Hartford

Hartford: A Historical Treasure

Text by Valerie Mellema

Most people know of Hartford, Connecticut as the “Insurance City” and while that is probably still an apt name for the town, the city is also a tremendous resource for people interested in history and remarkable museums.

Among the first that a guest to the city should visit is the fantastic home of one of the country’s favorite authors - the Mark Twain House and Museum located just outside of the city, in the historic Asylum Hill Neighborhood is a masterpiece of architecture and artwork. It is also where Twain was living when he wrote two of his most popular and famous pieces of work, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. The property is remarkably well maintained and is a popular destination during the winter holidays as it is decorated for the Christmas season.

Right next door from the Mark Twain House and Museum is the Harriet Beecher Stowe House and Library. Stowe was famous as the author of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and moved into her home only one year before the Twain family settled next door. There are many opportunities to save a bit of money by purchasing a joint ticket to both locations.

Another famous American name hails from Hartford, the gun maker Samuel Colt was born in Hartford in 1814, where he later built his largest factory along the Connecticut River that runs through the city. The building is remarkable and can easily be picked out from the city’s skyline, at the south end of town.

It is easily worth a trip into the downtown Hartford traffic for a visit to the Wadsworth Athenaeum, the first public art museum in the United States, and now considered one of the finest in the country. It was founded in 1842 by Daniel Wadsworth and today the museum houses over 45,000 pieces or art work and is well-respected for its many educational and family oriented programs.

Hartford is also home to the first publicly funded park in the United States, Bushnell Park in the downtown area of the city bounds one side of the state capital building. The original design of the park was drafted by Frederick Law Olmsted, the architect of New York’s Central Park, as a personal favor to Horace Bushnell. The park was opened to the public in 1861.

Finally, a visitor to Bushnell Park should definitely walk the short distance to the Capital. This National Historic Landmark was completed in 1878. Topped with a golden cupola and constructed mostly of New England marble, the building is open to the public, and tours are available throughout the day.