee of local history, knowing just a smidge about the former Lathrop Engine Company added much to a visit. On one side of Holmes Street is the brick complex anchored by Riverwalk Restaurant (same owner for 10 years) and Mystic River Yarns. There’s also Monk’s Walk (look for the rooftop dragon) for bookbinding, book repair, boxes for books. Docko Inc. is an waterfront design engineering firm. The executive offices of Mystic Chamber of Commerce offer up racks of brochures for places to see. Then there is Cutwater Marine Gallery (not yet open for the day on my visit) and a busy nail design studio. 
Good used books, vintage collectibles, plus shelves of salt and pepper shakers, hats, bookends, art and more fill up the inside of Church Street Antiques (on Holmes Street despite the name) located on the ground floor. Every corner is interesting, and there are plenty of nooks and aisles to investigate.
Across the street, if the incredible light and water views from the Mystic River don’t spellbind a walker, there’s even more to enjoy. Marine Consignment of Mystic, full to the brim of maritime goods, is a feast for anyone who loves a life on the water (or dreams of one someday).
Assorted interesting items as diverse as wooden sleds, barely used designer life vests for all sizes (at least on my visit) to outboard motors, compasses, rudders, fixtures, and even canoes adorn the spacious former Lathrop Engine Company foundry building. The shop also rents out kayaks that visitors may launch just steps away along the Mystic River. Lis Bakery can help with selecting a tempting treat (try the red velvet cupcakes). In the same building are Mystic River Press offices and an architect’s office.
Note: For more about the history of this particular site, see part one. For a look inside the artful studio that is Mystic River Yarns, see related story.
Dr. Robert Ballard lives in Connecticut, works in Mystic, and at University of Rhode Island (URI), and explores the oceans of the world. 
