We have several National Historical Parks in Connecticut. These sites are sprawling areas of great historical significance, and are typically comprised of multiple buildings. There's one upcoming National Parks Service-managed site that's still in development: the Coltsville National Historical Park. The area was legislatively designated as a national historical park in 2014, but the process of land acquisition is quite lengthy and is still in progress. Due to this, the area still doesn't have a Visitor's Center or the amenities you'd expect to find at an official national historical park. What it does have, though, is plenty of history!

The Coltsville district is just south of downtown Hartford and is comprised of buildings related to Samuel Colt, one of the most notable businessmen in Connecticut history.

Colt invented the automatic revolver and was a major player in Connecticut's industrial revolution. The historical park will be comprised of 260 acres made up of the Colt Armory, Colt's home, the factory worker housing, and other sites associated with Samuel Colt.

The Colt Armory building is quite easy to spot thanks to its distinctive blue dome. The onion-shaped dome is covered in gold stars. The building was built in 1867 as a recreation of the original armory, which was constructed in 1855 and burned down in 1864.

Another site featured in the park will be Armsmear, the estate that was home to Colt and his family.

After Samuel Colt's death, his wife commissioned the Caldwell Hart Colt Memorial Parish House in his honor. The church and parish house will be within the national historical park's borders.

Nearby Colt Park will also be managed as part of the historical park. Fittingly enough, it's already home to a statue of its namesake.

While the area at Coltsville National Historical Park certainly needs a lot of work and may not be officially opened as a national historical park for some time, we're so excited to have another national historical park in Connecticut!

For more information about the Coltsville Historic District and to stay updated on the progress of the district becoming a national historical park, check out the Coltsville Heritage Partnership website or the Coltsville National Historical Park Facebook page.