USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > The memorial history of Hartford County, Connecticut, 1633-1884, Vol. I > Part 60
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1 A few of these bricks were put into the walls of the building now standing on that site.
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MEMORIAL HISTORY OF HARTFORD COUNTY.
partitions being thus done away with, the first floor formed a large open hall or " lobby." This peculiarity of having a generous lobby in legislative buildings has been handed down to modern times. The State House had a frontage of seventy feet, with a depth of thirty feet. It was approached both from the front and from the side, an entrance being located midway on the south. The height from floor to ceiling was twenty-four feet, and the space above the ceiling was utilized for the storage of the arms carried by the militia. The building was re- moved, in 1796, to Church Street.
The erection of the second State House, now known as the City Hall, was begun in 1794, and, two years later, completed,1 at a cost of about $52,000, from plans by Charles Bulfinch, an architect of note, who designed the Washington Capitol. This was the first public build- ing in which brick and stone were used in construction of exterior walls, the latter material coming from Portland, in this State, and being introduced in basement and first story. The structure was simple in plan, including a central portion, with flanking wings on the north and south. These provided accommodation upon the second floor for the General Assembly, and the chambers were lofty apartments (whose height virtually included the third story), and contained much elabo- rated detail of the classic order. The eastern part of the building, on the same floor with the legislative halls, was a spacious hallway, while in a corresponding portion on the west was the office of the Secretary of State. The ground or first story of the State House contained in the north wing the superior court-room, and across the wide hallway which bisected the building were found the offices of several city functionaries. At a later date (1822) the cupola which surmounts the roof was added. This feature supports a figure of Justice holding the scales. The eastern façade, which for many years was the more prominent, was marked by a pediment supported through the upper stories by lofty columns of wood, and it overlooked a miniature park, which, we regret to say, is not in existence at the present day. Like many another olden- time structure, the State House has felt the hand of modern innovation, and though on its exterior it preserves to a great extent its individu- ality, alterations from the original have been made from time to time within.
The Arsenal building shot up in 1813, and presented a new archi- tectural study, a Gothic structure, of which its greatest praise is that it formed a variety. The details were weak, and the building created less impression than its warlike adjuncts and surroundings.
Vastly different in character was another Gothic design, Christ Church, executed some dozen years later, from plans by architect Ithiel Town. In this building fidelity to detail was strongly characteristic, and this specimen of Perpendicular Gothic was, when we stop to consider the meagre progress which the art had then made in this part of the country, almost phenomenal, and was a happy augury of archi- tectural success. Dr. Nathaniel Wheaton, the rector, was intimately
1 It was very difficult to raise money to complete the building. The lottery for the pur- pose was a failure. In 1795 General Andrew Ward, of Guilford, and Colonel Jeremiah Halsey, of Norwich, offered to finish it for the "Gore lands" on Lake Erie. It was an unprofitable transaction for them. The building was occupied in May, 1796. It was not painted white until 1827. The Hartford Convention of 1815 and the Constitutional Convention of 1818 were held there. Jackson, Monroe, Polk, Johnson, and Grantvisited it
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ARCHITECTURE IN HARTFORD.
connected with the building of the church, and it is said portions of the design and detail work were executed at his hand. The edifice is seventy- six feet by one hundred feet, exclusive of the central tower, twenty-two feet square, and rising in dignified and stately lines to a height of one hundred and thirty-five feet. In this building the Portland stone, des- tined in after years to become such an important factor in building projects, was used in random courses for the walls; the wise precau- tion, however, of laying it on its natural bed was not adopted. The well-designed details of exterior finish were all carried out in the same stone; and although it is not wholly completed according to the original drawings, it holds its own, and, viewed by a professional eye, is superior to many a later church-design found within the city. The interior still retains the side galleries, but the west end was modi- fied in 1879, when a recess chancel was added, and a commodious parish building was erected in the rear of the church, with a frontage upon Church Street. Of late years a series of peculiarly rich stained- glass windows have been put in place along either side of the church.
In a special article devoted to that subject extended mention is made of the First Congregational Church, more generally known as the Centre Church. As an example of the style then in vogue, it is well worthy of attention; and a study of the spire, which tradition says had its counterpart in the old country, is of more than passing interest.
