Downtown Hartford
Encyclopedia
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, is that city's primary business district and the center of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
's state government.
Downtown is home to such corporations as Travelers Insurance, The Hartford Steam Boiler, Phoenix Insurance, Prudential Retirement and United Technologies Corporation
United Technologies Corporation
United Technologies Corporation is an American multinational conglomerate headquartered in the United Technologies Building in Hartford, Connecticut...
, most of which are housed in office towers constructed over the last 20–30 years. Downtown also serves as the hub for bus routes of Connecticut Transit Hartford
Connecticut Transit Hartford
Connecticut Transit Hartford is the largest division of Connecticut Transit, providing service on 43 local routes, 5 "flyer" limited stop routes and 12 express routes throughout 27 towns in Hartford County including: Bloomfield, East Hartford, Farmington, Glastonbury, Manchester, Newington, New...
. Union Station
Union Station (Hartford)
Hartford Union Station is the main railway station in Hartford, Connecticut, United States. . The historic station building is near the State Capitol Building. It is a Richardsonian Romanesque building designed by George Keller and built in 1889. A 1914 fire required that it be completely rebuilt,...
is located in the western part of downtown.
Downtown is also home to the Hartford City Hall, the Hartford Public Library
Hartford Public Library
Hartford Public Library’s history spans more than 200 years. It began in 1774 as the Library Company, started by a group of city leaders. The founding members included Jonathan Brace, Jeremiah Wadsworth, Daniel Wadsworth, George Bull, Elisha Colt, Theodore Dwight, George Goodwin, Chauney Goodrich...
, which is undergoing a major expansion and renovation, the Old State House
Old State House (Hartford)
The Old State House in Hartford, Connecticut is generally believed to have been designed by noted American architect Charles Bulfinch as his first public building...
, which is one of the oldest state houses in the nation, the Wadsworth Atheneum
Wadsworth Atheneum
The Wadsworth Atheneum is the oldest public art museum in the United States, with significant holdings of French and American Impressionist paintings, Hudson River School landscapes, modernist masterpieces and contemporary works, as well as extensive holdings in early American furniture and...
which is the oldest public art museum in the country, The Travelers Tower
Travelers Tower
Travelers Tower is a skyscraper located in Downtown Hartford, Connecticut. Travelers Tower was the seventh tallest building in the world when it was constructed in 1919, and is currently the second tallest building in Hartford. The building is 527 feet tall and has 24 stories.Travelers Tower is...
, Bushnell Park
Bushnell Park
Bushnell Park in Hartford, Connecticut is the oldest publicly funded park in the United States. It was conceived by the Reverend Horace Bushnell in the mid-1850s at a time when the need for open public spaces was just starting to be recognized....
, and the Connecticut State Capitol
Connecticut State Capitol
The Connecticut State Capitol is located north of Capitol Avenue and south of Bushnell Park in Hartford, the capital of Connecticut. The building houses the Connecticut General Assembly; the upper house, the State Senate, and lower house, the House of Representatives, as well as the office of the...
and Legislative Office Complex.
The south downtown area south of Bushnell Park is the site of several imposing buildings built in the early decades of the 20th century as the headquarters for large insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
companies. The Scottish Union and National Insurance Company building, in the Georgian Revival style, was built in 1913. The Renaissance Revival-style Connecticut General Life Insurance Company building, built in 1926, was inspired by the Medici-Riccardi Palace in Florence, Italy.
Capital Community College
Capital Community College is a community college in Hartford, Connecticut, United States. The only public undergraduate institution in the City of Hartford, Capital's roots date to 1967 with the founding of Greater Hartford Community College. In 1992 Capital merged with Hartford State Technical...
and the Hartford Public Schools
Hartford Public Schools
Hartford Public Schools is the school district of Hartford, Connecticut.-Schools:* Arts & Sciences High School * Bulkeley High School* Culinary Arts Academy...
offices are located in the 11-story building that until 1993 housed the G. Fox and Company department store. The newly renovated University of Connecticut School of Business
University of Connecticut School of Business
The University of Connecticut School of Business was founded in 1941 with the mission to create and disseminate knowledge that significantly influences and enriches the students, the community of business scholars and the global world of business practice...
is located at Constitution Plaza
Constitution Plaza
Constitution Plaza is a large commercial mixed-use development in downtown Hartford, Connecticut.-Construction:Constitution Plaza was built for $42 million and completed in stages from 1962 to 1964. Its planning and construction was spearheaded by a committee of local corporate leaders and business...
. At the eastern edge of downtown at Adriaens Landing the Connecticut Convention Center
Connecticut Convention Center
The Connecticut Convention Center is a convention center located in downtown Hartford, Connecticut, United States, overlooking the Connecticut River....
opened in June 2005 near the new Marriott Hartford Hotel. Another recent major addition to downtown and the city skyline is Hartford 21, a 36-story apartment tower.
The downtown area includes eight historic district
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
s listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
: the Ann Street Historic District
Ann Street Historic District
The Ann Street Historic District is a historic district in the Downtown Hartford neighborhood of Hartford, Connecticut.A commercial and light industrial area, the district includes properties along Ann Street from Chapel Street South to Hicks Street...
, the Buckingham Square Historic District
Buckingham Square Historic District
The Buckingham Square Historic District is a historic district in Hartford, Connecticut. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 with an area of and included 60 contributing buildings. The district is located in the area around Buckingham Square Park.The district...
, the Department Store Historic District
Department Store Historic District
The Department Store Historic District is a historic district in the Downtown Hartford neighborhood of the city of Hartford, Connecticut.It is a area that, in 1995, included three contributing buildings, one other contributing structure, and one contributing object...
, the Downtown North Historic District
Downtown North Historic District (Hartford, Connecticut)
The Downtown North Historic District is a historic district in Hartford, Connecticut.It is separated from the central business district of the city by a freeway.The area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004....
, the Elm Street Historic District
Elm Street Historic District (Hartford, Connecticut)
The Elm Street Historic District in Hartford, Connecticut is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. In 1984, it included 14 contributing buildings....
, the High Street Historic District
High Street Historic District (Hartford, Connecticut)
The High Street Historic District in Hartford, Connecticut is a historic district that includes three buildings, all contributing. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998....
, the Main Street Historic District No. 2
Main Street Historic District No. 2
The Main Street Historic District No. 2 is a historic district in Hartford, Connecticut. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, at which time it included seven contributing buildings over a nine acre area....
, and the Pratt Street Historic District
Pratt Street Historic District
The Pratt Street Historic District in Hartford, Connecticut is a three acre historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.In 1983, it included 15 contributing buildings....
.
See also
- Neighborhoods of Hartford, ConnecticutNeighborhoods of Hartford, ConnecticutThe Neighborhoods of Hartford, Connecticut are varied and historic.-Central Business District/Downtown:Downtown is Hartford's primary business district...
- List of tallest buildings in Hartford
External links
- Downtown Neighborhood Data, Hartford Public Library website
- City Center: Downtown Hartford, Connecticut (map, photos, and descriptions)