Established in October of 1771, the First Company Governor's Footguard is recognized as the oldest continually operating military unit in the United States. At the time, Hartford was isolated from other towns in Connecticut and travel was time-consuming and often dangerous. A number of young men in Hartford decided to form a select group to escort the Governor and colonial assembly on election day, which was often a raucous occasion in the colonies.<br><br>In 1777, the company joined the Continental Army to fight the British in the American Revolution, although it was not obligated to do so. Since that time, the company has been involved in every war in which the United States has been involved.&nbsp;<br><br>The Footguard Building is technically an armory, with a large open room known as a drill shed for its main space. The drill shed is surrounded by the second-floor balcony. The balcony is lined with wooden plaques commemorating the Guard's activities over the years, including escorting Lafayette, marching at the dedication of the Washington Monument, and participating in the funeral of former President Ulysses S. Grant.&nbsp;<br><br>The building was also used for public events until well into the twentieth century. It occupies a prominent location on High Street, a location which was even more prominent before the construction of I-84. Nowadays, the building houses a small museum which details the long history of the Footguard and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.&nbsp;

The First Company Governor's Footguard was formed in 1771 for the purpose of protecting the Governor and General Assembly. The unit still exists, but today serves primarily a ceremonial purpose. The Footguard Building was not constructed until 1888, and because of its historical as well as architectural significance, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Footguard Hall

This walking tour starts at the Connecticut State Capitol complex and works its way north with stops at museums and historic landmarks along the way. This tour is a work in progress and more entries will be added in November.

<p>The Connecticut State Library and Supreme Court Building was designed by Donn Barber, a New York architect of the firm Carrere and Hastings. Barber was introduced to the needs of the State Government of Connecticut by his colleague at Carrere and Hastings, Edward T. Hapgood.&nbsp; While Hapgood is credited on the designs of the Library, documentation following the initial design submissions seems to indicate that the library was a project entirely undertaken by Barber. All of Barber’s work, including the library, features a style distinctly tied to Beaux-Arts of Paris, the world-renowned architecture college Barber attended before working with Carrere and Hastings.</p>



<p>Barber’s selection as architect for the Library came following an extensive vetting of submissions by a State Commission originally organized to make repairs to the State Capitol.&nbsp; During the inquiry process, the Commission discovered that more space was required for the State Library and Supreme Court, which were, at the time, housed in the Capitol Building.</p>



<p>Led by George Goddard, the State Librarian at the time, the project to create a permanent home for both the Supreme Court of Connecticut and the State Library was begun. In 1906, the commission began analyzing plans submitted by architects, which were refined over the following years. In 1909, the State Legislature passed a decision allowing for the permanent storage of any official documents submitted by officers of the government, government agencies, or qualified citizens.&nbsp;</p><p>From Barber and Hapgood’s plans, the project to create the Connecticut State Library began, and under Godard’s guidance, an impressive building was created.&nbsp; One of Godard’s most celebrated contributions as a&nbsp;leader of the effort can be found in the fireproofing, which was meticulous and thorough. Metal shelving and flame-retardant materials were used throughout the entire structure, resulting in what has been described by the State of Connecticut as a “fortress for books.”</p>



<p>In the design of the building, Barber worked to feature beautiful, austere stylistic elements without sacrificing function. This trait is advanced further in the other buildings he designed in Connecticut and Hartford in particular; his creations grew further from his Beaux-Arts roots as his portfolio grew.</p>



<p>The “Fortress of Books,” which still serves the people of Hartford and Connecticut as a whole to this day, is also valuable in the context of Barber’s other works in the city. Together, they provide a unique look into the evolution of not just a city but of a skilled architect as well.</p>The combined inclusion of unique European stylistic elements, safety features that were cutting edge at the time, and forward-thinking design decisions makes the Library and Supreme Court Building one of the architectural and functional cornerstones of the city.&nbsp;<br>

The Connecticut State Library and Supreme Court Building was designed by an influential architect whose career influenced the development of downtown Hartford through his design for this building which remains one of Connecticut’s most important institutions. The library is home to vast collection of state documents and from 1909 forward, the state library system served as a central repository for all official records. The library is home to Connecticut's repository of the development, growth, and evolution of its government and legal history.

The Connecticut State Library and Supreme Court Building

<b>James Batterson and Richard M. Upjohn<br></b>Connecticut business owner and political figure James Batterson was in the business of producing cemetery headstones and monuments, particularly Civil War monuments which became very popular in the later years of the 19th century. He then branched out into building construction. His firm was responsible for constructing the Connecticut State Capitol according to the designs created by architect Richard M. Upjohn.<br><b><br></b>Born in England in&nbsp;1828, Richard M.&nbsp;Upjohn grew up in New York and likely traveled abroad finding inspiration for his designs. His father Richard Upjohn Sr. (1802-1878) was also an architect, rising to prominence as the first president of&nbsp;the American Institute of Architects. Upjohn Sr.&nbsp;is best remembered for&nbsp;his Gothic Revival churches, especially Trinity Church in New York. From 1860 on, the two Upjohns often worked together on projects.<br><br><b>Design</b><br>Many of the building materials were local to New England, including marble from East Canaan, CT and granite from Westerly, RI. Atop the structure is an impressive gold leaf dome, encircled by 12 statues representing concepts such as&nbsp;agriculture, education, justice, and music. The design also includes a number of pointed arches, a typical feature of Gothic architecture.&nbsp;Inside, the floors are made of white and colored marble and red slate. Interior designer William James McPherson supplied the stained glass windows and light fixtures.&nbsp;<br><br><p>Sculptor&nbsp;<span>Randolph Rogers created a bronze statue known as&nbsp;<i></i><i></i>the&nbsp;</span><em>Genius of Connecticut</em> (original name:&nbsp;<em>The Angel of the Resurrection</em>), which adorned the Capitol's dome from 1878 until 1938, when it was damaged during a&nbsp;hurricane damaged it. Shortly afterward, it was melted down and used as&nbsp;scrap metal in WWII. Rogers's plaster model survived, however, and a new bronze replica was made to replace the original. It is now on view in the rotunda. She holds a wreath of dried flowers in one hand and a wreath of the state flower Mountain Laurel in the other. She wears leaves from a white oak tree (the state tree, symbolizing strength) on her head. Her wings symbolize protection of Connecticut's residents.&nbsp;</p><br>

Constructed between 1872 and 1879, the Connecticut State Capitol is situated in Bushnell Park. Its style is High Victorian Gothic, evoking the grandeur of medieval Gothic architecture. It was designed by Richard M. Upjohn, whose father Richard Upjohn Sr. is famous for his Gothic Revival churches and cathedrals. The father-son duo completed many projects together during the latter half of the 19th century. From 1979 to 1989, the State Capitol underwent extensive renovations to create new plaster- and iron-work, clean the marble floors, and restore the stenciling on the walls to its original condition. The building is open for tours year-round.

