Armsmear

Armsmear was the family home of Samuel Colt and Elizabeth Hart Colt, until her passing 1905. It was built between 1855-1856 and is regarded as an Italianate Villa. Armsmear housed a private art collection and items from the Colt's worldly travels. After Elizabeth's passing, in 1905, it became a residence for widows of Episcopalian Clergymen. Today it is a private residence serving as a community and providing housing for senior women of faith and of limited means and assets.

• A pink stucco, multi-level building with dark brown framing around the arched windows and a couple of balconies. Armsmear is set back from the road, with a green lawn, multiple flower beds, trees and an fence surrounding the property. A pair of marble Uffizi dogs guard the main entrance.

Colt Park

Colt Park, once apart of Samuel Colt and Elizabeth Hart Colt's estate, was deeded to the City of Hartford in 1905. The park offered the Colt Family and the Colt Factory employees a place to relax and reconnect with nature. Today, while it no longer resembles the original design, it still serves the community of Hartford with multiple different recreational opportunities including baseball, softball and football fields, basketball courts, a playground and a walking path.

• An expansive grounds containing grassy areas, playgrounds, basketball and handball courts, baseball, softball and football fields, two swimming pools, walking path and historical buildings. At the West entrance of the park, the Colt Memorial Statue serves as a reminder of Samuel. The memorial has two statues, one of a young Samuel Colt whittling a revolver chamber while sitting and then of an adult Samuel standing and overlooking the entrance. The young Samuel represents the story , as told by Colt, about how he came up with the idea of a revolving barrel while sailing on the ship, Corvo, by observing the helm. Two reliefs, on either side of the statue, depict Samuel being presented to the Czar of Russia and Samuel demonstrating his revolver to the British House of Commons. Made of bronze, the statues and reliefs are now blue and green having been exposed to the elements and having oxidized.

Coltsville Self-Guided Tours

Self-Guided tours starting point.

• These self-guided tours will take you are the Historic Landmark District of Coltsville. Though these tours you will see different buildings and sites that are significant to the history of the Colt Family, the City of Hartford, and the United States.

James B. Colt House

The James B. Colt house was built by Samuel Colt for his brother, James, and was built in 1855. The house is classified as an Italianate Villa and would be the residence for James for a period of four years. In 1975 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places and in 2008 it became a contributing building to Coltsville Historic District. Today is an apartment complex.

• A cream stucco, multi-story house with multiple arched windows with dark brown framing. An unenclosed porch wraps around from the North side to the front door of the house on the West side. The Northwestern corner of the house has a peaked roof with the rest of the house having nearly flat roofs with large overhanging eaves supported with ornate brackets.

The "Potsdam" Worker Houses

The Potsdam Cottages were built in 1859 to house those who worked at Samuel Colts Willow Ware Factory. The houses were built to resemble German houses to make the workers, who were coming form Germany, feel more at home. Ten houses were originally built, but only nine remain standing today. These house are now privately owned residences today.

• The Potsdam Cottages are of varying designs and styles, due to various modifications. The following is a historical description of what the twelve cottages would have looked liked. It is a two story building with a ascending exterior staircase on the right side, leading to an entrance on the second floor. The second story exterior was covered in white board with a single central window and balcony. The main level has two windows, each with shutters and an ornate casement, set into red/brown brick with white cross trimming. The gabled metal roofs were topped with a chimney and the overhangs, on the front and back of the cottage, had decorative bargeboard with spade-shaped patterns and lancet-like drops at the ends and middle.

The Caldwell Hart Colt Memorial Parish House

The Caldwell Hart Colt Memorial Parish House was built by Elizabeth Hart Jarvis Colt as a memorial to her son, Caldwell Hart Colt. The Parish House was designed by Edward Tuckerman Potter and was dedicated in 1896. Both the interior and exterior of the Parish House make reference to the passions of Caldwell, including sailing and worldly adventures, and to the love Elizabeth had for her son.

• A colorful stone building, with four false chimneys and an upper level balcony. The front has numerous arched windows with stone columns between them and altering patterns of brown and cream stone. The exterior has stone carvings to represent aquatic life which includes coral, shells, a ship, and Triton. The exterior also includes carvings of rampant colts and crosses.

