The beautiful Church of the Good Shepherd, with its soaring tower and the steep, conical spire, has a vast history whose roots lay with that of the Colt family, whose entire estate is the Coltsville legacy. Built in beguiling Gothic Revival style, this church is not only a religious landmark, but a sight which carries forward the architectural heritage of Hartford. Commissioned by Mrs Colt in 1867 C.E., the Gothic style of architecture with the Portland freestone, the Ohio stone, the chestnut wood beams and hand-crafted windows are most enticing. All the elements symbolize an idea or another of Christianity.
Old-timers of Connecticut will never forget the Hartford Circus Fire of July 6, 1944, and this memorial plaque stands in honor of those 168 people who perished in one of the worst circus tragedies to date. A result of coating the roof with paraffin and gasoline (placed to act as a water repellent), nearly 6500 people were inside at the time of the blaze. One of the most enduring legends of the disaster was Little Miss 1565, an unidentified child who was never claimed despite a well-publicized effort to find her family. In recent years, DNA samples have claimed to have solved the case; however, doubts still remain. Circuses were banned in many parts of Connecticut after the fire, up until the 1970s. The memorial is on the sport of the tent during that harrowing night.
This home on Farmington Avenue is where Mark Twain lived from 1874 until he moved to Europe (due to bankruptcy) in 1891. It is also the place where Twain wrote some of his most famous works, such as Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. The estate is in constant renovation and the curating team is always looking to restore it as it was when Twain lived here. Nonetheless, the adjacent Museum offers an exclusive documentary about the writer by director Ken Burns and the home was one of the first 100 architectural sites to be registered as a National Historic Landmark in the United States.