Connecticut State Capitol

<p>Funds for the park were approved in 1854, but the park was not actually open to the public until the following decade. First there was the matter of selecting a suitable plot of land which proved difficult owing to the city's growth. The land that was eventually chosen needed to be cleared of several pigsties and had previously been used as a garbage dump. This land had become a nuisance and an eyesore given its location near the train station, something that made the conversion of this area into a park an even more attractive project for residents. The city hoped to hir Frederick Law Olmsted t design the pak. He was unavailable, however, due to a prior commitment to design New York's Central Park. Bushnell followed Olmsted’s recommendation that the city hire Swiss landscape architect Jacob Weidemann in his place.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Weidemann’s original design for what was then known as City Park followed what was known as the natural style, in contrast to the more formal style of village green typical of New England towns of the time. Weidemann was a botanist as well as an architect, and he arranged for a total of 1,100 trees and shrubs of 157 different varieties to be planted all throughout the park. This created a living "screen" of greenery that created a peaceful oasis amidst the city’s chaos. While some elements of the park’s original design have vanished, most notably the Park River which was buried in the 1940s, numerous other scenic elements and architectural features have been added over the past 150 years which add to the park’s beauty and charm.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One of Bushnell Park’s best-known attractions is its Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, erected in 1886 as a tribute to those who died in the Civil War. Not as celebrated, but also deserving of notice, is the 1927 allegorical sculpture <i>Spirit of Victory</i>, commemorating those Hartford men who served in the Spanish-American War. Park statuary includes Horace Wells, the Hartford dentist who discovered anesthesia, and Revolutionary War general Israel Putnam. The Corning Fountain, with its figures of several Native Americans of the Saukiog tribe, was gifted to the city by John Corning of the New York glass manufacturing company. This statue was meant to honor Corning’s Hartford-born father who had once operated a gristmill by the&nbsp;site where the fountain now flows.</p>

<p>No trip to the park would be complete without a visit to its famous carousel. The carousel was built in 1914, and spent its first six decades in an Ohio amusement park before being relocated to Hartford in 1976. Bushnell Park also features a pond, built to replace the original park pond that was drained when the Park River was buried after disastrous flooding. A performance pavilion added in the 1970s was built in a style that harmonizes with the park’s older structures.</p>

<p>Bushnell Park is open year-round and offers free ice skating on the pond during Winterfest, which runs from November through January. Other wintertime events include Santa’s Workshop, a Winter Solstice celebration, and chilly carousel rides. In springtime, the park resumes offering tours of some of its monuments. By summer, things are in full swing, with free outdoor movies, the re-opening of the carousel, and a Monday night jazz series that has been going on for 51 years. All in all, Reverend Bushnell would probably be quite pleased to see what’s become of his park – although he’s still waiting on that statue of himself that he’d (jokingly) requested be placed under a bridge that no longer stands.</p>

Bushnell Park became the nation's first publicly-funded park in 1854. The measure was led by Reverend Horace Bushnell, and thanks to his efforts, community members voted to spend $105,000 to purchase the land for the park. Hartford was thriving thanks to industries such as insurance, publishing, and munitions and the population of the city doubled over the course of a single decade. The downside to this economic growth could be felt by residents who became increasingly aware of the need for green space in the midst of the increasingly urban setting. The previous year, private investors in New York purchased land that was to become Central Park. The Reverend Bushnell, however, decided Hartford would be better served by a park that was owned by its citizenry. He worked tirelessly to advocate for the park which would one day bear his name in recognition of his efforts.

Bushnell Park

<p>The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch is located across
Trinity Street in Bushnell Park in Hartford, Connecticut. The monumental arch has two towers and a
walkway that connects them.&nbsp; It is made
out of Portland Brownstone and Terracotta. The Gothic style arch stands one-hundred and sixty feet tall, spans
thirty feet across.&nbsp; The monument has two
medieval towers are sixty-seven feet round and is topped with a conical roof. &nbsp;The towers are connected by a walkway inside
crenelated parapets. The monument became&nbsp;one
of the first Civil War monuments in Connecticut and was constructed at a total cost of $60,000.&nbsp; </p>

<p>The monument was
designed by George Keller, who also designed the Soldiers' National Monument at
Gettysburg and the U.S. Soldier Monument in Antietam. Keller was a leading memorial architect and was approached about the construction of this monument after leaders of the effort held a design competition that they did not feel had yielded a suitable design. After negotiations with the Hartford Memorial Committee,
Keller received the commission to design the arch. He designed the arch at the end of the
bridge over the Park River to save on costs.&nbsp;
</p>

<p>The memorial includes a series of Terracotta friezes that
depict scenes of the Civil War and the return of the cities veterans who served
during that time period.&nbsp; The north
frieze was sculpted by Samuel Kitson and depicts battle scene of the war. A second frieze features the&nbsp;image of General Ulysses S. Grant watching the
infantry and cavalry advancing on a battlefield.&nbsp; On the left, a frieze depicts&nbsp;marines leaping from a boat
and rushing to engage&nbsp;Confederates soldiers. The south frieze was sculpted by Caspar Buberl and tells a story of peace as it
illustrates the Hartford soldiers and sailors reuniting with their family
members as they are leaving the ship.&nbsp; The
Latin moto <i>post nubila phoebus</i> which
means "after clouds, the sun" is inscribed in the middle of the
scene.&nbsp; It reflects on the happiness and
optimism following the darkness of the Civil War.&nbsp; </p>

<p>Below the friezes are decorative elements that honor all
four services.&nbsp; On the North side of the
arch the Navy is honored with an anchor and the artillery service is honored
with crossed cannons.&nbsp; On the South side
of the arch the infantry is honored with crossed riffles and the cavalry is
honored with crossed swords.&nbsp; The two
turrets are decorated with six figures, three on each tower, depicting the
occupations left behind as they ventured off to fight in the Civil War.&nbsp; These figures were completed in 1894 and include
the Farmer, Blacksmith, Mason, Merchant, Student and Carpenter.&nbsp; Each tower also has an angel playing a
musical instrument, one playing a trumpet and the other playing cymbals.&nbsp; Each tower also has a staircases and the
walls include the names of the fallen Hartford soldiers and sailors that lost
their lives fighting in the Civil War.&nbsp; </p>

<p>When George Keller and his wife died, they were cremated and
their ashes were put in the arch behind an iron door in the east tower.&nbsp; In 1986-88 the monumental arch underwent a $1,500,000
rehabilitation by architect, Dominick C. Cimino. The finial angles on the towers were replaced
as well as original Terra-cotta that had fallen. The Terra-cotta was replaced with
bronze.&nbsp; </p>

