Lost Mansions of Washington Street, Hartford, Connecticut's "Governors' Row"

In the nineteenth century, Washington Street in Hartford, Connecticut was a leafy elegant boulevard lined with the mansions of prominent civic, business and political leaders. In this video I talk about some of these now lost mansions, as well as one that survives today.
The image of the Platt-Northam-Lee-Taylor House is from the Connecticut State Library, PG 420, Taylor Collection of Early Hartford Photographs
My video about the Crows of Washington Street:
• The Crows of Washingto...
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[@joane.landers9151]

Thank you, Dan for another great video of the Lost Buildings of Hartford. I didn't grow up in Hartford, but worked in the city for almost 41 years. In that time frame, there were times I drove from the Retreat Ave., area towards the Capitol and vice-versa, never realizing what stood along Washington St., between Park St., and Capitol Ave. The homes were certainly impressive. Unfortunately over many years, in the name of "Progress", in my opinion, too many buildings/homes have been lost forever. Thanks to the photographers of the late nineteenth & early/mid-20th century, these buildings 'live' so we can see them and enjoy what has been lost to history. Thank you, Dan, for all your research to produce these videos!

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad so many of these houses were photographically documented before they were torn down.

[@joane.landers9151]

@@historywithdansterner263 Me too!

[@TheJojo01902]

I know cities change and morph over the decades but, gosh, Washington Street as it was in the heyday covered by this video is definitely a lost jewel. Thank you for your scholarship and video work, Dan. This series is superb.

[@bobmarchetti8878]

I work in Hartford and enjoy looking at videos showing how it looked in the past. Thank you.

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks for watching!

[@danataplin7933]

For me, one of the mysteries of Hartford's transition from richest city to one of the poorest is the missing evidence. Sometimes the formerly elite section is still there but in diminished status, like certain parts of Springfield on high ground south of the downtown section. With Hartford it seems hard to tell: there are a few survivors like Armsmear, Twain's house and Congress Street but overall scant evidence of really elite 19th century districts. This video clears up the mystery. Like Euclid Avenue in Cleveland (maybe the most famous of all the 19th century millionaires' rows of eastern cities), Hartford's "good" neighborhoods at the end of the walking city era/beginning of the horsecar & streetcar era city didn't hold up. Their high status faltered at some point-- fashions changed, motorcars made a street like Washington too noisy, the lack of zoning at the time allowed the infiltration of commerce into once exclusively residential areas, and so on. Once the street seemed not to have a future for elite residence, the houses were sold and replaced with administrative buildings and whatnot. Similar I guess to Asylum Hill , which had a brief turn-of-the-century period as new elite residential district as places like Washington Street slipped. After some time the hill's status attracted the life insurance companies, whose presence soon ruined the residential atmosphere, and later, cheap mid-20th century apartment buildings began to replace the old houses. In contrast to the volatility of high status districts in the 19th - early 20th century, the present system of exclusive suburban towns like Farmington with strict zoning and home rule preserves the elite status of its historic core and newer areas seemingly forever. I always think of Commonwealth Ave in Boston, an urban millionaires' row from the same period which has survived intact physically and has more or less kept and/or recovered its original high status. Pretty unusual I guess.

[@charleetho]

Morgan G Bulkeley also has a high school named after him. Fortunately we (class of 1980) had a great history teacher who thought it important for us to learn Hartford history. Mr. Grisovich (sp) . love your videos.

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks!

[@annastani7736]

I hope that your series will not end anytime soon. I look forward so much to your videos. I love the architecture of all those houses. Thank you so much Dan

[@historywithdansterner263]

I'm glad you enjoy watching them!

[@annastani7736]

👍

[@victorlopez2143]

Wow- I can't believe that Washington St had these great houses. I have to drive back to CT just to look and see where they were. My wife loves some of the houses on Fairfield Ave. I wonder how that section was back then. As someone stated below - its is a 'Lost Jewel'.. Again - What happen to Hartford. It had great houses and streets. Now nothing like that now. Just a shame..

