Route 169 has caught the attention of a national organization that calls it one of the 10 most scenic roads in America.

The designation from Scenic America was announced yesterday by Alvin P. Ridgway of Plainfield, president of the Association of Northeastern Connecticut Historical Societies, the group whose efforts led to the state designation of the road as a scenic highway in 1991.

Scenic America is a national organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the scenic character of America’s communities and countryside.

The group cited Route 169, also known as the Norwich and Woodstock Turnpike, for its : "unique scenery and geologic and cultural interest."

The road, in use since the 1600s, runs form Norwich to the Massachusetts border in Woodstock. The portion of the road from Lisbon to the Massachusetts border is designated as a state scenic highway, and is included in the national citation.

The road connects many early Connecticut towns, such as Pomfret and Woodstock, and for centuries was the main north-south route in south-central New England. Its scenic qualities include open farmland, woods, small towns and villages, with a number of historic homes and buildings along the route.

Included among these are Roseland Cottage in Woodstock, also known as the "Pink House," a prime example of Gothic architecture; The First Congregational Church in Pomfret, The Unitarian Church in Brooklyn, The Prudence Crandall Museum in Canterbury and the John Bishop House in Lisbon. Also on Route 169 is the Israel Putnam statue in Brooklyn, which stands in front of the Daniel Tyler Law Office in Brooklyn.

Elizabeth Wood of Woodstock, who had suggested the scenic highway to the Association of Northeastern Historical Societies in 1988, said the narrow and winding contour of the road is one of its greatest attributes.

"With its homes located to the road, travelers can see what is going on as they ride along Route 169," she said. "I think that’s what appeals to outsiders. They can get a sense of how people live here and how they lived for a long time."

State Rep. Jefferson Davis, who headed the Scenic Route 169 Committee for the association, said he was impressed with the fact the road is mentioned in the same listing as such internationally known scenic roads as California Route 1, better known as the Big Sur Highway; the 12-mile stretch of I-70 through the Glenwood Canyon in Colorado and the Colonial Highway in Virginia.

"As the effort to get the Heritage Corridor designation continues, this scenic highway recognition show this area has some national significance," he said.

Rep. Davis pointed out Route 169 was the only New England road to receive the designation and one of only three roads east of the Mississippi River.