<p>Inscriptions on the monument include: </p>

<p>Southeast Side of East Tower: </p>

<p>IN HONOR<br>
OF THE MEN OF HARTFORD<br>
WHO SERVED<br>
AN IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO FELL<br>
ON LAND AND SEA<br>
IN THE WAR FOR THE UNION<br>
THEIR GRATEFUL TOWNSMEN<br>
HAVE RAISED THIS MEMORIAL<br>
<br>
Southwest Side of the West Tower: </p>

<p>DURING THE CIVIL WAR<br>
1861-1865<br>
MORE THAN 4000 MENT OF HARTFORD<br>
BORE ARMS IN THE NATIONAL CAUSE<br>
NEARLY 400 OF WHOM DIED IN SERVICE<br>
----------------------<br>
ERECTED 1885<br>
----------------------<br>
GEORGE KELLER ARCHITECT &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; CASPAR
BUBERL &amp; SAMUEL KITSON SCULPTORS</p>

The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch in Bushnell Park was dedicated in 1886 to honor Hartford's Civil War Veterans. The arch was designed by George Keller, the city's leading architect at the time. The monument features elements designed to honor each of the four military branches of the Union- infantry, cavalry, artillery, and the navy. Then it was dedicated in 1886 it became the first permanent triumphal arch in America.  

Bushnell Park Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, Hartford

<p>The history of the Hartford Electric Light Company starts in 1881 when the company was approved for charter as a public utilities company. With the grand opening of their steam power plant on Pearl Street in April of 1883, they brought the first accessible electricity to the city.&nbsp; When they began operations, they had only 6 customers; they were bringing to Hartford the cutting edge of new technology that had not yet made its way into the hands of the general public.</p>



<p>Led by company president Austin Cornelius Dunham, HELCO started by bringing arc lighting lamps to Hartford’s rail station on Asylum Street.&nbsp; This was only the first, tiny step in the process that would end up changing Hartford forever.&nbsp; In addition to bringing the first electricity to Hartford, they were the first utilities company in the United States to utilize high-voltage three-phase alternating current effectively.&nbsp;

</p><p>HELCO’s growth was meteoric.&nbsp; In just five years, the face of Hartford was changed forever.&nbsp; While only 21 electric lamps were prepared when they opened their doors, by 1888 their lamps had replaced every one of the gas streetlights Hartford had once relied on so heavily.&nbsp; Following the expansion of the electric streetlight system, Hartford became the first New England city with all-electric streetlights.&nbsp; From 21 lamps in 1883, HELCO’s influence expanded until, by 1902, they were powering over 77,000 electric lights.&nbsp; During this time, they also broke new ground by being the first company to utilize energy storage batteries to counteract energy waste.&nbsp; While the HELCO building on Pearl Street was no longer their only power plan in the area, it was home to one of their most famous generators.</p>



<p>Known by the nickname “Mary-Ann,” this heavy-duty steam turbine was the first of its kind: Produced in America and used by an American public utilities company.&nbsp; A collection of photographs of the turbine, which was manufactured by world-famous engineering and manufacturing corporation Westinghouse, have been preserved and are available online in the archives of the University of Connecticut.&nbsp;

</p><p>HELCO was a major innovator at the turn of the 20th century, bringing new operations principles, energy transport techniques, and even appliances to the people of the United States.&nbsp; HELCO president Austin Dunham invented a uniquely-equipped electric range, which became incredibly popular in Hartford, an electrically powered radiator unit, and even an icemaker.&nbsp; All of these appliances were successful in Hartford and beyond.</p>



<p>The HELCO building represents a nexus of innovation and modernization for not only the city of Hartford and the state of Connecticut but for New England as a whole.&nbsp; From this building, the age of electric lighting and convenient, electric appliances spread outward, changing the face of the North Eastern United States forever and solidifying HELCO’s place in the history of technology in America.</p>

The Hartford Electric Light Company of Hartford, Connecticut is one of the most influential companies in the history of Hartford’s modernization, growth, and expansion.  They were the first company to bring electric lights to the city, and, from their seemingly humble factory in what is now known as the Ann Street Historic District, they helped transform the city from a town of gas lights and unpowered buildings to one of the most modernized cities of its time.  The history of “HELCO” and its influence on the city extends into the current day, and the historic building still stands in the Ann Street District.

The Hartford Electric Light Company (HELCO) Building

<p>The First Unitarian Church on Pearl Street was constructed
in 1924 by Milton E. Haymon, an architect whose other works are spread across
the city of Hartford serving various purposes.&nbsp;
He did not predominantly design religious buildings according to the records
of his work that still remain, with one of his other recognized works in
Hartford being a residence not contained within the Ann Street District.<br></p><p>The church building itself was designed in the Georgian
Revival style of architecture, which was also frequently referred to as the
Colonial Revival style.&nbsp; This style
features the Greco-Roman inspiration of the Colonial Style, mixed with distinct
features that became popular throughout America during the 19th and early-20th
centuries.&nbsp; Gabled roofs with dormer
windows blended seamlessly with colonnades and proud facades characterize the
style, both of which are visible in the First Unitarian Church.&nbsp; Uniquely, the church also features a tall,
arched window on the street-facing side of the building – a feature which is
not often seen in Georgian Revival buildings.</p>



<p>The Unitarian congregation of Hartford came together as
early as 1844.&nbsp; At this time, they were
known as the First Unitarian Society.&nbsp;
With a faithful community, they founded their first Hartford church, a
small meeting house known as the Unitarian Church of the Savior, in 1846.&nbsp; The congregation would meet here for nearly
40 years before moving to another small church named Unity Hall.</p>



<p>Another forty years would pass until the congregation was ready
to move their home again.&nbsp; In 1924, the
church commissioned Milton E. Haymon to build them a fine church which would
prove to be their home for yet another 40 years, at which point the Unitarian
church sold the First Unitarian Church building to Congregation Ados Israel, an
equally historic religious group within the city.&nbsp; </p>



<p>Ados Israel was the very first Orthodox Jewish group in the
city of Hartford, tracing their roots to a group of Eastern European immigrants
who arrived in Hartford in 1872.&nbsp; From 1898
until 1963, Ados Israel met under the roof of the Market Street synagogue, at
which point they moved to what would be last Orthodox synagogue in Hartford –
the old First Unitarian Church.&nbsp; </p>



<p>When the synagogue closed its doors in 1986, it was bought
by a telephone company, who then sold it to the Pearl Street Neighbor
TheatreWorks who still own the building to this day.&nbsp; The First Unitarian Church is one of the
defining structures that qualified the Ann Street Historic District for its
place on the National Register of Historic Places, a recognition that has
helped preserve Ann Street and the surrounding neighborhood as a beautiful
mosaic of 19th and early-20th century Hartford history.</p>

Located in the heart of the Ann Street Historical District of Hartford, CT, the building that once housed the congregations of both Ados Israel and the First Unitarian Church still stands to this day.  The home of these two historic congregations is itself considered historically important, as it represents one of the better-preserved examples of Hartford’s colorful architectural legacy.

