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Architecture
Merritt Parkway Creates Scenic Gateway to New England
This Depression-era road improvement project sought to artfully balance the natural and built environments, and despite setbacks and scandal, achieved its aims.
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The Rose King of America Transformed Cromwell’s Landscape
Andrew N. Pierson was born Anders Nil Persson in Skane…
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Colonial Revival Movement Sought Stability during Time of Change
Connecticut’s past provided refuge from pressures of modern life.
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Providing Rest for the Weary in Barkhamsted
Built in the late 18th century, Squire’s Tavern represents over…
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Gothic Connecticut
A museum, former library, and a home are just three notable examples of an architectural style popular in the 1800s.
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Restoring a Unique Piece of Bloomfield History
The Oliver Filley House in Bloomfield, Connecticut, is a two-story…
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Modernism in Connecticut through Photographs
A creed as much as a style, Modernism rejected the forms of the past in favor of an architecture that reflected a new spirit of living.
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The Beckley Blast Furnace, East Canaan
The Beckley Blast Furnace, also known as East Canaan #2,…
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The House That Hoadley Built
The Wheeler-Beecher House, sometimes referred to as the Hoadley House,…
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Landscape Architecture Helps in Healing – Who Knew?
…Hartford-born landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted re-designed the grounds on…
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J. Frederick Kelly: Constructing Connecticut’s Architectural History
J. Frederick Kelly was both a well-known architect and preservationist, as well as an architectural historian, whose works chronicled the intricacies found in many of Connecticut’s historical properties.
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Dr. Mary B. Moody Challenges Victorian Mores About Women in Medicine
New Haven resident Dr. Mary Moody the first female graduate of the medical school at the University of Buffalo, and the first female member of the American Association of Anatomists.
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G. Fox & Co. Destroyed by Fire – Today in History: January 29
On January 29, 1917, at about 11:00 pm, watchmen discovered…
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Civic Center Roof Collapses – Today in History: January 18
On January 18, 1978, at about 4:20 in the morning,…
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Land Purchase Becomes Bushnell Park – Today in History: January 5
On January 5, 1854, Hartford voters approved spending over $100,000…
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Father of Architects Born – Today in History: December 4
On December 4, 1804, “Father of Architects” Henry Austin was…
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Yale University Art Gallery – Today in History: October 25
On October 25, 1832, the Trumbull Gallery at Yale opened…
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Goodspeed Opera House Opens – Today in History: October 24
On October 24, 1877, the Goodspeed Opera House on the…
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Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch – Today in History: September 17
On September 17, 1886, the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch…
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Theodate Pope Riddle Dies – Today in History: August 30
On August 30, 1946, Theodate Pope Riddle, one of the…
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Metal Homes for the Atomic Age
Once touted as the house “America has been waiting for,” only a few post-WWII Lustron steel houses remain in Connecticut.
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Frederick Law Olmsted Born – Today in History: April 26
On April 26, 1822, Frederick Law Olmsted was born in…
Read G. Fox & Co. Destroyed by Fire – Today in History: January 29
On January 29, 1917, at about 11:00 pm, watchmen discovered…
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New Haven Coliseum Imploded – Today in History: January 20
On January 20, 2007, the 35-year-old New Haven Veterans Memorial…
Read Civic Center Roof Collapses – Today in History: January 18
On January 18, 1978, at about 4:20 in the morning,…
Read Land Purchase Becomes Bushnell Park – Today in History: January 5
On January 5, 1854, Hartford voters approved spending over $100,000…
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Hartford’s “Façade House”: The Unique Home of Chick Austin
A. Everett “Chick” Austin Jr. and his wife, Helen, designed one of the most unique homes of the 20th century in Hartford.
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American Architect Ithiel Town Born – Today in History: October 3
On October 3, 1784, prominent American architect and engineer Ithiel…
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Richard Lee’s Urban Renewal in New Haven
Thanks largely to his efforts at Urban Renewal, New Haven’s Richard C. Lee became one of the most celebrated and well-known mayors of the 20th century.
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Harkness Memorial Park Offers a Glimpse into Early 20th Century Wealth
Harkness Memorial Park is a beautifully landscaped recreation area along…
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A Connecticut Home That Dates Back to the 1600s!
The Thomas Lee House in East Lyme, Connecticut, is one…
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Map – Connecticut Landmarks of the Constitution
A map of some of the Connecticut Landmarks of the Constitution researched and published by the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation.
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Connecticut’s Capitol Building – Inside and Out
The Connecticut State Capitol was built at a time when Civil War commemoration was gaining popularity. Capturing elements of the Victorian Gothic and Second Empire styles, the building is a testament to the work of James Batterson, Richard Upjohn, and the era in which it was designed and fabricated.
