MUST-SEE LITERARY AND HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS IN HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT 

MUST-SEE LITERARY AND HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS IN HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT

The southern New England state of Connecticut is an ideal blend of beautiful beaches, stunning forests and picturesque towns. Interestingly, the Nutmeg State has also been a breeding ground for America’s literary greats, and the state capital, Hartford, easily emerges as a center of learning.

Better known as the “Insurance Capital of the World” because many insurance companies set up their headquarters here in the 1800s. Hartford is definitely a tourist destination, as its many literary and historical sites make for a great day trip or weekend getaway.

MARK TWAIN HOME AND MUSEUM

We started with Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, arguably one of the most influential writers in the pantheon of American literature. He spent most of his time at his Farmington Avenue home and wrote many of his masterpieces, including The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Surprisingly, we were the only visitors to the Mark Twain House and Museum on the day of our visit and thoroughly enjoyed the peaceful and serene surroundings. The beauty of the 19th century Victorian Gothic home was simply breathtaking.

It has been achieved through painstaking restoration that has earned it an award from the National Trust of Historic Preservation. Built by New York architect Edward Tuckerman Potter and decorated and designed by Tiffany’s Associated Artists, the house has 25 rooms on three floors.

My daughter saw that the entire house was richly decorated with beautifully crafted details, and that the living room and dining room exuded a warm, lived-in atmosphere that sparked a creative dialogue between the visitor and the house.

The details and decorative motifs are heavily inspired by Indian, Chinese and Middle Eastern motifs, a perfect representation of twain, who was the first to find success as a travel writer. The green room full of greenery and the beautiful bubbling fountain in the middle were also lovely to see.

HARRIET BEECHER STOWE HOME AND CENTER

Next door to Mark Twain’s house is the home of Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of the famous anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

This Nook Farm neighborhood has been home to many writers, activists, and politicians, and twain and Stowe were certainly two of its most famous residents.

The Harriet Beecher Stowe House and Center bills itself as a “non-traditional museum” and highlights the work and thought of the author, whose work inspired ideas of social justice and positive impact. The exhibitions also in the wonderful Stowe Visitor Center have Stowe’s thoughts and quotes about social issues.

A National Historic Landmark, the home was built in 1871 and was extensively renovated in 2017. The interior reflects the Victorian-era design choices of Harriet Beecher Stowe herself. While the house is certainly an attraction, it was the lovely garden that caught my eye.

The beautifully landscaped garden was born in 1968 when the Stowe Center opened its doors to the public. Beautiful vine-covered trellises, vibrant flower beds, winding paths, rocky outcrops and tall trees are all inspired by Harriet Beecher Stowe’s gardening.

Ode believed in the healing powers of gardens, and my family and I, consummate urbanites, loved every moment we spent there.

KATHERINE SEYMOUR’S DAY HOME

Between the Twain House and the Stowe House was another beautiful house built in 1884 by New York architect Francis H. Kimball, known for building many of Manhattan’s first skyscrapers.

Originally built for a local attorney who owned most of the land on which the three houses stand, it was purchased in 1940 by Katherine Seymour Day, granddaughter of Harriet Beecher Stowe.

I admired the Queen Anne-style architecture of the Katherine Seymour Day House, with its varying colors and materials, dark cut-contrasting red terracotta tiles, and heavily sculpted details.

Today, on the National Register of Historic Places, the Day House is part of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, thanks to the efforts of Katherine Day. Not only did he buy the house next door to his great aunt to protect it, but he also pioneered to protect it. At Mark Twain’s Home.

NOAH WEBSTER’S HOUSE IN HARTFORD

If you’ve ever opened an American dictionary, you owe it to Noah Webster, the educator and author of the 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language, now known as Webster’s Dictionary, which introduced American words and spellings to schoolchildren who used dictionary. English textbooks until then.

The 1750 Noah Webster House and West Hartford Historical Society on South Main Street in West Hartford are open for self-guided or educator-led tours. The house, which is also Webster’s hometown, has four indoor rooms over two floors, decorated in period style.

An interesting object is the large looms in a room, which means a family shop, since Webster actually means a weaver.

WALLACE STEVENS WALKS IN HARTFORD

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Wallace Stevens, another Hartford literary giant, wrote his poems as he walked the 1.6 miles from his home to his job as an insurance agent.

The Wallace Stevens Walk covers a route from his home in Westerly Terrace to the Hartford Insurance Company building on Asylum Avenue, where he worked.

“Thirteen Ways to look at a Blackbird” is an enchanting poem with thirteen stanzas carved into the stones placed along its path, inviting you to follow in its footsteps. The idea is beautifully visualized by The Friends & Enemies of Wallace Stevens.

ONE OF THE OLDEST MUSEUMS IN THE UNITED STATES

Located on Main Street, the Wadsworth Atheneum was founded in 1842 and after opening in 1844 has become one of the oldest public art museums in the country.

The museum, or center of art, history and literature, Athenaeum consists of five interconnected buildings built in different architectural styles. The neo-Gothic main building with its turrets and castle-like appearance immediately caught my eye.

The museum offers an excellent collection of baroque art, impressionist paintings, classical bronzes and decorative arts, textiles, costumes and furniture from 5,000 years of world history.

It also offers an unparalleled collection of Hudson River School landscapes and American Impressionist paintings. Listed on the US National Register of Historic Places, a visit to this museum is a must for art lovers.

OLD STATE HOUSE IN HARTFORD

The Old State House in Hartford is the oldest state house in the country, built in 1796. It was an early design by Charles Bullfinch, who later became the architect of the Capitol in Washington D.C. It was the seat of the state government until 1878 whose offices have moved to the current Capitol.

Historically, it is famous as the site of the opening sessions of the 1839 Amistad Trials, of Africans who rebelled after being captured and sold into Spanish slavery and placed aboard the Amistad, a merchant ship.

Today, the impeccably restored stately Federal-style building, a National Historic Landmark, is home to lavish historic rooms, captivating artifacts, and interesting landmarks, such as the two-headed calf at the Museum of Nature, among other curiosities.