Ados Israel Synagogue and the First Unitarian Church of Hartford

<div>The Hartford National Bank and Trust building is a striking example of the Modernist style, designed by internationally renowned architect Welton Becket.&nbsp; Constructed in 1967 during the city's broader urban renewal movement, the Hartford National Bank and Trust building stands 354 feet (26 stories) and serves as an architectural counterpoint to the historic Old State House building across the street. Though the building arose in the 1960s, the genesis of the bank occurred in 1792 on the same city block as the skyscraper.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In a contemporary urban context that produced so many generic, unadorned glass and concrete skyscrapers, Becket's skillful modeling of precast concrete forms produced a unique high-rise building, unlike any of the 30 other structures of this type built in Hartford in this period.</div><div><br></div><div>Hartford enjoyed a population surge in the middle part of the twentieth century, fueled mainly by immigration, reaching a near-record high of 164,000. The population explosion resulted in overcrowding and a trend towards suburban migration. As a result, the Hartford Redevelopment Agency secured federal planning funds in 1952 for "Constitution Plaza" which was designed to be the modern gateway to the city, partly to help businesses remain in the city and subsequently their employees. Some of the state's biggest banks and companies, including the Hartford National and Connecticut Bank and Trust, joined the board as principal tenants at Constitution Plaza and helped fund its construction.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The agreement by the collection of businesses to invest in the plaza inspired Hartford National Bank officials in 1962 to agree to build a new bank on the site. Completion of the building occurred five years later, in 1967; the dedication ceremony included a parade and the&nbsp;<i>Hartford National (News)&nbsp;</i>published a "Special Dedication Day Edition" newspaper.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Becket's use of a precast concrete wall system in the design of the skyscraper differed from other downtown buildings. Instead of the typical angular modeling favored in other prefabricated structures, Becket designed the Hartford Trust and Bank building with smoothly rounded, castings, which utilized the arched form in a curvilinear manner. The arch located at the top of the 1,900 windows serve as an accompaniment to the flatter, sloping curve found at the window sills below, which provide depth to the building.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Today, the building is known as 777 Main Street and functions as a residential building. The <i>LEED Platinum</i>® certified building boasts of 336 solar panels on its roof and a 400-kilowatt fuel cell that generates clean, combustion-free renewable energy to the residents&nbsp;among other sustainable building features.</div>

The twenty-six story Hartford National Bank and Trust Building opened in 1967 with a tremendous celebration that included a parade and a special edition of the Hartford National, a local newspaper, dedicated to the opening of the new building. The construction of the building came at a time when population pressures inspired people to leave the city for the suburbs and was a response by city leaders who funded an urban renewal project downtown in hopes of getting more businesses to return to the urban core. The skyscraper at 777 Main Street ultimately served as the project's anchor. 

777 Main Street (Historically: Hartford National Bank and Trust Building)

<div>Famed architect Henry Hobson Richardson was commissioned in September 1875 to design the commercial block now known as the historic Cheney Building. Richardson, who along with Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan, stands as one of the most influential architects in U.S. history.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>H.H. Richardson initially intended to integrate the building with the adjacent and neighboring structures, until he found inspiration in the work of&nbsp; English architect Surges recent and successful use of brownstone with limestone at Trinity College.&nbsp; As such, he relied on a rough-faced stone to produce an original design for a commercial building comprised of a rugged appearance. The bright contrast of Berea limestone set against the Portland brownstone likely set the Cheney Building apart from neighboring structures.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Cheney Building, completed in 1876, gets its name from its original occupants, the Cheney Brothers, silk manufacturers from Manchester, Connecticut. Five small shops occupied the ground floor while offices and apartments filled the upper stories. The building later housed Brown Thomson‘s and then G. Fox and Co.‘s Department stores. Today it is known as the Richardson Building and primarily serves as a Marriott's Residence Inn.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>But the real history of the building lies in its architect, not in those who called the building home. The structure proved to be a pivotal step in the career of H.H. Richardson (as well as the world of architecture ) towards the development and refinement of skyscraper construction. Ten years after Richardson designed the Cheney Building, he designed Chicago's Marshall-Field Warehouse, an essential building within the realm of contemporary downtown architecture and one of the many works that influenced Chicago School and Prairie School architect, Louis Sullivan.&nbsp; Indeed, Richardson often gets referred to as the initiator of the U.S. Romanesque revival and a central figure towards the development of indigenous, modern American style of architecture.&nbsp;</div>

The Cheney Building, built in 1876, was designed by the famed architect H.H. (Henry Hobson) Richardson, known as the initiator of the Romanesque revival in the United States. Richardson pioneered the development of modern, American architecture along with other lauded architects such as Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright. 

Cheney Building 

<div>Hartford's Stackpole, Moore, and Tryon Building is a mid-nineteenth-century commercial structure&nbsp;that is distinguished&nbsp;by a cast-iron facade. The building's design reflects the&nbsp; Beaux-Arts influence that led to the addition of this facade during the 1890s (completed in 1896). The cast-iron addition speaks to the impact of Industrial Revolution, New York construction, the Chicago School of Architecture, and the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition on urban architectural design</div><div><br></div><div>The Stackpole, Moore, and Tryon name arose in 1909 when the group became tenants of the building, replacing Willis and Wilson, who occupied it at the time of the cast iron addition. One will also find a plate at the base of the engaged column east of the store entrance with the words, "Lincoln &amp; Co.," the shop which manufactured the cast-iron front.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>While tenants have come and gone, the last sale of the premises occurred in 1852 when Mary G. Arnold sold the property to Timothy M. Allyn for $4,000. Although the deed makes no mention of any structure located on the land, the price indicates a building stood on the property.&nbsp; For sure, the building arose before 1869 as a city atlas in 1869 includes the structure that now deemed historic.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Cast-iron architecture grew popular in New York during the late 1800s, with its primary function as facades for commercial buildings. Initially, cast-iron facades were a simple post and lintel design but quickly transitioned to the more popular and ornate Italianate style. Toward the end of the century, as demonstrated by the Stackpole, Moore and Tryon building, fluted columns, Ionic volutes, and other features associated with the Beaux-Arts style began to dominate, largely a result of the influence of the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition.</div>

Built in the mid-19th century, the cast-iron facade of Hartford's Stackpole, Moore, and Tryon Building demonstrates the influence of the Industrial Revolution as well as the changing styles of leading architects in Chicago and New York that were influencing leading regional cities. A renovation in 1896 included a new cast-iron front with Beaux-Arts influence, a style made popular during the Chicago Columbian Exposition in 1893. 