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The Comstock Bridge Brings East Hampton Residents Together
Over the Salmon River in East Hampton rests the Comstock…
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The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, Hartford
Situated in Bushnell Park, the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch honors the more than 4,000 Hartford men who fought for the Union during the Civil War.
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Video – Connecticut’s Cultural Treasures: Hill-Stead Museum
Connecticut’s Cultural Treasures is a series of 50 five-minute film vignettes that profiles a variety of the state’s most notable cultural resources.
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West Cornwall Covered Bridge: An Icon of New England Craftsmanship
The community of West Cornwall is home to one of…
Read Theodate Pope Riddle: Connecticut’s Pioneering Woman Architect
Despite opposition from a male-dominated profession and a lack of formal training, Theodate Pope Riddle became a pioneering female architect.
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Olin Library and The Debate About Open Space at Wesleyan University
The history of Wesleyan’s library system includes a debate that reveals how values associated with the environment in the early 1900s helped shape the campus’s development.
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Constitution Plaza Then and Now
Hailed as Hartford’s first major redevelopment project, Constitution Plaza was built as part of the urban renewal initiatives that swept the nation’s cities in the 1950s and ’60s.
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The Van Vleck Observatory: A Reflection of Environmental Conditions
Designers of the Van Vleck Observatory overcame numerous environmental and geographical challenges to help Wesleyan University make an impact on the world’s understanding of the universe.
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Florence Griswold’s Home: A Story of Perseverance and Community
The Florence Griswold House, once a private residence, also served as a finishing school for girls in the 19th century and the center of the Lyme Art Colony.
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Designed to Heal: The Connecticut General Hospital for the Insane
The design of this state facility in Middletown reflects 19th-century beliefs about the environment’s ability to influence mental health.
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Emily Holcombe Pioneered to Preserve Connecticut’s Colonial Past
Emily Seymour Goodwin Holcombe was an activist and preservationist who…
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The Frost House Once Offered Travelers a Warm Welcome
On Marion Avenue in the southwest corner of Southington sits…
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Preserving an All-American Downtown in Torrington
Torrington is a city aware of its architectural heritage. Its…
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The Bryan-Andrew House: Still Standing After All These Years
Believed to be the oldest house in Orange, the Bryan-Andrew…
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A Better Home and Garden in Bethlehem
The Bellamy-Ferriday House is a three-story, white clapboard house located…
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The Darlings Make Preservation a Family Affair
Thomas Darling was an 18th-century merchant, farmer, and politician and…
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The Prospect Green as a Historical Narrative
In the southeast corner of the intersection of Routes 68…
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Echoes of the Old World: The Architectural Legacy of Ithiel Town
Ithiel Town was one of the first professional architects in Connecticut and one of the first to introduce the architectural styles of Europe to the United States.
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The Phoenix Building, Hartford
The Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Building, also known locally as…
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The Colt Memorial, Cedar Hill Cemetery
Commissioned by Samuel Colt’s wife, Elizabeth Jarvis Colt, and designed…
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“Gentleman’s Farming” Comes to Waterford
Walnut Grove is the former estate of the Hammond family,…
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Barn Design in Connecticut
Most barns still on the Northeast landscape are New England-style barns from the 19th century and later.
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Philip Johnson in His Own Words
In 1985, this famed architect offered a candid take on his life and work, with the stipulation that it not be made public until after his death.
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Aldrich Free Public Library: Dedicated to the Dissemination of Knowledge
Over 100 years ago, residents of the Moosup section of…
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Henry Bacon Helps Beautify Naugatuck
Best known for the Lincoln Memorial, this architect also designed a railroad station, WWI monument, and a bridge for Naugatuck.
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Suburban Development in Litchfield County 1982
Few other states felt the lure of the suburbs as…
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James G. Batterson, Stone Contractor
James G. Batterson, a native of Windsor, was an artist, inventor, and businessman. He supported both Governor Buckingham and President Lincoln during the Civil War, and afterward, helped commemorate the war through his proficiency with stone.
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Site Lines: Monuments to Connecticut’s Lost County Government
County government operated in Connecticut in one form or another for nearly 300 years before the state abolished it in 1960.
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A Hip Road Trip
Known as “Gasoline Alley” during the 1950s, the Berlin Turnpike boasts a heady visual mix of neon, brand names, logos, and 1960s’ motel Modernism.
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Portland Puts Its Stamp on an Architectural Era
The brownstone quarries in Portland, Connecticut, owe their existence to…
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The Connecticut Town Green
Considered a quintessential feature of the New England landscape, town greens weren’t always the peaceful, park-like spaces we treasure today.
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A History of Libraries Speaks Volumes About Southington
While it is not uncommon in the modern era for…
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Stepping Back in Time: North Stonington Village Historic District
Lying in an area of New London County just eight…
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Video – Hidden History: Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch
Your Town’s History in Video: Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch
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