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Coltsville: A National Historic Landmark 
The Coltsville Historic District in Hartford, CT,
was designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL) on July 22, 2008 by the
National Park System Advisory Board. A formal designation by Secretary of the
Interior Dirk Kempthorne should be signed in the latter part of 2008. This
designation indicates that Coltsville has national significance and that there
is a high level of historic preservation at this historic industrial area. The
full documentation for the NHL nomination is available on this website.
Background information about National Historic Landmarks can be found at http://www.cr.nps.gov/nhl/QA.htm
Governor Rell said in response to the highest
level of federal landmark designation: “For many months, we have been gunning
for this designation and we have finally gotten it,” Rell said. “This marks a
major victory for
preservation and a big win for Hartford’s
continued revitalization. Samuel Colt himself certainly would have been thrilled to hear this news. There
is no worthier addition to the National Historic Landmark program than the
Coltsville district."
"Connecticut
is known throughout the world for our industrial innovations and our smart business practices. The Colt Armory, workers housing, Colt Park, the Colt home ‘Armsmear’
and the Church of the Good Shepard our part of our state history. The
Colt Armory itself is a universally recognized symbol of the development of the Colt industrial empire in the nineteenth century.”
Since the initial approval of the Coltsville
Historic District National Historic District in December, 2007 established the
national significance of Coltsville, the National Park Service has been
analyzing the feasibility of creating a National Park at Coltsville. This
examination entails evaluating various management alternatives for the site.
The NPS anticipates that a draft study of recommendations will be ready for
internal agency review in the first half of 2009, with a draft being available
for public comment in the latter half of 2009. A public meeting will then be
held to obtain input, and public comments will be solicited at the NPS
Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website.
This is the second time that the complex has
been considered by the National Landmarks Committee. After being denied designation initially, the Governor, as well as Connecticut’s
Congressional delegation, requested a
second evaluation and hearing for the Colt nomination. Upon careful documentation and research into an expanded historic district, scholars confirmed the contributions of Samuel Colt to the American industrial story
and of Elizabeth’s
as a shining light in women’s history.
“The Colt Armory complex is being adaptively reused as housing and office space while maintaining its architectural integrity. The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards are being met, making the armory project eligible for the federal and state historic rehabilitation tax credits,” said Karen Senich, Executive Director of the Commission on Culture & Tourism and Deputy
State Historic Preservation Officer. “Historic preservation is
critical to Hartford’s
revitalization - it uses existing buildings and infrastructure, helps to produce jobs, and contributes to the city’s tax base as well as our quality of life.”
Coltsville
National Historic Landmark Nomination Designation: July 22, 2008
Hartford
Courant Editorial, "Colt Complex Moves Closer to Landmark Status,"
7/23/08
Hartford
Courant Editorial, "Coltsville Clears Hudle" 7/24/08
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