Beyond a doubt two of the architectural lions of Hartford are to be seen upon Main Street, in front of the Phoenix Bank. To many a citizen they recall an old building landmark, the original Phoenix Bank. This was the first marble building1 erected in the city, and occupied the site upon which the present banking-house now stands. On the 1st of September, 1814, it was voted to build, and in the following year the ground was purchased, and shortly afterward the project was carried to consummation. The figure of the Phoenix seen in the cut as crowning the roof was of wood. The guardian lions above the curtain- walls were, however, of stone, and though not now occupying as exalted a position as formerly, yet remain to this day. The wooden Phoenix was replaced in the new building by one of marble similarly located. The approaches to the bank were by means of stone steps, winding from the pavement to a platform, and were lined by an iron railing, of which class of work there are a number of good specimens extant throughout the city. Two noticeable iron balconies are given on the next page.
The business centres of Hartford were greatly changed with the growth of the city, and hence the citizen of to-day is not surprised to find that the old City Hall was built on Kinsley and Market streets, where its Grecian temple-like appearance was the admiration of the times. This building was put up in 1828, and, standing as it did in a sort of square in the midst of the busy part of the city, was well and conveniently located. Its large hall on the second floor was used for various purposes, including the annual exhibition of the State Agricul- tural Society, while its high basement afforded the nearest approach to what the Hartford of to-day sorely stands in need of, namely, a public market, with a series of stalls on such a plan as is successfully carried ont in the larger cities.
1 A view of it may be seen in the article on Commerce and Banking, page 336.
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MEMORIAL HISTORY OF HARTFORD COUNTY.
IRON BALCONY ON THE GOV. ELLSWORTH HOUSE, IN WASHINGTON STREET.I
IRON BALCONY ON A HOUSE ON MORGAN STREET.
Another Gothic public building was erected in 1842, and known as the Wadsworth Athenaeum. It still holds its own in architectural in- terest at the present time, and in matters of detail is infinitely better than some of our more pretentious and more modern structures.
The last hundred years have naturally witnessed more changes in the structural treatment of Hartford houses than did the hundred fol- lowing colonization, and it may frankly be confessed that these latter times have, from an architectural standpoint, to bear the burden of many sins both of omission and commission, of which the limits of this paper preclude extended mention. To the early wisdom of authorities is due, in part, the preservation of many of the typical houses of years ago, as the owners were by law compelled to build of brick, under certain conditions ; and Hartford was singularly free from large fires, which so readily sweep away wooden buildings, ancient or modern. The prevalence of brick buildings in the city is to-day a subject of pleasurable surprise ; not that we disclaim pretence to good specimens of domestic work in other materials, but the proportion of the former to the latter cannot fail to make itself apparent after passing through the residence part of the city. In numberless instances the ample grounds about the residences tend to impress an observer with the idea that the city is one of homes rather than houses. The absence, too, of formidable blocks of dwellings further emphasizes this idea. Many a comparatively plain building rises out of the commonplace, thanks to its surroundings and its well-kept lawns; and we can forgive and forget questionable ornamentation, in contemplation of a general happy and successful effect.
It was not until recently that in a strictly architectural sense our houses were designed with any reference to a purity of style which would at once stamp them as belonging to a distinct period ; and in looking over the various specimens of domestic work between 1800 and the present time, one cannot but confess that in the interim less and less attention was paid to those seemingly insignificant points which as a whole, rather than in part, exert their influence upon a design, and are technically known as the " details." In the earlier work there was
1 Now the residence of Ex-Lieutenant-Governor Bulkeley.
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ARCHITECTURE IN HARTFORD.
refinement, and a painstaking delicacy was observable more particularly in wood-work, and the designs possessed a certain amount of " feeling" in them, which later found their counterparts in ostentatious display and vulgar ornamentation.
