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Hartford, Connecticut

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Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut, in Hartford County. It is located on the Connecticut River, near the center of the state. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 121,578, but a July 1, 2002 Census estimate puts the city's population at 124,558. It is the second largest city in the state, after Bridgeport. Greater Hartford is also the 44th largest metro area in the country (2004 census estimate) with a population of 1,184,564.

Sometimes referred to as "insurance capital of the world," Hartford houses many of the world's insurance company headquarters, and insurance is one of the region's major industries. Hartford and its environs are also known as "the land of steady habits." The region has a relatively low population of adults between the ages of 18 and 25. Hartford's West End is home to Elizabeth Park, the oldest and largest municipal rose garden in the country.

Contents

History

Dutch fur traders from New Netherland colony set up trade on the site as early as 1623, after Adriaen Block explored it in 1614. The Dutch named their post the 'Hope House' (Huys de Hoop). Prior to the Dutch arrival, the Indians who inhabited the area had called it Suckiaug. By 1633 Jacob van Curler had added a block house and palisade to the post while New Amsterdam sent a small garrison and a pair of cannons. The fort was abandoned by 1654, but its neighborhood in Hartford is still known as Dutch Point.

The first English settlers arrived in 1635. Thomas Hooker led 100 settlers with 130 head of cattle in a trek from Newtown (now Cambridge) in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and started their settlement just north of the Dutch fort. The settlement was originally called Newtown, but was changed to Hartford in 1637 to honor the English town of Hertford.

The fledgling colony along the Connecticut River had issues with the authority with which to govern since it was outside of the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Bay Company's charter. Therefore, Thomas Hooker wrote the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, a document investing the authority to govern with the people, instead of with a higher power. Hooker stated May 31, 1638:

The foundation of authority is laid, firstly, in the free consent of the people.
Some historians believe Hooker's concepts of self-rule were the forerunners of the United States Constitution. The Orders were ratified on January 14, 1639.

On December 15, 1814, the Hartford Convention was called to order in Hartford. Delegations from the five New England states, (Maine was still part of Massachusetts at that time) were sent to Hartford to discuss New England's possible secession from the United States.

During the early 1800s, the Hartford area was a center of abolitionist activity. The most famous abolitionist family was the Beechers. The Reverend Lyman Beecher was an important Congregational minister known for his anti-slavery sermons. His daughter, Harriet Beecher Stowe, wrote the famous Uncle Tom's Cabin, while her brother, the Reverend Henry Ward Beecher, was a noted clergyman who vehemently opposed slavery and supported the temperance movement and women's suffrage. Beecher Stowe's sister, Isabella Beecher Hooker, was a leading member of the women's rights movement.

In 1860, Hartford was the site of the first "Wide Awakes," abolitionist supporters of Abraham Lincoln. These supporters organized torch-light parades that were both political and social events, often including fireworks and music, in celebration of Lincoln's visit to the city. This type of event caught on and eventually became a staple of mid to late-1800s campaigning.

In July 6, 1944, Hartford was the scene of one of the worst fire disasters in the history of the United States. The fire, which occurred at a performance of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, became known as the Hartford Circus Fire.

After World War II, many residents of Puerto Rico moved to Hartford and even today Puerto Rican flags can be found on cars and buildings all over the city. Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez was born in Puerto Rico and moved to Hartford in 1969, when he was 12 years old.

In 1997, the city lost its professional hockey franchise, the Hartford Whalers, to Raleigh, North Carolina despite an increase in season ticket sales and an offer of a new arena from the state. Currently a developer from Newton, MA who is also the city's largest property owner is working with the city to bring an NHL team back to Hartford and house them in a new largely publicly funded stadium.

Hartford experienced problems as the population shrank 11 percent during the 1990s. Only Flint, Michigan; Gary, Indiana; Saint Louis and Baltimore experienced larger population losses during the decade. However, the population has increased since the 2000 Census.