The Church of the Good Shepherd

The Church of the Good Shepard with its intricate masonry and stone carvings was commissioned as a memorial to Elizabeth's husband, Samuel Colt, and their three children who passed in infancy. The Church was designed by Edward Tuckerman Potter and was dedicated in 1869.

• A stone church built in the Gothic Revival style using multiple colored stones. A tall spire graces the sky with a cross on top. The church is set amongst trees on an expansive lawn. The inside of the church is filled with wooden pews and the ceiling is painted blue with gold stars. Wooden beams crisscross the church in a series of arches. There are numerous stained-glass windows with vibrant colors.

The Colt Gardener's Cottage and Colt Carriage House

The Colt Gardener's Cottage and Colt Carriage House were built around 1860 on the Colt Estate.

• The Gardener's Cottage is an a multistory building with an enclosed wooden porch. Made of red brick, the cottage has ornate eaves and arched windows. Ivy now grows up the walls and chimney. The Carriage House is a multistory red brick building with numerous windows, now boarded up, and garage doors .

The East Armory Complex

Colt Patent Firearm Manufacturing Company was built in 1855 in Hartford, Connecticut by industrialist, Samuel Colt. The factory is easily recognizable by the Blue Onion Dome and rampant Colt that sits atop the East Armory. Coltsville. Samuel Colt would shape the development of the City of Hartford and the United States.

• A brown stone, four story building with many windows, set behind two long, single story buildings and a parking lot. Directly centered in the East Armory, rising above into the skyline set upon a white multi-arched pedestal, is a Blue Onion Dome set with gold stars and a gold rampant colt with a spear in its mouth.

Worker Housing

The Worker Houses were built in 1856 behind the Colt Firearms Manufacturing Company as a way to attract and retain skilled workers. Twenty houses were built and provided a place for up to 145 families to live. Today only ten of the houses remain and are privately owned condominiums.

• The Italianate Houses located on Van Block Avenue are of brick construction with the red brick showing through the white paint. These houses are 3 1/2 stories tall with numerous double hung windows on each side and a southern exterior stairwell providing access to the apartments. The roofs on the buildings are nearly flat with large overhangs. The Gothic Revival Houses on Huyshope Avenue are of brick construction with the red brick showing through the white paint. These house are 3 stories tall with red gabled roofs with scalloped bargeboard on the end gables, and three chimneys. At the rear of the house there is a two story extension with a flat roof and an exterior stair well and partial porch providing access to the apartments. Both housing sets are enclosed by a black fence with parking between the two rows of houses. There are pathways leading to the apartments and green grass areas.

• Coltsville Self-Guided Tours
• Explore the sites and history of Coltsville National Historical Park through a self-guided walking tour.

• Spend an Afternoon at Colt Park
• Colt Park, once apart of the estate of Samuel Colt and Elizabeth Hart Colt, was deeded to the City of Hartford in 1905. Today the park offers many recreational opportunities that appeal to people of all ages. Colt Park has numerous soccer, baseball, softball and football fields along with a playground, a swimming pool and a walking path. It offers an ability to connect with nature while remaining in an urban center.

• The Story of the Colts: Symbolism at the Church of the Good Shepherd and the Parish House
• The Church of the Good Shepherd and the Caldwell Hart Colt Memorial Parish House were commissioned by Elizabeth Hart Jarvis Colt in remembrance of her husband, infant children and their son. Within the design of the two buildings, Elizabeth incorporated many elements that tell of the passions of Samuel and Caldwell. By examining the stonework of these two buildings, what can we learn about these two men who were dearly loved by Elizabeth? What can we learn about Elizabeth?

• Strike a Pose at the Armory
• The Blue Dome and Rampart Colt have long graced the skyline of Hartford and have stood as a symbol of the famed industrialist Samuel Colt. There are many locations within Hartford where the Dome can be seen, but seeing it from the perspective of a worker heading to work, fills one with a sense of awe at the accomplishments and impact one family had on Hartford and the United States.