A change from the low-studded apartments of 1800 is noticed in the houses built during the next twenty-five years, when there was an upward tendency ; and later, about 1837, the pillared fronts towered aloft. In some instances the gigantic columns had as their raison d'être the upholding of great pediments, and classic ornamentation was seen in triglyph and guttæ; in other examples they confined their attention to a vast projection of the roof, and to sustaining the reputa- tion of the party who belittled noble design by unfortunate adaptation. In various parts of the city are to be found specimens of these domestic temples, though their number is not large. Not as numerous as the above, and possessing a negative interest, are some structures of a later day, which come under the head of " wooden Gothic." A vast distinc- tion exists between "wooden Gothic" and Gothic treatment exem- plified in wooden construction. In the former we look for - and gener- ally discover - a display of meretricious work, the details of which, if executed in proper materials, would not evoke criticism; but when carried out in wood they are hollow mockeries, in the strictest sense of the term, as witness label mouldings, battlements, boxed buttresses, etc. This style of sham building, strange as it may seem, was in greater vogue for ecclesiastic than domestic work; and although exam- ples are still to be found about the country, they are falling to decay, or are in some instances being displaced by wooden buildings, whose designs, while partaking of Gothic treatment, and being relieved by Gothic detail, confine them- selves to the le- gitimate uses of their material, and do not sin against that com- mendable law of a modern author- ity which begs us to " ornament construction, and not construct or- nament." A clev- er design of a Gothic cottage is shown in the resi- RESIDENCE OF MR. L. L. FELT, ON JEFFERSON STREET. dence of Mr. Felt, on Jefferson Street, which well illustrates the possibilities of this style and its adaptation to the requirements of house-building, while the critic cannot be offended at the demands made of its carefully studied details. This house was the second one in Hartford which was painted red ; but it is now a difficult matter to predict which will be the last one, as the fever has raged throughout the length and breadth of the city, attacking worthy and unworthy subjects alike.
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MEMORIAL HISTORY OF HARTFORD COUNTY.
Another house, which attracts the attention of all those who see it, is the residence of the artist Gurdon Trumbull, on the corner of Asylum Avenue and Atwood Street.
For many years following the wooden Gothic period house-building was conspicuous for the large numbers of brick dwellings whose gen- eral difference in character from the earlier examples lay in the treatment of windows and roofs. The former showed round-arched
RESIDENCE OF MR GURDON TRUMBULL, ON ASYLUM AVENUE.
heads, and in some instances were grouped ; the latter were flat, with narrow projecting cornice plentifully bracketed. A variation was given to this type by the introduction of towers, square or octagonal. The porches attached to these houses made a show of fluted columns with Co- rinthian capitals, these features and the wood work of the roof dividing the builders' attention. The details were generally coarse, while the building itself was usually square in form, with a possible relief of a one-story bay upon the front, and a series of gradually diminishing " L's" on the rear. The type was monotonous ; but, owing in part doubtless to cheapness of construction from its simplicity, it must have been popu- lar, if the number of such buildings existing at the present day is to be taken as evidence. The finish of these buildings was Portland stone, with dressing of rubbed-work; while the stone-work of the underpin- ning was customarily laid up in high block courses. It was not until later that the pleasing variety in the use of this most excellent material was shown in the tooling of the stone and the presentation of ashlaring in the irregular rock-face work so much in vogue at the present time.
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ARCHITECTURE IN HARTFORD.
One or two instances are on record where iron caps of a more or less ornamental character were substituted for the Portland stone. The use of red mortar in place of white, for brick-work, was also of later introduction, and is now almost universally adopted. Probably to the class of houses above described is due the outgrowth of the speculative double brick house, of which so many pairs were at one time erected, lining some of the less popular streets, and threatening to drive out what humble attempts at architecture were striving for a place in public estimation.
We were lifted ont of the brick boxes to contemplate another phase of building, which, however, and fortunately, was of short duration. We refer to the construction of the French or mansard roof. This quasi-economical method of obtaining an upper story to the house was not as popular in Hartford as in other places, and the existing ex- amples are not to be contemplated as objects of special architectural beauty.
The residence of Mrs. Samuel Colt, at Armsmear, is one of the no- ticeable houses in the city. It is of massive stone, towered and domed, and presents a long irregular front on Wethersfield Avenue.
RESIDENCE OF MRS. SAMUEL COLT (ARMSMEAR).
