Before the Stilts Building: A Glimpse of Old Hartford, Connecticut

this video is about the historic building that used to stand in a section of Hartford, Connecticut where a high rise known as the Stilts Building stands today.
#hartfordct #hartford #hartfordConnecticut
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My video about Three Colonial Houses:
• Three Colonial Houses ...
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Some of the photographs featured in this video:
Retail District, Main Street, Hartford: emuseum.chs.org/emuseum/object...
George H. Weeks, tobacconist, 449 Main Street, Hartford: hdl.handle.net/11134/40002:9856
Construction at the corner of Church Street and Main Street: emuseum.chs.org/emuseum/object...
Building construction at the corner of Church and Main Streets: emuseum.chs.org/emuseum/object...
Strand Theater and Surrounding Stores: emuseum.chs.org/emuseum/object...
Strand Theater and businesses in Leonard Building: hdl.handle.net/11134/40002:9986
Arlington House, 445 Main Street, Hartford: hdl.handle.net/11134/40002:18748
Track work, corner of Main and Morgan Streets, Hartford: emuseum.chs.org/emuseum/object...
Implosion of building on corner of Church Street and Main Street, Hartford: emuseum.chs.org/emuseum/object...
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[@marilynkeat2232]

How fascinating! Thank you for your scholarship and what it has added to the historical exploration of Hartford.

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thank you!

[@praheightsixty8110]

When I was a child I only knew that building as the Channel 61 building… think about 25 years ago it housed Channel 20 but I think they moved to the Hartford Courant building since then..

[@TheBlackhawkforce]

Nice video

[@TheJojo01902]

I remember going to the Strand Theatre as a young teen. I also remember my utter amazement that buildings as tall as the [insert name here] building could be made to collapse (implode). Great video, Dan!

[@junkandthangs]

Oh wow… it’s 3am in the morning, I’ll save this on for tomorrow Saturday afternoon. Thanks Dan

[@historywithdansterner263]

I hope you like it!

[@flight4951]

Great video

[@terriwilson890]

Excellent video. I worked in the Stilts building for 4 years in the 80s. Never knew the history of that section of the streets, just that it was great being in front of G. Fox and next to the Stage and Civic Center. Thanks Dan.

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks Terri!

[@williammacdonnell6965]

Another great video and explanation of old Hartford

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thank you!

[@albussnape2]

Can you do one on Frog Hollow during the 50’s-70’s, before it got destroyed by crime? Would love to see all of Affleck St, from near Trinity College to Park St. Am loving your vlogs on the history of Hartford ❤ They bring both interest & smiles, and sadness for the crime and destruction that drove an exodus from precious historic neighborhoods.

[@historywithdansterner263]

That would be a great topic, but it's hard to find a lot of historic pictures for neighborhoods beyond downtown.

[@albussnape2]

@@historywithdansterner263 I understand. Wish our family had more photos. Frog Hollow wasn’t a wealthy neighborhood. It was an immigrant neighborhood of diverse backgrounds and hard-working people. Properties were generally kept clean, and not vandalized, trashed and destroyed. We weren’t wealthy, and have no movies. It’s painful to have suffered the literally traumatic decline there, and the violent danger which continues.

[@youtoldharpotobeatme5023]

​@@albussnape2 that's pretty much all of Hartford and surrounding towns nowadays.

[@jamesmercik3563]

dear Mr Sterner.... Thank you for all the work. Fantastic video. What a great gift to those who know Hartford.

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thank you!

[@Awalkwithbella]

I worked in the stilts building 9th floor

[@junkandthangs]

Amazing Dan, thanks

[@Hadd13]

great video Dan

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thank you! It's out a bit later in the day than I'd hoped but at least I got it out!

[@jaym3064]

This is terrific. Thank you! Is there a way to superimpose the stilts building over these old photos to provide a better representation?

[@historywithdansterner263]

That would involve a lot of photoshopping. I made a quick attempt at one here: historicbuildingsct.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Then-and-Now.jpg

[@jaym3064]

@@historywithdansterner263 ahh! I see it a bit better now. Maybe instead try the opposite and use a transparent image of the stilt building laid over the top of the old photos? Thank you for your reply so quickly 😁

[@youtoldharpotobeatme5023]

Subbed

[@mikegruber172]

interesting. How about the area where the baseball stadium is now??

[@historywithdansterner263]

That's one I'd like to do in the future!

[@lynnferrari6870]

Thank you, Your videos are so information packed and interesting. How about one on Charter Oak Place and Charter Oak Ave.? Any interest?

[@historywithdansterner263]

I will likely get to those eventually. Thank you for watching!

[@AidenSexsmith]

Great videos...is Fox 61 still in it?

[@RobertWPaine]

Do you have information about radio station WTHT, which was owned and operated by the former Hartford Times newspaper? It occupied the 16th floor of the American Industrial Building between August 1936 and December 1, 1945, when it moved to 555 Asylum Street. It remained there until it left the air February 13, 1954. Channel 18 then operated from that address.

[@historywithdansterner263]

I don't know about it. I would have to research that topic to find out more.

[@RobertWPaine]

@@historywithdansterner263 Thanks!

[@bsibc791184]

Hi Dan, I remember a hosiery store downtown. Have you heard of it?

[@historywithdansterner263]

I don't know of any specifically. Do you remember where it was?

[@historywithdansterner263]

Could it have been Lerner Shops?

[@KingBreeze07]

My grandpa couldn't stand that building 😂 he called it the building with legs.

[@junkandthangs]

Hey Dan how about Hartford bridges and Pallotti Pool…?

[@historywithdansterner263]

Sounds like an interesting idea. I'll keep it in mind!

[@user-uo7fw5bo1o]

When you showed the stilts building going up, judging by how slender the stilts were before they were hidden in concrete, it's a miracle that thing even held up! 😳 It's an abomination making the area around it even uglier than otherwise.

[@historywithdansterner263]

It's certainly a contrast with the church and G. Fox building next door!

[@mikegruber172]

I imagine they were extra careful with engineering this building after the engineering disaster of the Civic Center

[@historywithdansterner263]

I didn't mention it in the video but when the Stilts building was first opening there were concerns about sagging floors. It was covered a lot in the Courant in December of 1981 and January of 1982. Stress tests were performed to assure the public that the building was safe.