In the last few years, Hartford has begun to generate renewed interest as many redevelopment projects have been completed, are currently in progress or planned across the city. These initiatives include both commercial and residential projects such as Adriaen's Landing, the Connecticut Center for Science and Exploration, an extensive system of riverfront trails and parks, Park Street and Parkville neighborhood improvements and significant downtown development. The historic Colt building and complex is also being renovated to National Park standards.

Geography

Christ Church Cathedral Chapter House in downtown Hartford.
Enlarge
Christ Church Cathedral Chapter House in downtown Hartford.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 46.5 km² (18.0 mi²). 44.8 km² (17.3 mi²) of it is land and 1.7 km² (0.7 mi²) of it (3.67%) is water.

Hartford is bordered by the towns of West Hartford, Newington, Wethersfield, East Hartford, Bloomfield, South Windsor, and Windsor. The Connecticut River separates Hartford from the region's eastern suburbs.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 121,578 people, 44,986 households, and 27,171 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,711.8/km² (7,025.5/mi²). There were 50,644 housing units at an average density of 1,129.6/km² (2,926.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 17.72% White, 38.05% Black or African American, 0.54% Native American, 1.62% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 26.51% from other races, and 5.44% from two or more races. 40.52% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 44,986 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.2% were married couples living together, 29.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 12.6% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,820, and the median income for a family was $27,051. Males had a median income of $28,444 versus $26,131 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,428. About 28.2% of families and 30.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.0% of those under age 18 and 23.2% of those age 65 or over.

In 2000, 32.56% of Hartford residents claimed Puerto Rican heritage. This was the second largest concentration of Puerto Ricans on the US mainland, behind only Holyoke, Massachusetts.

Neighborhoods

The Connecticut State Capitol in downtown Hartford
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The Connecticut State Capitol in downtown Hartford

Central Business District/Downtown

Downtown is Hartford's primary business district. Downtown is home to such corporations as Travelers, The Hartford Steam Boiler, Phoenix Insurance, Prudential Retirement and United Technologies Corporation.

Downtown is also home to the Hartford City Hall, the Hartford Public Library, the Old State House, the Wadsworth Atheneum, The Travelers Tower, Bushnell Park, and the State Capitol and Legislative Office Complex. Capital Community College and the Hartford Public Schools offices are also located along Main Street in the former G. Fox and Company Building. The newly renovated University of Connecticut School of Business is located at Constitution Plaza.

Asylum Hill

The Asylum Hill neighborhood was originally known as "Lords Hill." The Asylum Hill neighborhood is home to the Asylum Hill Congregational Church (organized in 1864), The Trinity Episcopal Church, and Saint Joseph's Cathedral (dedicated 1892).

There are also many insurance companies that were or are still located in the Asylum Hill area such as the Hartford Fire Insurance Company (now the Hartford Financial Services Group) and Rossia Insurance Company (now Northeastern Insurance Company). AETNA Insurance Company still remains as a major fixture along Farmington Avenue. Also along Farmington Avenue are the homes of Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe, which are now museums.

Coming soon to the Asylum Hill neighborhood is the Connecticut Culinary Institute which will move in the recently vacated Hastings Hotel and Conference Center next to AETNA

West End

The West End neighborhood, which runs from a little bit past the Mark Twain house to the West Hartford border, was mostly farmland until 1870. During the 1910s, many two and three story homes were built, giving the area more of a suburban feel.

[Elizabeth Park] in the West End was created in 1895, when Charles N. Pond gave his estate to the Hartford Parks Commission which created the park and named it in honor of his wife. The park boasts a playground, softball field, and other recreational facilities in addition to views of the downtown skyline. It's the oldest municipal rose garden in the United States, and one of the largest.

The University of Connecticut School of Law, Watkinson School and the Hartford Seminary are located in the West End. Part of Prospect Avenue boasts mansions including the Governor's Mansion. Mansions can also be found along Scarborough Street including the former residence of A. Everett Ausin (Director of Wadsworth Atheneum from 1927-1944).

Sheldon/Charter Oak

The neighborhood is located just south of downtown with the Connecticut River and I-91 running at the eastern end of the neighborhood. The Charter Oak monument is located at the corner of Charter Oak Place, a historic street, and Charter Oak Avenue.