The happily increased interest shown in architectural matters within the past ten years by the public at large has not been without its effect in the city. This is well illustrated by the attention which has been and is to-day being given to dwelling-house construction. The elements of beauty are not as subservient to those of utility as was formerly the case. The profession of architecture is not reserved for the demands of large public structures, and its influence is called for and retained in works hitherto considered of minor importance. This action has borne good fruit, and every season adds new examples to the already increasing number of private residences, and the tendency, as far as architectural
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MEMORIAL HISTORY OF HARTFORD COUNTY.
effect is concerned, is the reverse of monotony. This is due in great measure to the variety of materials placed at the disposal of the archi- tect, and the different combinations which it is possible to produce.
One of the most extensive private houses in the city, and one of marked architectural importance, is the residence of the late James Goodwin, upon Woodland Street. It is constructed of Westerly granite with rock-face ashlar, the finish being of the same material dressed and relieved by belts and courses of rose granite. The design is Gothic, and all the details are carefully executed. A characteristic feature of the principal floor plan is the wide hall, forty-five feet in length, extending entirely through the house from east to west, and displaying midway upon one of the side walls a lofty hooded fireplace built of Ohio stone enriched by carving. The stable and coachman's quarters are so con- nected with the main building as to form part in the same general de- sign. The prominent feature of the house is a square tower finished at its upper portion in timber-work.
RESIDENCE OF MR. S. L. CLEMENS (" MARK TWAIN "), FARMINGTON AVENUE.
Another type of dwelling is shown in the residence of Mr. Clemens, more familiarly known as " Mark Twain." The house is admirably adapted to the site, and the west facade particularly presents attractive detail. The building is of red brick, portions of the wall faces being embellished with vermilion bands painted upon them, all the exterior wood finish having likewise a treatment with red paint, but of darker shade. The picturesqueness of the design is the result of study be- stowed on the various features, and their thoughtful combination. For several years this house stood almost alone as the exponent of the more modern ideas in relation to domestic work ; but to-day it is one of a number which challenge the attention of the public.
THE RESIDENCE OF MRS. JAMES GOODWIN, ON WOODLAND STREET.
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ARCHITECTURE IN HARTFORD.
Yeathen At.
RESIDENCE OF MR. FRANKLIN CHAMBERLAIN, FARMINGTON AVENUE.
In general it may be said that not only beauty of form but beauty of color also is sought, if not always obtained, in our latest work ; and
Fil
A RESIDENCE ON GARDEN STREET (NO. 60).
although like other hobbies when ridden to death the result is far from pleasing, yet the motive is a good one. With the demand for novelty
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MEMORIAL HISTORY OF HARTFORD COUNTY.
if too urgent the tendency is apt to be toward the grotesque, and a straining for effect is the rock upon which architectural design is liable to be shattered. In the dwelling-house, comfort and convenience should be of first importance ; and that these can be happily blended with the advantages of architectural effect and taste in design and treat- ment is amply illustrated by scores of houses of recent date within the city. In the search after novelty in use of material the view of the residence of Mr. Franklin Chamberlain shows a conspicuous example. The walls are chiefly of broken granite, while the belt courses and finish about windows are of red brick. The roofs are covered with
RESIDENCE OF A. H. OLMSTED, CORNER OF ELM AND CLINTON STREETS, FACING BUSHNELL PARK.
shingles painted before use, and throughout the entire structure is a large amount of detail work whose careful execution is an important factor in the general effectiveness of the design. Within, the house presents a series of vistas artistically produced. The Garden Street residence, also given on page 479, shows still another "type." Here the gables and portions of the second story present a contrast in treat- ment with principal story. The latter is of red brick, with a finish of Portland sandstone, the former showing terra-cotta tiles. The wood finish at gables, porches, etc., is painted in dark olive shades, and the combination of color throughout is attractive and pleasing. The design of the house is characterized by the so-called " Queen Anne " feeling, of which puzzling name a definition may with propriety be expressed
THE RESIDENCE OF MR. JAMES G. BATTERSON, ON ALBANY AVENUE.
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ARCHITECTURE IN HARTFORD.
as a design in which the treatment and conception are Gothic executed in classic detail.