Stackpole, Moore, and Tryon Building

<p>The buildings of the Ann Street Historic District represent a broad swath of architectural styles whose origins spread across more than a century of Hartford’s history.&nbsp; The earliest building of architectural note within the district is St. Patrick’s Church.&nbsp; Having been in service to Hartford’s Irish population since 1851, the parish overseeing St. Patrick’s employed architect Patrick C. Keeley to design the structure now known as St. Patrick’s Church.&nbsp; Construction completed on the church in 1876, and it would come to serve the Irish immigrant population of Hartford especially well.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Keeley worked heavily in the Gothic Revival Style of architecture, building churches all across the country.&nbsp; His other works in Hartford include the Asylum Hill Congregational Church, which was also constructed in the Gothic Revival Style.&nbsp; Keeley was well known for his unique contributions to the Gothic Revival Style – mainly present in his use of brownstone and loose interpretation of Gothic mainstays.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Church’s proximity to another important building only serves to highlight the nuanced stylistic significance of each building.&nbsp; The 1894 Masonic Temple was constructed in a Moorish Gothic style, drawing on stylistic roots of a similar time period to St. Patrick’s but from a different region of Europe and the Mediterranean.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Masonic Temple served largely as a social hub for Hartford businessmen, much like Masonic Temples around the country.&nbsp; The Temple is imposing by design, and many of the architectural choices were motivated by the symbolism and philosophy of the Masonic principles.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Departing from religious and philosophical landmarks, the Ann Street Historic District also contains the Hotel Hartford.&nbsp; The hotel was originally constructed at the turn of the century to serve as apartments in the neighborhood.&nbsp; Known as Lenox Court at the time, the building fulfilled its original purpose for approximately two decades, housing approximately 25 families of the early 20th-century middle class.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Lenox Court was designed by Hartford Architects Bayley and Goodrich in a style that drew from the Classical, neo-Georgian, and Second Renaissance Revival styles of architecture.&nbsp; These characteristics made it stand out as something of a flamboyant structure in comparison to the other buildings of Hartford.&nbsp; Its design was showy and exquisitely crafted.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>One of the most historically valuable buildings in terms of industry in Hartford is located in the Ann Street Historic District.&nbsp; Known simply as “The Telephone Building,” it was the home of Southern New England Telephone Company, which, over time, grew to be the primary provider of telecommunication services to the State of Connecticut.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The building was designed by William D. Johnson, a Hartford architect, and was constructed in 1890.&nbsp; On a stylistic level, the building is particularly luxurious, with a showy façade and rows of arches that make it unique to all the other buildings in the district save for its architectural twin, also designed by Johnson, the City Missionary Building.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The City Missionary Building, located across the street from the Telephone Building, served as the long-time home of one of Hartford’s most influential and oldest charity organizations.&nbsp; The City Mission was the product of multiple diverse churches coming together to offer aid of various forms to the poor of the city.&nbsp; Designed with identical stylization to the Telephone Building, the City Missionary Building served as an architectural honor to the work that was done there.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Southern New England Telephone Company later moved to another building in the district which was designed by Leoni W. Robinson to be constructed in 1911.&nbsp; Leoni was known for his work across the state, being the founder of two major Connecticut Architects organizations and having done extensive work in New Haven, Connecticut.&nbsp; This new headquarters for the Telephone Company is most similar to the Hartford Electric Light Building (explored below,) both of which drew from the Renaissance Revival school of design.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The Hartford Wire-Works is another architecturally notable building in the Ann Street District.&nbsp; Though serving a primarily pragmatic role within the district as a wire fence manufacturing factory, great care was put into the design of the building nonetheless.&nbsp; The architect, Isaac A. Allen, Jr. of Hartford, built the factory with inspiration from the Renaissance Revival school of architecture.&nbsp; The factory remained open from its construction until 1982, when it relocated out of the city.</p>



<p>Another nearby building, the Hartford Electric Light Building, continues the trend of industrial buildings in the Ann Street district.&nbsp; It was designed by the firm of Allen and Collens, whose influence in Boston was well known.&nbsp; The building was designed following the teachings of the Beaux-Arts School of Architecture of Paris, France.&nbsp; The Hartford Electric Light Building served as the new home of the Hartford Electric Light Company, following the meteoric rise of demand for electricity which caused an equally rapid need for workspace.</p>



<p>Allen and Collens built a number of other buildings in the Hartford area, including the Webster Memorial Building, which is listed alongside the Ann District on the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Built in 1927 to the designs of Hartford architectural firm Buck and Sheldon, another utilities building known as the Hartford Gas Company drew from the Moorish Revival movement.&nbsp; Located next to the Telephone Building, the differences in style couldn’t be starker, especially on the interior of the structure.&nbsp; The interior of the Gas Company building was noted for its unique flavor and ornate design.&nbsp; Much like the Hartford Electric Light Building, the Gas Company Building was a necessary requirement of the growth of the city around it, the denizens of which needed access to gas.</p>



<p>Once known as the home of the First Unitarian Church of Hartford, the building occupying lot #18 later became the home of the Congregation Ados Israel, one of Hartford’s oldest Orthodox Jewish synagogues.&nbsp; Featuring Georgian Revival architecture downscaled to fit comfortably within the confines of the tight streets, it is notably small compared to the buildings around it.&nbsp;</p>Despite being one of the smaller buildings of the street, the Georgian influence certainly displays an artful flourish, prominently featuring a large arched window and beautifully-placed brickwork.



<p>Within the district, there are three distinct eras of industrial development which rise visibly above the background of the City of Hartford.&nbsp; Buildings like the Hart Manufacturing Company Building reflect the transition from horse-drawn carriages being a major form of transportation to automobiles being the primary form of transportation.</p>



<p>Finally, the block located at 283 – 291 Asylum Street (lot #11 of the District) and its sibling building, the Empire Hotel, serve as ideal snapshots of the late-19th-century design choices for commercial blocks.&nbsp; Largely drawing on Italianate design features, this building served as the home of numerous businesses since its construction sometime in the mid-1870s.&nbsp; At one point, it was also the home of a hotel by the name of Hotel Avon, though this hotel closed its doors before the Empire Hotel that resided nearby.</p>



<span>As a whole, the Ann Street Historic District represents one of Hartford’s most vital economic neighborhoods, serving as the home of core industries, some of which are still in business to this very day.&nbsp; From steam companies to wire manufacturers to electricity providers, the Ann Street District stands as a snapshot of turn-of-the-century industry and the changes that an evolving society can have on the industries around it.</span> <br>

The Ann Street Historic District of Hartford, Connecticut represents one of the most influential industrial and commercial districts in the city of Hartford, being home to much of the city’s 19th and 20th-century industrial modernization.  In addition to being the historical home of communications, electrical, and transportation companies, it is also the location of a number of uniquely relevant non-industrial buildings that feature influential architecture and offer notable historical value.  The Hartford Hotel and St. Patrick’s Church are two such examples, both of which represent important pieces of Hartford’s historical mosaic.

