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Coltsville National Park Interactive Guided Walking Tour
- 1. COLTSVILLE NATIONAL PARK An Interactive Guided Walking Tour
- 2. Armsmear Samuel Colt Memorial James B. Colt House Colt Supervisor Houses COLT PARK āPotsdamā Worker Houses Armory Worker Houses Colt Firearms Factory Complex Caldwell Hart Memorial Parish House Church of the Good Sheperd
- 3. COLTSVILLE NATIONAL PARK GUIDED TOUR TABLE OF CONTENTS Coltsville Introduction page 4 Colt Park page 5 Colt Firearms Factory Complex page 6 Church of the Good Shepherd page 7 Caldwell Hart Colt Memorial Parish House page 8 Armory Worker Houses page 9 Potsdam Worker Houses page 10 Colt Supervisor Houses page 11 James B. Colt House page 11 Samuel Colt Memorial page 12 Armsmear page 13 Other Locations and Resources page 14 Elizabeth Hart Jarvis Colt Collection Connecticut State Libraryās Museum of Connecticut History Cedar Hill Cemetery Contributors page 15
- 4. COLTSVILLE INTRODUCTION Becoming a National Park Coltsville earned final approval to become a U.S. Nation- al Park in mid-Decemeber of 2014. Funding for the park was part of a $577 billion defense bill that was passed on the same day by the Senate. Hartford had already contributed close to $7 million to Coltsville improvements according to former City of Hartford Mayer Pedro SEgarra in a Hartford Courant article. The park is somewhat con- troversial due to its relation to guns amidst the current/re- cent gun violence in the State of Connecticut. Final plans call for a 10,000 SF visitors center in addition to access to other areas of the park and historic buildings. Spiking Economic Growth Colt Gateway, LLC has developed and renovated the East Armory building in order to revive the old factory to accommodate commercial and corporate tenants. A large part of the funding has come from Chevron TCI, a smaller sub-company of the oil giant Chevron.The National Park should help to bring visitors from all over the United States to the City of Hartford and, hopefully, also help spike surrounding restaurant, shopping and hotel business. The National Park Service expects 100,000 visitors annually.
- 5. COLT PARK Colt Park was originally developed as the Coltās exclusive āpleasure-groundsā. It included reflecting pools, fountains, urns, artificial ponds, a deer park and much more. Colt Park, as it is today, was gifted to the city of Hartford in 1905, it is home to playgrounds, sport fields, a skating rink and Dillon Stadium. Park Statistics ā¢ 105 acres ā¢ Gifted to the city when Elizabeth Colt died in 1905 ā¢ Added to the Register of Historic Places on June 8, 1976 Activity ā¢ Can you find the elm trees that line the park drives plant- ed in 1920 to commemorate one hundred and eighty-nine men who lost their lives during WWI ā¢ Check out Upcoming Events Fun Fact ā¢ Did you know that Dillon Stadium has capacity to hold 9,600 spectators and has been used for various sporting events and concerts? Sheldon / Charter Oak Neighborhood, Hartford Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_Park; http://www.hartford.gov/parks/193-colt-park
- 6. COLT FIREARMS FACTORY COMPLEX U.S. Patent No. 138 in 1836 was set aside for the first revolving cylinder pistol for Samuel Colt. He first founded the Patent Arms Manufacturing Company in Paterson, New Jersey with other investors. Due to limited sales, however, it closed in 1842. In 1847, Colt borrowed money and leased a factory on Pearl Street in Hartford, CT. Samuel Colt bought property in Hartfordās South Meadows where the Coltās Armory was completed in August of 1855. After the armory was destroyed by a fire in February of 1864, Elizabeth Colt ordered it rebuilt, completing in 1867. She later sold the company to Armstrong & Schirmer in 1901. Statistics ā¢ Originally built in 1854 -1855 ā¢ Armory was doubled in size in 1861 ā¢ East Armory burned in 1864 and was rebuilt on the same site, finished in 1867 ā¢ First machine gun, the Fatling in 1867 ā¢ Colt Factory Today Did You Know? Samuel Coltās factory supplied the Union Army with 378,000 revolvers and 114,000 muskets during the U.S. Civil War. Photo Credit: Colt Gateway 120 Huyshope Avenue, Hartford, CT
- 7. CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD In 1865, Mrs. Elizabeth Colt was making plans to erect the Church of the Good Shepherd intended to serve the Colt Armory employees, and to commemorate her late husband and her children, three out of four of whom had died in infancy. She commissioned Edward Tuckerman Potter to design the church. Potterās realistically carved foliage is nowhere better displayed than in the decorative carvings in the Colt church and parish house. The Church of the Good Shepherd was consecrated on the 18th day of January, 1869. The building is Gothic in style and is built of Portland brown stone, with trimmings of white Ohio stone and is situated on the corner of Wyllis Street and Hendrixen Avenue. Learn more about the following: Church History, Architecture 155 Wyllys Street, Hartford, CT
- 8. CALDWELL HART COLT MEMORIAL PARISH HOUSE Upon the sudden death in 1894 of her remaining child, Caldwell, Elizabeth Colt had Potter design a memorial parish house. So that I should match the church, he specified by-then retardataire banded arches, Venetian arcades, colorful column shafts, and a combination of building stones. He was instructed to make the building emblematic of the ACTIVITIES 1. Make a list of sea creatures and nautical artifacts that you can find on the facade of the Parish house. 2. Can you find one of the bases from the Hartford Base- ball Club? 3. Learn about Hartfordās Historic Baseball history. sports and nature pursuits of the yachtsman Caldwell Colt. The results is one of the most eccentric examples of American architecture ā a building that, especially inside, somewhat resembles a ship. Learn more about the Caldwell Hart Colt Memorial Parish House. 155 Wyllys Street, Hartford, CT