The area was home to the Colts Firearm Factory which was started by Samuel Colt, who invented the automatic revolver. Along with building a factory, Mr. Colt also made a village with houses, a library, and recreational activities so that his employees could be close to work. Colt's estate, Armsmear, was given to the city as Colt's Park after Mr. and Mrs. Colt's death. A developer is currently in the process of renovating the whole facility to create office space and apartments for completion in 2006/2007.

The Capewell Horsenail Company was also in the area. In 1881, George Capewell invented a machine to make horseshoe nails.

North End

The neighborhood is a conglomeration of formerly distinct neighborhoods that have been collapsed into a largely impoverished zone. Generally identified as consisting of the vast area north of Albany Avenue leading up to the Bloomfield and Windsor borders, the North End has been wracked by decades of policies such as redlining and racist city planning that transformed a once multi-cultural area of African-American, Jewish, and European immigrants into an underdeveloped zone of housing projects and slums that is nearly entirely African-American and poor. This began in the 1950s with the construction of I-84, which cut off North End from the rest of the city, followed by a high concentration of government-financed housing projects that caused the flight of the working and middle class to the suburbs.

Although many of the housing projects have been demolished in 1990s and 2000s, and were replaced with HUD home constructions designed to increase the proportion of working families in the North End, the area still suffers from underdevelopment and crime. Many of the North End's parks, such as Keney Park, are considered among the city's most dangerous. The schools are among the most segregated and underperforming in the country, with populations of impoverished and African-American students extending into the 90th percentile. Mortality rates in the North End are comparable to those of the South Bronx in New York City.

The North End is home to an active community of West Indian immigrants that provide the area with a cultural and artistic presence: the West Indian Social Club and Scott's Jamaican Bakery are two notable neighborhood institutions. The North End is also home to Weaver High School, which was also the alma mater of ER actor Eriq La Salle.

South End

This neighborhood is home to the area of Franklin Avenue, known as Little Italy. Although many Italians have moved just over the border to Wethersfield, Newington, and Rocky Hill, there is still a major Italian presence in the city. There are numerous Italian bakeries along Franklin Avenue. In the past few decades, there has been white flight from the South End, with many Puerto Rican families moving into the neighborhood but nevertheless there are many local favorites (restaurants, bakeries and stores) that draw people back into the South End.

Another resident of Hartford's South End is the South Park Inn emergency shelter.

South Green

South Green is home to Barnard Park in honor of Henry Barnard, whose home is located on Main Street. Congress Street is a historic district with many Greek Revival and Italianate homes. Hartford Hospital and the Connecticut Children's Medical Center are also located in South Green.

South Meadows

Located at the southeastern corner of the city, the area is home to many industrial and commercial businesses. The neighborhood is home to the Regional Market, a 32 acre (129,000 m²) facility with 185,000 of warehouse space. Brainard Field along I-91 serves small aircraft and offers flight instruction. The Hartford Electric Light Company which started in 1921 is still operational and owned by CT Light and Power. One of the Metropolitan District Water pollution control plants is located in the south meadows. Also, the Mid-Connecticut Resource Recovery Facility, which opened in 1987 and is on 57 acres (231,000 m²), is located in the area.

North Meadows

Located just north of downtown along the CT River and I-91 the North Meadows is a largely commercial and industrial area that is home to many of the area's car dealerships including dealers for Mercedes Benz, BMW, Nissan, Infiniti, Jaguar, Toyota and Mazda as well as a brand new CarMax dealership. The North Meadows is also the home of the CT Expo Center which features 88,000 square feet of exhibition space, the Dodge Music Center (formerly the Meadows Music Theater) which hosts hundreds of big name concerts each year and Riverside Park.

Economy

Greater Hartford is an international center of the insurance industry, with companies such as AETNA and The Hartford based in the city. The area is also home to Colt Firearms and large corporations like United Technologies (the parent corporation for Pratt & Whitney, Otis Elevator, Sikorsky Aircraft, Carrier Corporation, Hamilton Sundstrand, UTC Fire & Security and UTC Fuel Cells) and others.

