Colt Park is a city park in the southeast Hartford, Connecticut neighborhood of Sheldon/Charter Oak. The park was established from the former Armsmear Estate of

Samuel Colt Samuel Colt (; July 19, 1814 – January 10, 1862) was an American inventor, industrialist, and businessman who established Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company (now Colt's Manufacturing Company) and made the mass production of ...

and

Elizabeth Jarvis Colt Elizabeth Jarvis Colt (born Elizabeth Hart Jarvis, October 5, 1826 – August 23, 1905) was the widow and heir of firearms manufacturer Samuel Colt, founder of Colt's Manufacturing Company. Early life Elizabeth Hart Jarvis was born in Saybrook, Co ...

which was gifted to the city upon her death in 1905. Today the park is home to playgrounds, sports fields, a pool and Dillon Stadium. Colt Park was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on June 8, 1976, designated as part of the Colt Industrial District, valued for its association with industrialist

. It is bounded by Wawarme, Wethersfield, Hendricxsen, Van Dyke Avenues and Stonington, Maseek and Sequassen Streets. The grounds were originally developed in

High Victorian Gothic High Victorian Gothic was an eclectic architectural style and movement during the mid-late 19th century. It is seen by architectural historians as either a sub-style of the broader Gothic Revival style, or a separate style in its own right. Promo ...

style, and served as Colt's exclusive "pleasure-grounds." It was complete with large reflecting pools, rustic furnishings, fountains, urns, statuary, artificial ponds for fish and foul, a deer park, orchards, fields and more. Pope Park and Colt Park were the last major additions to the City of Hartford Parks System in 1898 and 1905, respectively. The two parks were intended to serve the traditionally working-class Hartford neighborhoods of Frog Hollow, Parkville, and Front Street. In 2019, Public Field #9 was renamed in honor of Hartford native and Negro league baseball player Johnny "Schoolboy" Taylor.

Dillon Stadium

The lands for Dillon Stadium were a part of the original Colt gift. The stadium was Federal Emergency Relief Administration relief project and was dedicated in 1935, with the related Field House erected in 1939. Stadium seating capacity is 9,600, and includes a block west of the stadium for dedicated surface parking. It has been host to various concerts and sports teams throughout its history. After not having been used for some years, the stadium was refurbished and partly rebuilt in 2018-19. It is the current home of the

Hartford Athletic Hartford Athletic is an American professional soccer team based in Hartford, Connecticut. The club was founded in 2018 and started play in the USL Championship in 2019. It is the only pro soccer team in Connecticut. History On June 8, 2021, Ha ...

.Dillon Stadium homepage
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References

External links

Colt Park and Dillon Stadium Home Page

Colt Park Foundation

Coltsville National Historical Park
{{Authority control National Register of Historic Places in Hartford, Connecticut Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut Geography of Hartford, Connecticut Parks in Hartford County, Connecticut Tourist attractions in Hartford, Connecticut Urban public parks

Dillon Stadium

See also

References

External links