What used to be where the Wadsworth Atheneum & Municipal Building Stand Today in Hartford, CT?

Many buildings with interesting histories were torn down to make way for the construction of the Wadsworth Atheneum and the Municipal Building in Hartford, Connecticut. Buildings that used to stand between Main Street and Prospect Street, north of Arch Street, included the house of a notable figure from the American Revolution who was visited there by George Washington, the home of the Atheneum's founder, the home of a prominent minister, and an Episcopal Church. Find out about these and other lost buildings in this video.
The images of four houses in this video (the Jeremiah Wadsworth House, the Daniel Wadsworth House, the Dunham House, and the Bartholomew House are from the Connecticut State Library, PG 420, Taylor Collection of Early Hartford Photographs.
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[@arbrimmer3813]

Great video Dan!

[@barberbach5883]

Excellent video. Thanks!

[@vshell7673]

Wonderful Video. 💯✌️❤️

[@normansinnock1521]

I wish I could like these videos more than once!

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thank you!

[@kathrynmyers19]

Thanks Dan, this is such a wonderful lesson of changing tastes and times, and fortunately although the earlier houses are beautiful, what they were replaced with is also of architectural significance and taste, which is too often not the case.

[@historywithdansterner263]

It's too bad that in other parts of downtown old buildings were only replaced with parking lots.

[@junkandthangs]

Thanks Dan

[@TheJojo01902]

Another fascinating video, Dan! Your use of the ‘morphing red rectangle’ is particularly helpful in this video. I’m curious if, back in the day, old buildings were thought of as expendable in the name of progress vs. what we see sometimes now, efforts and public regulations to save historic structures.

[@mikegruber172]

Another great video. Have you ever covered the building that stood in front of the Travelers tower?

[@historywithdansterner263]

I covered the Travelers Tower area in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGjNiJ1-mrRgY6M

[@mikegruber172]

@@historywithdansterner263 Watched it! amazing. A lot more than just the 2 buildings.

[@Aurabora54321]

Dan, as an historian, please talk about the social and political aspects of this era, these buildings. Who were the tradesmen and workers who made this construction possible and why was it considered appropriate to tear down luxurious homes and buildings? Was space so dear, or was expansion so rampant and labor cheap at that time? Were enslaved people utilized? They should be given their place in history as well as recognition of the wealth accumulated by their enslaved. The above will add to your extensive account of this time. And make a timely contribution to Ct history in this modern context. Indeed you may be the sole person who could enlighten the public and shine a light on the day to day lives of those historical figures! Thank you!

[@Aurabora54321]

*the slaveholders.

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thank you for this important suggestion. It's known that Jeremiah Wadsworth was a slave owner who built his wealth through trade with the West Indies. Complex social forces were involved in the transformation of formerly residential downtown streets into business/civic hubs. The expansion of the Atheneum and the construction of the Municipal Building in the early 20th century were part of what was called the "City Beautiful" movement of civic improvement.

[@Hartford92]

Do you have in any of your books the graphic historical Intel of images on the Northend buildings and neighborhood called "The Bottom" encompassed by Main Street, Pleasant Street, Windsor Street, East Avon Street, Portland Street and Ely Street that stood as the most ethnically and culturally diverse community Hartford has ever had until the preconceived federal Urban Renewal program planning that began as early as during the 1930's-1960's redlining by national Banks encouraging and expanding comprehensive community economic divestments in order to accommodate the planning of the politically endorsed Eisenhower Federal Interstate system that tore through Hartford Downtown North and similarly mostly Immigrants, Black and Brown Urban communities Nationwide??

[@historywithdansterner263]

That section of the city is not covered in my two books but I would like to feature that area in upcoming videos on this channel.