- 9. ARMORY WORKER HOUSES In 1856, soon after the Armory was built, Samuel Colt built twenty 6 to 8-family houses on Huyshope and Van Block Avenues to attract and retain skilled workers in a competitive labor market. Today, ten of these homes remain and can be found at 101, 111, 121, 133, and 141 Huyshope Avenue and 60, 64, 68, 72, and 76 Van Block Avenue. The other ten stood on the block to the south, but they were demolished during World War II to make room for a parking lot which now occupies the site. Colt constructed these houses in an effort to attract workers to the undeveloped part of Hartford. Initially after being constructed, these worker houses were the homes of machinists, toolmakers and other skilled craftsman who worked in the Armory. However, by the 1880ās, these homes were primarily occupied by unskilled laborers, as the more affluent employees found better housing in Hartford. At this time, Hartford was a booming city with plenty of housing opportunities outside of Coltsville and workers could ride a streetcar or simply walk to the Armory from other neighborhoods. Samuel Colt was one of the first industrialists to provide not only housing but recreational and educational facilities to his employees. Charter Oak Hall, which no longer stands, contained reading rooms, classes in art and music, and an auditorium for lecturers, entertainment, and dances. There was also a company-sponsored German beer garden near the worker houses, and Colt also sponsored baseball teams. Photo Credit: Connecticut State Library, State Archives V A N B L O C K B H R E I Y H B B N I X B I Q A X I N C D C X S C S W I C K E R D D O O A R S Y L T L F J N U K E L J H V O J D L E I F S R E H T E W C I S Y J W K T N E S H Y Z L F U L I O F R S P I T I R E X S N R L V I O O A V N S O A R I I L C A R H M P B E T M R I H I S L O S E O V R M O R E R W G I T Y M T P E D T R A T Z R S G U W S B M U Y R I M H A T C H T D I L E J S A C U X Z L Y N A M R E G V J P E F L B X U M R U O P N S M A W N I A Huyshope & Van Block Avenue, Hartford, CT APARTMENTS ARMORY BASKETS COLT CURCOMBE GERMANY HISTORIC HUYSHOPE INDUSTRIALIST POTSDAM SUPERVISOR VANBLOCK VILLA WETHERSFIELD WICKER WILLOW COLT WORD SEARCH Word Bank
- 10. POTSDAM WORKER HOUSES Samuel Colt original constructed ten āPotsdamā houses in 1859 to house workers at his willow factory. Nine of these remain and can be found at 13, 17, 21, 23, 29, 33, 37, 41 and 45 Curcombe Street. Several of these homes have been altered with 20th century siding materials, however, the homes located at 41 and 45 Curcombe Street are the most intact of the Potsdam cottages. The cottages were built as two family dwellings. Willow trees were planted to stabilize the earthworks of the dike which Samuel Colt constructed in 1855 to protect Hartordās South Meadows from periodic flooding by the Connecticut and Little Rivers. When they began to overrun his property, Samuel Colt decided to open a factory for the production of willow furniture. After learning that the best willow workers were in Potsdam, Germany, Colt imported an entire village of workers to Hartford, building these German-style homes to make the workers feel more comfortable. This community became known as Potsdam Village. The Colt Willow Ware Manufacturing Company, which was built in 1859 and destroyed by fire in 1873, stood just behind the Potsdam cottages on Warwarme Avenue and shared many of the architectural notes of the cottages. The Company employed about 120 people and made baskets, wicker furniture, picture frames, and similar items. However, even before the willow ware factory burned down, armory workers occupied several of the Potsdam cottages. Examples of willow furniture made in the factory may be found at the Wadsworth Atheneum, located at 600 Main Street. Curcombe Street, Hartford, CT
- 11. COLT SUPERVISOR HOUSES & JAMES B. COLT HOUSE SUPERVISOR HOUSING Located at 180 and 184 Wethersfield Avenue are two properties built in 1885. Elizabeth Colt built these two buildings, which began as single family housing, were owned by Elizabeth Colt during her lifetime and rented to high-level employees. Elizabeth had originally built four houses on the southern edge of the Colt Estate, fronting Wethersfield Avenue, though only two remain today. At one time, the superintendent of the Armory lived in the 180 Wethersfield Ave home and the rector of the Church of Good Shepherd lived in 184 Wethersfield Ave home. Both buildings have since been converted to offices. JAMES B. COLT HOUSE At 154 Wethersfield Avenue stands the home of Samuel Coltās brother, James. The home was built in 1856 in the same Italian Villa architectural style as the Armsmear Mansion and is individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places. James B. Colt was Samuelās close associate in his early business dealings. James helped supervise the building of the Armory and, for a short time, oversaw Coltās London operation (which was established soon after the Armory and closed in 1856). James left the company when he and Samuel had a falling out in 1859. The building has been subdivided for apartments, but the exterior remains largely the same as when originally constructed.