The development of Bushnell Park presented upon its south front many eligible building sites which are now nearly all occupied and command fine outlooks. The latest house erected in this vicinity is that of Mr. A. H. Olmsted. The design presents still another type, a construction almost devoid of stone for finish except in basement story, as the walls are wholly of brick, with window caps, sills, etc., of the same material. The bricks are of peculiar manufacture, being one and a half inches thick and twelve inches long, and of buff and black col- oring, and they are laid up in dark mortar. An effective treatment of circular work is shown in bays, and the roof is picturesquely car- ried out.
Changes within the city are to be observed in the southern and southwestern parts, and along the line of Washington Street are notice- able houses of the modern class; but in the north and to the west
GROUP OF GOODWIN COTTAGES, ALBANY AVENUE.
beyond the division line of the railroad the development is perhaps the most marked, and new streets are being advantageously opened. Upon that old-time thoroughfare, Albany Avenue, an interesting building scheme has just been carried out by Messrs. F. and J. J. Goodwin, trustees of the estate of their father, Major James Goodwin; namely, to provide moderate-priced cottages which shall combine taste in de- sign of exterior treatment with interior convenience and picturesque effects. The view herewith shows a group of these modern cottages which are erected after the designs of a number of architects of note.
Beyond, and occupying a prominent site on this avenue, is the resi- dence of Mr. J. G. Batterson. The houses in the suburbs of the city are of tenfold more interest to-day than they were years ago, from an archi- tectural point of view. To the west, upon Prospect Hill, commanding
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MEMORIAL HISTORY OF HARTFORD COUNTY.
an extensive view, are found a number of modern houses. In this neigh- borhood the Vanderbilt house forms a conspicuous feature of the land- scape. In domestic work it will thus be readily seen that an advance has most emphatically been made, and as the art of architecture is pro- gressive, the future is full of promise ; and while there is a difference in the quality of the work, the designs of our houses taken collectively present a good average, and that condition is one rather to be welcomed than dreaded, as the indications point toward the presentation of art combined with common sense rather than feeble comicalities or un- healthy monstrosities under cover of professional work.
Architecture as illustrated by the increasing number of public buildings throughout the city is of more than ordinary interest. This
THE STATE CAPITOL.
attaches itself to both civil and ecclesiastic structures. In many ways the State capitol overlooking Bushnell Park naturally claims a great share of attention, and owing to its exceptionally fine location it is a conspicuous object viewed both from within and from without the city. The capitol is an example of modern secular Gothic, and is built of East Canaan marble. It presents a total frontage of nearly three hundred feet. It is two and a half stories high, with a mezza- nine story between the ground and first story. The general ground- plan is a parallelogram whose lines are chiefly broken by the projection of the main central portion having a depth of two hundred feet, the
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ARCHITECTURE IN HARTFORD.
park front being treated with an ornate arcade forming the principal approach to the building on the north, while the southern façade is marked at the ground floor by a porte cochère and an ample vestibule. The main wings of the structure are one hundred and eleven feet in depth, and are connected with the central portion by means of an inter- mediate part one hundred and two feet in depth. Entrances are also provided on the east and west, the former having a rich arcaded porch. Exteriorly the characteristic feature of the capitol is the dome, which rises in rectangular form to the roof, from which it is dodecagon in shape, but- tressed at the angles ; the surmount- ing lantern is about fifty feet high, supporting a bronze figure symboli- zing the " Genius of Connecticut." The total height of dome from ground line to top of the figure is two hun- dred and fifty-seven feet, and its di- ameter fifty-three feet. The park façade is emphasized at the central portion by a series of five richly decorated arches supported by mas- sive granite columns three feet in diameter, the tympana being the fu- ture location of bas-relief historical subjects. The wall of the story above is pierced by mullion windows with EAST ENTRANCE TO THE CAPITOL. arched heads, while between the window openings are projecting canopies and corbels for the reception of full-length figures, and the wall face is further enriched by delicately cut diaper. The second story is marked by a boldly executed foliated course, which is carried entirely around the building, a similar treatment being extended to the main cornice. The roof is finished at the eaves by a marble balustrade. The exterior treatment of the flanking wings is characterized by carefully studied gables ornamented by crockets and crowned by finials in the form of an eagle. The provision upon the wall faces of the various sides for sculpture is ample, as illustrated by the canopies above mentioned and also by medallions, and already several places have been worthily occupied, and every year adds a new subject to the list.
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