The Ann Street Historical District

<div>Hartford's Union Station was the largest and costliest rail station in Connecticut when it was completed in 1889. The station's cost and ornate, Richardson-Romanesque design point to the significance of railroads in late nineteenth-century society, as well as Hartford's position as a growing metropolis and an instrumental transportation hub within the New England region.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In 1887, five railroads served Hartford with routes connecting the city to Boston, Providence, Saybrook, New Haven, Banbury, Poughkeepsie, and Springfield. The significant increase in railway traffic during in the late nineteenth rendered Hartford's first two passenger stations inadequate, both regarding handling human traffic and modern trains, which forced the city to design a new station capable of handling modern-day transportation needs. By 1887, the city began work on the new station, which included better platforms, comforts, enhanced grade-level crossings and architectural designs that included ornamented details.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The railway's presence in Hartford spoke to the city's place as the home to numerous financial institutions and overall urban growth. The new station served the city functionally, to be sure, but also stood as a symbol of its vitality. The building enjoys classic Romanesque design, a concept developed by&nbsp; H. H. Richardson, a famed architect that designed buildings in Hartford as well as several other U.S. cities.&nbsp; Though he died in 1886, his influence remained for decades to come. Besides its size, the building's Romanesque design included features such as large stones, and arcaded facade, steep gabled roofs, stone arches, small dormers, deep window reveals, towers, and medieval moldings. Passengers passing through Hartford would see the station as a sign of Hartford's growth and importance (or so it was intended).&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The most serious alterations to the building transpired in 1914 when a fire destroyed the roof and severely damaged the interior.&nbsp; Renovations to the interior occurred in the 1980s, mostly to modernize it. Today, the station serves as an Amtrak station.&nbsp;</div>

Designed by architect George Keller in Richardsonian Romanesque design in 1889, it serves as a reminder of the significance of railways in the late nineteenth century, both functionally and as a method for which a city could demonstrate its vitality. The city's growth and its numerous financial institutions that called Hartford home by the 1880s forced the town to build a station suitable to handle several train routes that connected it to cities throughout New England, as well as catch the eye with its aesthetic design. 

Hartford Union Station

Located next to the five-story Morse Building and the ornate Masonic temple, this historic&nbsp;building has served as a popular café known as “The Russian Lady” for many years. The name of the restaurant is a reference to the statue that adorns its roof.&nbsp; This statue, depicting a woman upon a throne in traditional Russian wear, surrounded on either side by two figures: a bearded man with an anchor symbol, and a young woman with a child and a symbol of a sheaf of wheat.&nbsp;<p>The statue is the most immediately noticeable feature of the building, though it was not placed on the building at construction. The building was constructed in 1895, and the statue, which formerly belonged to the Rossia Insurance Building on Asylum Hill, was relocated and installed on top of the Fowler-Huntting building sometime after 1914.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The origins of the Russian Lady statue beyond it belonging at one time to Rossia Insurance are veiled in mystery; no one knows the true meaning of the statues symbolism or even who sculpted it in the first place. Even the original commissioner is not known to local historians at the time of creating this entry.&nbsp;</p><p>The façade of the building includes brick siding with brownstone roof molding is graced by two stately fluted columns which frame the original storefront. The café and bar opened in 1976 and thrived at this location for just over 30 years. In 1997, the Russian Lady closed its doors, but the business returned in 2011 following an outpouring of local support and interest for the former Hartford restaurant and bar. As of the creation of this entry, the Russian Lady still serves Hartford’s Downtown, offering a unique, high-end daytime café and nightlife venue.&nbsp;</p><p>The History of Fowler-Huntting as a company is fascinating, as well. Founded in 1865, before the iconic building was constructed, Fowler-Huntting represented one of the earliest modern groceries in Hartford. Now owned by the Yandow Brothers, a group of Connecticut natives, Fowler-Huntting is the oldest produce distribution company in the state, having been in business continually since 1865. The company was bought by the Yandows in 1942 and has been in the Yandow family since that time.&nbsp;</p>



<p>While Fowler-Huntting has moved its physical home, and its operations expand across the entire state of Connecticut, the roots of this iconic and influential produce company can be traced to the building that now houses a locally-beloved hub of socialization.&nbsp; Visitors to Hartford often find themselves relaxing beneath the very same sculpture that thousands of Hartford natives of the early 1900s enjoyed when they walked along Ann Street.</p>

Adorned with an iconic bronze statue, this historic Hartford building was constructed in 1895 and was once the location of Fowler-Huntting Fruit and Produce. The building is now home to the Russian Lady Café, a name that references the ornate stature that adorns the top of the building. One of the most unique structures on Ann Street in Harford, this building is Tucked away between the Masonic Temple and the 1912 Morse Building, A close inspection of this structure reveals artistic, architectural, and historical relevance that could otherwise go unnoticed between the imposing buildings on either side.

Fowler - Huntting Produce and The Russian Lady Cafe

<p>St. Patrick – St. Anthony Church, once known just by the name St. Patrick’s, was the work of New York Architect Patrick C. Keeley, who was recognized not only for his stylistic accomplishments but for his widespread respect as an Irish Architect in a time when anti-Irish sentiment abounded. Keeley designed the church with inspiration from the Gothic Revival Style in 1876, utilizing Irish Catholic motifs that remain visible on the structure into the present day.</p>



<p>Rough brownstones and a showy gable roof are overlooked by a tall steeple.&nbsp; The building is dotted with the characteristic arches and curves of the Gothic Revival Style, and, as a result, it stands out from all other buildings in the district, with particular contrast to the other religious and community buildings nearby.&nbsp; While the Masonic Temple in the district is in a Gothic Revival style, its influences are drastically different, resulting in a very different appearance.&nbsp;</p><p>St. Patrick’s was not Keeley’s only work in this style in the City of Hartford.&nbsp; Another time-tested church, the Asylum Hill Congregational Church, is also recognized as a historically-impactful building, displaying the skillful design work Patrick Keeley came to be known for.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The congregation at St. Patrick – St. Anthony can trace its history as far back as 1829 to Connecticut’s first Catholic church and parish, Holy Trinity.&nbsp; Holy Trinity’s first home was in a chapel that once belonged to the Episcopal Christ Church, located on Talcott and Main in Hartford.&nbsp; It was at this location that Holy Trinity established Hartford’s first Catholic school and Sunday school in 1830.&nbsp; Throughout the rest of the early 1800s, the Holy Trinity Parish would go on to found Connecticut’s first Catholic cemetery one of the earliest, if not the earliest, Catholic newspapers in the state.&nbsp;</p><p>The Holy Trinity parish continued to grow throughout the 1800s, eventually increasing by over ten times its original size.&nbsp; While the former Christ Church building had served a small parish well, it was no longer suitable for a congregation of over 1000 members.&nbsp; With the hope of serving a congregation that was likely to continue to grow, Holy Trinity commissioned the design of a church which would be named St. Patrick’s to honor the majority Irish congregation that called the Holy Trinity parish home.</p>