- 12. SAMUEL COLT MONUMENT Colt Park, Wethersfield Ave, Hartford, CT The memorial depicts two Samuel Colts - a young boy and an older businessman. The smaller statue represents Colt whittling a revolver chamber while serving as a sailor aboard a ship. The larger statue shows Colt as a successful manufacturer. The bronze panel to the left shows Colt meeting with the Russian Tsar. The right bronze panel represents Colt at the British House of Commons demonstrating a revolver. Monument center panel reads, āSamuel Colt 1814 - 1862. On the grounds on which his taste beautified by the home he loved, this memorial stands to speak of his genius, his enterprise, and of his great and loyal heart.ā ā¢ Dedicated in 1906 ā¢ Commissioned by Coltās wife Elizabeth ā¢ Sculpted by John Massey Rhind ā¢ National History Landmark Fun Fact The Samuel Colt Monument was commis- sioned by Elizabeth Colt in 1906 to honor her husband. The monument is currently located on Wethersfield Ave, Hartford, CT at the entrance of what is now Colt Park.
- 13. ARMSMEAR A two and a half story mansion in Italianate mode that was constructed between 1855-1857 for Samuel Coltās marriage to Elizabeth Hart Jarvis. After Elizabeth Colt died in 1905, the mansion (under the terms of Elizabethās will), was converted to a home for the widows of Episcopalian clergymen. ā¢ H.A.G. Pomeroy, Coltās nephew and company engineer probably designed the original house ā¢ Armsmear means āmeadow of armsā ā¢ Two marble copies of the Uffizi dogs guard the entrance Did you know? Mr. Samuel Colt was buried at Armsmear with his children amidst the weeping willows, which was referred to as the āGrove of Gravesā. Source: http://www.hartfordpreservation.org/wp-content/uploads/Colt-Historic-District-Armsmear.pdf 80 Wethersfield Avenue, Hartford, CT
- 14. OTHER COLTSVILLE ATTRACTIONS The Colt Memorial Cedar Hill Cemetery Located in Hartfordās Cedar Hill Cemetery, the monu- ment is 40 feet high and made of grey granite quarried in New London, CT. Samuel Colt died in 1862 at which time, Elizabeth Colt buried him in a private burial space at Armsmear. His remains were later moved to the memorial location. Elizabeth Colt chose the family memorial space for its views of the city and the valley and because she knew it was well loved by Samuel Colt. ā¢ Commissioned by Elizabeth Jarvis Colt, designed and constructed by James Batterson ā¢ Monument reads āIN MEMORY OF A BELOVED HUS- BAND AND OF OUR DEAR CHILDREN THIS MONU- MENT IS ERECTEDā Fun Fact After Samuelās death in 1862, he was buried in a pri- vate burial lot on Armsmear grounds. Elizabeth Colt later moved Samuel to the family burial site after the death of their last son Caldwell in 1894. Sources http://connecticuthistory.org/the-colt-memorial-cedar-hill-cemetery/ Elizabeth Hart Jarvis Colt Collection The Wadsworth Atheneum Additional Historic Imagery and Resources Connecticut State Libraryās Museum of Connecticut History image courtesy of wadsworth.org image courtesy of chs.org
- 15. This guided tour was produced and published by the Leadership Greater Hartford QUEST class of 2015 Coltsville Taskforce. The group was comprised of the following individuals: Theresa Becker The Lincoln Financial Group Vincenzo Carannate Shipman & Goodwin LLP Helena Carvalho Asylum Hill Congregational Church Melanie Dykas Halloran & Sage LLP Sarah Giardini The Associated Construction Company Roza Kogan The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. Joanne Meucci Connecticut Childrenās Medical Center Kristyn Neal Aetna Darcy Osterhaus Travelers Steve Perreault The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company Joseph Schwartz Murtha Cullina LLP *Unidentified photo credit - Carol-Ann of Carol-Ann in Color QUEST is a unique leadership program offering a hands-on, experiential approach to learning. Through a combination of workshops, field experiences, individual coaching, and collaborative team projects, participants learn in a low-risk, supportive environment with high success outcomes. QUEST is the most recognized community- based leadership development program for professionals working throughout the Greater Hartford region.