[@angelsuarez9914]

Ace Lopez what's up angel

[@TheCowardStrikesBack]

Excellent video once again.

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks!

[@gregdolecki8530]

Your videos are both fascinating and a little sad knowing what has been lost to time and development.

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thank you!

[@joane.landers9151]

Unfortunately this is true thru other cities and smaller towns throughout CT and other states, although other towns/cities have preserved older structures. Hartford began to do some in the SE end of the city, latter (?) 1970's- early 1980's, when 2 or 3 entire houses were moved from Wethersfield Ave., down Wylls Ave., to Charter Oak Ave. I would see these in the process of being moved when I was on my way to work up on Retreat Ave./Washington St.

[@raymonddubois9242]

Has a new subscriber, I am thoroughly enjoying these videos. Actually, They make me tear up When I realized what was done to these beautiful edifices. Thanks so much for these jewels!

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks for subscribing!

[@sedumplant]

tHANK YOU! My grandparents lived on Hubbard St in Glastonbury in the early 1900s until the late 50's. One of their neighbors was a branch of the Brainard family. The Williams soap factory was up the road, and the area was all farmland! There were at least two 18th century homes on Hubbard St . I cherish those memories!

[@keithgraver5482]

I live in Southington ct and have been through Hartford many times. The state of the area now is like a horror movie over run by zombies.

[@DannyPimienta]

Enjoyed this video as it literally hit home. I was born and raised one block over on Cedar Street.

[@billvolovski2440]

I guess big mustaches were a prerequisite to live on Washington St.

[@historywithdansterner263]

lol😂

[@lynnferrari6870]

Another fantastic and informative video. Thank you. I am so glad you were able to get some photos on the interior of the Barber house - it's gorgeous.

[@stevencreelman1986]

Your videos are Awesome !!!

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks!

[@stevebenoit1082]

Very interesting! Thanks for putting this together!

[@fuoco999]

what a tremendous job dan, both the research and implementation !!!!! thanks for creating this !!! (had the privilege of touring the old barbour house, so beautifully untouched, an amazing survivor)

[@kathrynmyers19]

This is both wonderful to learn about and also depressing for what we have lost, but perhaps maybe more if they were still there and covered with vinyl siding and greatly altered, sometimes memories are better, thanks and happy new year!

[@historywithdansterner263]

At least if they survived they could have been rehabilitated later by a sensitive owner/developer.

[@nunnaurbiznez8815]

I watched this and immediately subscribed. Thank you for sharing your work. The houses are beauties. I look forward to watching more! You should have more subs. Cheers mate!

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks for the sub!

[@Hadd13]

love the videos

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks!

[@bigdaddysantos]

Another great video! Wasn’t the state trade school building/adult education center also the Hartford Public High School Annex for many years?

[@Mario-rm1ht]

Do you know this history of the building featured in the modern image at the start of the video? It has a second empire style appearance; I believe it is adjacent to a modern day McDonalds. Any historical photo of this spot?

[@historywithdansterner263]

I don't know much about the house but it was probably built in the 1850s or 1860s. It appears on the 1877 Bird's-Eye View of Hartford.

[@SuperKillgill]

Great stuff . Do you have pictures of North hartford Chestnut st & walnut st areas?

[@historywithdansterner263]

I found this one at the Connecticut Digital Archive: hdl.handle.net/11134/40002:18633. There are probably more at the Hartford History Center at the Hartford Public Library.

[@the_Mrs.]

Funny what was considered a “cottage” in the late 1800s. Compared to my 1990s 1000sf manufactured box, these seem more like mansions! 🥴

[@joane.landers9151]

Have you ever been to Newport, RI to see the historic 'cottages'/mansions of the latter 1800's & early 1900's, along the Rhode Island Sound/ Atlantic Ocean; only occupied during the summer months, by a few of the ultra-rich families of America. You can find them online, if you've never been there, or even if you have.

[@the_Mrs.]

@@joane.landers9151 That’s one part of the country I haven’t been. I’ll have to check it out. 👍