Education

Hartford is the home of several institutions such as Trinity College, the Hartford Conservatory (in the Asylum Hill neighborhood), the [Institute of Living], [Capital Community College] (located downtown), the University of Connecticut School of Business (also downtown), Hartford Seminary (in the West End), the University of Connecticut School of Law (also in the West End) and a branch campus for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In neighboring West Hartford, there is The Hartt School, a performing arts conservatory attached to the University of Hartford, [The American School for the Deaf], the University of Hartford, the University of Connecticut Greater Hartford campus, and Saint Joseph College.

The Greater Hartford area is also home to many well-known private and parochial schools, including The Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Watkinson School in Hartford, Kingswood-Oxford School in West Hartford, Northwest Catholic High School in West Hartford, Renbrook School in West Hartford, Avon Old Farms School in Avon, Westminster School in Simsbury, Miss Porter's School in Farmington, Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, The Masters School in Simsbury,and East Catholic High School in Manchester.

Culture

Points of interest

Revitalization

 This article or section contains information about scheduled or expected future events.
It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the event approaches and more information becomes available.

Currently Hartford is experiencing a revitalization with over 1 billion dollars worth of private and publicly funded projects recently completed, under construction or in the works throughout the city's 17 neighborhoods and also in neighboring East Hartford. The overlying theme for the project was creating more activity downtown and reconnecting Constitution Plaza to the waterfront, which was cut-off when Interstate 91 was constructed.

Some of the major projects include:

Adriaen's Landing: The state and privately funded project is situated on the banks of the Connecticut River along Columbus Boulevard, and connects to Constitution Plaza. The project includes the 540,000 square foot Connecticut Convention Center which opened in June, 2005 and is the largest meeting space between New York City and Boston. Attached to the convention center is the 22 story 409 room Marriott Hartford Hotel Downtown which opened in August, 2005. Being constructed next to the convention center and hotel is the 140,000 square foot Connecticut Center for Science and Exploration. The final component of the project is Front Street which sits across from the convention center and is the retail, entertainment and residential component of the entire project. Publicly funded parts of the project will include transportation improvements (see below). Work will soon begin on the construction of new residential units which will be housed in towers, along with retail and entertainment space which will include an ESPN Zone. On the back side of Front Street the historic Hartford Times Building is being converted into the home of administrative offices for the Wadsworth Atheneum.

Hartford 21:Currently being constructed on the site of the Hartford Civic Center Mall the project includes the construction of a 36 story residential tower, the tallest between New York City and Boston. Attached to the tower will be 90,000 square feet of office space and 45,000 square feet of retail space all of which will be housed in a large block. The old convention center under the mall will be converted into a world-class gym. The Hartford Civic Center is still open and is part of the project as home to the AHL Hartford Wolfpack, the UConn Men's and Women's Basketball teams as well as hosting shows and concerts.

Capital Community College at the G. Fox Department Store: The 913,000 square foot former home of the G. Fox & Company Department Store on Main Street recently underwent a complete renovation and is now the new home of Capital Community College as well as offices for the State of CT and ground level retail space.

Connecticut Culinary Institute: The school has recently completed a deal that will relocate part of the school to the former Hastings Hotel and Conference Center in the city's Asylum Hill neighborhood just west of downtown and next to the AETNA Headquarters.

Rentschler Field: Though in neighboring East Hartford, the stadium for UConn football was part of the revitalization plan for Hartford and was built on some of the lands donated by United Technologies. The bulk of the land donated will be used for technology, entertainment, lodging and retail development.

Transportation and parking improvements: Some roads were turned into pedestrian walkways to reduce gridlock, other roads were widened, or made one-way. Some intersections were also improved to better handle traffic. A large parking garage was also built in down town to ease parking problems. There was also a series of shuttle routes created, known originally as the "Downtown Circulator Project" and now run by the [Greater Hartford Transit District].