<p>In 1853 and 1875, two fires would come upon the Holy Trinity parish.&nbsp; The first would engulf the old church building and the second would destroy the still-young St. Patrick’s church.&nbsp; With incredible support from the parishioners and new Catholics coming to Hartford, St. Patrick’s was rebuilt from the ground up within the remaining walls of the old St. Patrick’s.&nbsp; The resulting church is the very same building that is now known as St. Patrick – St. Anthony.&nbsp;</p><p>The history of St. Anthony’s parish and church began in 1895 with an influx of Catholic immigrants from Italy.&nbsp; Recognizing the need for a parish to serve this community, the Hartford Diocese organized the purchase of another church that once belonged to an Episcopal congregation.&nbsp; The St. Anthony’s congregation quickly outgrew this small church and built a second church on Talcott Street in 1921.&nbsp;</p>



<p>St. Anthony’s new church lasted just under 15 years before it was severely damaged by the 1936 flooding on the Connecticut River.&nbsp; While the congregation still gathered in the building, it was clear that a new solution to house the parishioners would be necessary.&nbsp; The 40s and 50s brought many changes to the Catholic communities of Hartford.&nbsp; The formation of a Catholic library and St. Anthony’s School were only part of these changes.&nbsp;</p><p>As the Catholic population of Hartford moved away from central Hartford, urban redevelopment led to the demolishing of the damaged buildings that St. Anthony’s had been using for years.&nbsp; This led Archbishop Henry O’Brien of the Hartford Diocese to spearhead the merger of St. Patrick’s and St. Anthony’s congregations, renaming the proud church St. Patrick – St. Anthony.</p>



<p>The new, combined parish of St. Patrick – St. Anthony has served Hartford faithfully ever since, being a locus for Catholic charity and community in the heart of a city that has steadily grown throughout the last century.&nbsp; St. Patrick – St. Anthony underwent a major transformation in 1990 when the Archbishop of the Hartford Diocese, Archbishop John Wealon, sought the aid of the Franciscan Friars to bring their ministry to the church.&nbsp;</p><p>Since the Franciscans took leadership of St. Patrick – St. Anthony, the parish has focused on helping marginalized groups in Hartford.&nbsp; As a part of this mission, the church has partnered with food pantries, unemployment aid groups, HIV/AIDS charities, and more.&nbsp;</p>As of the creation of this entry, St. Patrick – St. Anthony stands not only as an architectural landmark but also as a symbol of the rich, diverse history of the Catholic community of Hartford.&nbsp; Its location in the center of the city makes it the perfect destination for visitors to Hartford with an interest in Catholic history or the development of the communities of Hartford. <br>

Dating back to the late 1820s, St. Patrick-St. Anthony Parish is Hartford's oldest Roman Catholic congregation. This historic church building was constructed in 1876 and is located in the heart of the Ann Street Historic District. The church represents a landmark of both architectural significance and religious import. From the congregation's connections to the history of Hartford's growth in the 19th century to the many influential members of the church and charitable efforts in the past century, St. Patrick-St. Anthony is one of the most iconic structures in this neighborhood and its history is central to understanding the city.

St. Patrick – St. Anthony Church

<div>The Isham-Terry House was built around 1854, with its first owner being a prominent local businessman named Ebenezer Roberts. The house takes its name from a Dr. Oliver Isham, who bought the home in 1896. The Terry part comes from his mother, whose grandfather was the brother of famous clockmaker Eli Terry. Dr. Isham opened a physician's office in the house, as well as moving in most of his family members. All in all, some four of his siblings and both of his parents would come to live there along with the doctor.<br><br></div><div>By the time Dr. Isham passed away in 1949, there were just two family members left in residence, his youngest sisters Julia and Charlotte. Both sisters never married, nor did they particularly care to keep up with the changing times. They kept the house furnished much as it had been in the 1890s, and they even preserved their brother’s front room office intact, just as it had been when he was practicing medicine there. In fact, whenever someone called asking to speak with the doctor, the sisters would inform the caller that he was not at home without ever once making mention of the fact that he was actually deceased.&nbsp;<br><br></div><div>When it came to defending their home, however, these genteel ladies sure knew how to get tough when needed. Although they preferred living in their own little world of white gloves and tea parties, taking no notice of the neighborhood’s decline due to highway construction and rioting, they were nevertheless quick to act when the state tried to run I-84 right through the living room. These sisters, who were proud to claim pilgrim leader William Bradford and Connecticut state hero Nathan Hale amongst their forebears, marched into a public meeting held about the proposed highway construction and politely but firmly informed the highway commissioners that they would not be moving out of their house, thank you very much. The state instead made do with taking away their gardens and much of the remaining land surrounding the house (prior parcels had been lost to earlier road construction), but the sisters remained in the house until the late 70s when they both passed away in their late 90s.<br><br></div><div>Upon the death of Charlotte, last of the Ishams, in 1979, the house and all of its contents were left to the Antiquarian and Landmarks Society, to which both of the history-loving sisters had belonged. The bequest, which also included a small endowment to provide for the property’s upkeep, turned out to be more of a treasure trove than the society had originally imagined. While the sisters Isham were far too refined to appear on a TV show such as Hoarders, had one existed at the time, they were nonetheless fond of hanging on to the mementos they had collected over two very long lifespans. The house itself boasted original furnishings including ornate gas-light fixtures and stained-glass windows, and there were also collections of rare books and paintings and clocks made by great-great-uncle Eli. The home also holds a collection of antique Connecticut license plates, ribbons from turn-of-the-century cat shows, stacks of old Victrola records, and yearbooks from Hartford High School, the Ishams' alma matter.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>With so many wonderful artifacts on hand, what could the Antiquarian and Landmarks Society do but open a museum? The society, which has since been rechristened Connecticut Landmarks, has been offering tours of the property and hosting special events since the 1980s, and in 1982 arranged for it to be added to the National Register of Historic Places. The museum’s operating hours have varied over the years, depending on budget, staffing, and interest level. Currently, tours are by appointment only, requiring a reservation at least a week in advance.&nbsp;</div>

This historic home was constructed in 1854 and was home to descendants of a family that arrived in America on the Mayflower. The home is located in the midst of Hartford's business district thanks to the efforts of local citizens and historic preservationists. The home is operated by Connecticut Landmarks and thousands of commuters on the nearby highway see the home which stands as a testament to the work this organization does to support historical preservation throughout the state.