New condos and apartments:

Media

The city is served by the daily Hartford Courant newspaper, which is the country's oldest continuously published newspaper, founded in 1764. A weekly newspaper, the Hartford Advocate, also serves Hartford and the surrounding area, as does the [The Hartford Guardian] (a city-wide, quarterly conservative newsmagazine) and [The Hartford Undercurrent] (an independent, monthly paper that accepts open submissions). Several television and radio stations based in Hartford cover the entire state. These stations serve the Hartford/New Haven market, which is the 28th largest market in the U.S.

Transportation

Bradley International Airport, in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, is twenty minutes north of Hartford and serves Hartford and Springfield.

Other airports serving the Hartford area include:

During the 1960s and 1970s, Hartford was something of a poster child for highway construction, and has several highways surrounding the downtown area. Still more projects were canceled, both within the city and the suburbs like the proposed I-291 beltway, due to community opposition.

I-84 runs from Danbury, on the New York border, to Union on the Massachusetts border. I-91 starts in New Haven off I-95 and continues all the way up to Canada along the Connecticut River. The two highways intersect in downtown Hartford. Their interchange remained incomplete, anticipating the extension of the Conland-Whitehead Highway to connect the two near the capitol building. This created a traffic tie-up that was unsnarled in the 1990s.

Hartford suffers from notoriously heavy traffic as a result of its suburban population, which is proportionally much larger than that of any other nearby city. As a result, thousands of people clog area highways at the start of the workday. I-84 experiences traffic from Farmington through Hartford and into East Hartford and Manchester during the rush hour. Outside of Hartford, there are delays going westbound east of the Connecticut River and delays going eastbound west of the city, while in Hartford there is traffic in both directions. I-91 has significant delays, usually south of the city in Wethersfield and Rocky Hill and north of the city in Windsor and Bloomfield.

Besides the two major interstates, the Route 2 expressway runs from Norwich in the southeastern part of the state up to East Hartford where it then intersects with I-84. There are delays through Glastonbury and East Hartford in the morning hours.

Known as the Berlin Turnpike, Routes 5 and 15 run south of the city. Before I-91, the roadway carried people from Hartford to New Haven. Along the Berlin Turnpike is an array of department stores, restaurants, and offices in Berlin, Newington, and Wethersfield. In Wethersfield, it becomes a highway-grade roadway that intersects with I-91 and I-84. Past Berlin, Route 15 becomes the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Meriden, and later, the Merritt Parkway which runs parallel to I-95 to the New York border.

West of Hartford, Route 44 runs from West Hartford up into the hills of Litchfield County and eventually into New York. East of Hartford, Route 44 runs to Putnam and into Rhode Island.

Railroad

Hartford's dependence on the railroad has decreased since the automobile. However, the Hartford train station at One Union Place still operates. Amtrak provides service from Hartford to Springfield, New Haven, New York, Boston, Providence, and Washington DC. The station is also a major bus station serving numerous bus companies as Hartford is a mid way point between the popular New York to Boston route.

Currently there are preliminary plans to create a New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail Line with stations in communities close to I-91.

Connecticut Transit is owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation. CTTRANSIT operates local and commuter bus service within the city and the surrounding area. Taxi service is available from the train station at 1 Union Place or by calling one to any location in the area.

Famous Hartford residents

Sister cities

Because of Hartford's diverse population the city has numerous sister cities. They include:

External links

 The State of Connecticut
 Capital  Hartford
 Regions  Coastal Connecticut · Greater New Haven · Greater Hartford · Inland Connecticut · Litchfield Hills · Lower Connecticut River Valley · Naugatuck River Valley · New York metropolitan area/Gold Coast · Quiet Corner · Southeastern Connecticut · Southwestern Connecticut
 Counties  Fairfield · Hartford · Litchfield · Middlesex · New Haven · New London · Tolland · Windham
 Cities  Ansonia · Bridgeport · Bristol · Danbury · Derby · Groton · Hartford · Manchester · Meriden · Middletown · Milford · New Britain · New Haven · New London · Norwalk · Norwich · Shelton · Stamford · Torrington · Waterbury · West Haven
   .
    Geography   Government   History    

 

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