Isham-Terry House

The Keneys were prominent Hartford businessmen in the early 1800s. Their business in Hartford began in the early 1800s when Joseph Keney established a wholesale grocery on Main Street. He married Rebecca Turner and they had two sons, Henry and Walter. Joseph Keney died at a young age, leaving his wife to raise two young sons and to run the family business alone. She asked her brother-in-law to run the grocery business until her sons came of age and could take over the business, which he did.<br><br>The Keney brothers were especially close and had a good reputation in Hartford. They not only ran the grocery business together, they lived together, even after Walter married and moved into a house on Main Street. The brothers were highly regarded for their keen business sense and honest dealings. When Walter died in 1889, his obituary was reprinted in the New York Times, which reported that H&amp;W Keney was the oldest business in the city and had never had a lawsuit brought against it.<br><br>Rebecca Turner Keney died in 1848 and her sons lived another five decades, with&nbsp;Walter's death coming in&nbsp;1889 and Henry living until 1894. Henry's will included the donation of this land for the creation of Keney Park, along with a number of donations to charities. The site of the grocery store and the family home was set aside for the construction of a tower in memory of their mother.<br><br>Trustees of the Keney estate chose architect Charles C. Haight to design the memorial tower. Haight was well-known as the designer of several buildings on Yale's Old Campus. The tower was built in the Collegiate Gothic style, which was a specialty of Haight. Inside the tower is a plaque that reads: " This tower, erected to the memory of my mother, is designed to preserve from other occupancy the ground sacred to me as her home and to stand in perpetual honor to the wisdom, goodness and womanly nobility of her to whose guidance I owe my success in life and its chief joy.--Henry Keney"&nbsp; The tower is unique in that it is dedicated to a woman whose primary accomplishment in life is that she was a good mother.<br><br>The trustees of the Keney family deeded the tower and the park to the city of Hartford in 1924 and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.&nbsp;<br>By the 1990s, the grounds surrounding the tower were overgrown and the tower itself had been defaced with graffiti. The city undertook a restoration of the tower, including replacing the gold leaf on the clock face.&nbsp;

Keney Memorial Tower was built in 1898 as a memorial to Rebecca Turner Keney, the mother of Hartford business leaders Walter and Henry Keney. The unique tower stands at the location of the Keney home and the grocery store that was operated by Rebecca Turner and her two boys after the loss of their father. The land for the tower and park was donated to the city by the Keney brothers as a memorial to their mother, and the tower was designed by architect Charles C. Haight and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Keney Memorial Tower 

<div><br></div><div>Dunkin’ Donuts Park has a total of 6,121 seats, each and every one of which was occupied numerous times over the course of its inaugural 2017 season. In fact, the opening day crowd numbered 6,850, so it seems quite a few fans were even willing to stand to watch Hartford’s first pro ball game of this century, millennium, etc. Sadly, the Goats lost 2 – 7 to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, but that did not prevent the fans from packing the house for the rest of the spring and summer. In fast, 41 of 68 home games were sellouts.<br></div><div><br></div><div>The Yard Goats’ warm welcome comes as no surprise, since Hartford has been a baseball town since baseball’s earliest days. The Hartford Dark Blues, formed in 1874, played at the Base Ball Grounds in what was to become Colt Park. This team joined the National League in 1876, and for one season represented Hartford’s one and only shot at the big leagues. By 1877, however, the team had relocated to Brooklyn.&nbsp;<br><br></div><div>Later Hartford ball clubs including the Senators, Laurels, Bees, and Chiefs would play at Bulkeley Stadium, which was named for Morgan Bulkeley, the Dark Blues owner who became the National League’s first president as well as serving as Hartford mayor, Connecticut governor and state senator. Future Hall-of-Famers Lou Gehrig and Leo Durocher got their start with the Senators, Warren Spahn once played for the Chiefs, and even the great Babe Ruth had his last ever at-bat playing for Hartford’s semi-pro Savitt Gems. Nothing remains now of these bygone ball fields but a few commemorative plaques, and yet the Yard Goats pay homage to their predecessors with a wall mural of the 1921 Eastern League champion Senators and a concessions stand named the Dark Blues Diner.<br><br></div><div>The eagerly anticipated new stadium was not without its problems. Ground was broken in February of 2015, after the June 2014 announcement that the New Britain Rock Cats (at the time a AA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins) would be moving to Hartford for the 2016 season. By 2016, the stadium was $10 million over budget and clearly would not be ready for the April opener, so the 2016 Yard Goats (now a Colorado Rockies affiliate) were forced to spend the entire season on a very extended road trip. They really had no choice, as New Britain had already leased their stadium to an independent league team. Cost overruns and political wrangling made it seem, at times, as if the new stadium would never be completed, but opened at last on April 13, 2017. Coincidentally, this was 20 years to the day that the Hartford Whalers, the city’s last professional sports team, left town.</div><div><br></div><div>Now in its second season, Dunkin’ Donuts Park remains as popular as it was last year. The Goats are still struggling a bit, but they continue to improve. The stadium itself, first to be constructed for an Eastern League team since 2005, is also a winner. Its flexible seating options range from a picnic pavilion to luxury suites to the upper deck seats offering an amazing panorama of the Hartford skyline as well as the famous sunset view that has launched a thousand Instagram posts. Kids in attendance enjoy a fun zone with bounce houses, slides and pitching booths, as well as two furry goat mascots, Chew Chew and Chompers. Concessions include regional specialties including lobster rolls and clam chowder, and a few new donut-themed (of course) creations: the BLTDD (bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiched between glazed donuts) and the Dunkin’ &amp; Chicken Skewers (Munchkins meet boneless wings). Continuing the Dunkin’ Donuts motif, the left field has a video board featuring a giant cup of coffee that lets off steam every time a Goat goes yard.</div><div><br></div><div>In addition to serving as the Yard Goats’ home ground, Dunkin’ Donuts Park also hosts the University of Hartford Hawks and the UConn baseball teams, as well as teams from the Cape Cod Baseball League.&nbsp; The stadium even holds free outdoor movie nights when the team is on the road. Even in the off season, the stadium holds special events such as an annual beer festival in October. What’s more, the stadium, expected to serve as a catalyst for much-needed North Hartford development, has already proven successful at boosting local revenue. Local hotels and restaurants alike have seen a spike in profits since the stadium’s opening, and new development in the area expected to follow.</div><div><br></div><div>Whether or not the Goats post a winning season this year, one thing is for certain: Hartford fans couldn’t be happier to have such a beautiful stadium to call their own. And nothing, but nothing, beats the thrill of once more being able to “root, root, root for the home team” and know that that team is here to stay.</div>

Dunkin' Donuts Park, which opened in 2017, is a new – and very welcome – addition to Hartford’s Downtown North area, but it is more than just a new place to go hang out on a sunny summer evening. The stadium, and the Hartford Yard Goats minor league who call it home, represent the return of professional baseball to Hartford after a 65-year hiatus. Hartford’s baseball history actually dates back to the 19th century, and past ballfields and stadiums have played host to some of the greatest players the game has ever known, but the sport had been sadly absent since the Hartford Chiefs left town in 1952. Hartford’s last stadium was torn down in 1955, and it would be another six decades before construction began on a new one. 

Hartford Walking Tour- State Capitol Complex to Downtown North

Footguard Hall

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources