Church of the Good Shepherd and Parish House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Church of the Good Shepherd and Parish House
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U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property |
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Church of the Good Shepherd
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 155 Wyllys St., Hartford, Connecticut |
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| Area | 9 acres (3.6 ha) |
| Built | 1867 |
| Architect | Edward Tuckerman Potter |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| Part of | Coltsville Historic District (ID66000802) |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001925 |
| Added to NRHP | February 20, 1975 |
The Church of the Good Shepherd and Parish House is a beautiful old church in Hartford, Connecticut. It's located at 155 Wyllys Street. This special church was built in 1867.
It was asked for by Elizabeth Jarvis Colt. She was the wife of Samuel Colt, who was famous for making firearms. The church and its nearby building, called the parish house, were designed by Edward Tuckerman Potter. They were built to remember Samuel Colt and his family.
In 1975, the church and parish house were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites. Later, in 2008, they became part of the Coltsville Historic District.
Contents
Discovering the Church and Parish House
The Church of the Good Shepherd is in an area of Hartford called Coltsville. It's south of the main downtown area. The church is made from two types of stone. These are brownstone from Portland, Connecticut, and sandstone from Ohio.
The Church's Design
The church looks like old European churches. This style is called Gothic Revival. It has a very steep roof made of colorful slate tiles. The ends of the roof have decorative walls and crosses at the very top.
A tall, square tower stands on one side of the church. It has strong supports called buttresses. At the top of the tower, there's a low, castle-like wall. Above that is an eight-sided spire that points to the sky.
Inside the church, you'll see many different kinds of stone. These stones were used for the floors and tall columns. The roof is supported by heavy wooden beams made of chestnut.
Look closely at the main entrance arch on the southwest side. It has cool carvings of tools. These are the tools that workers used in Samuel Colt's factory.
A Family Memorial
Elizabeth Jarvis Colt asked for the church to be built in 1866. It was a way to honor her husband, Samuel, who passed away in 1862. It also remembered two of their young children who had died.
The parish house was built later, in 1895. It was also designed by Edward Tuckerman Potter. He even came out of retirement just to design this building! The parish house was built to remember Colt's son, Caldwell Hart Colt. Caldwell passed away in 1894.
The parish house also has the same Gothic style as the church. But its shape is more balanced and even.
Caldwell's Memorial Alcove
On the second floor of the parish house, there's a special area. It's an alcove that remembers Caldwell. This memorial has two brass cannons. These cannons were once carried on a ship.
You can also see the ship's bell from that vessel. A large painting is also part of the memorial. It shows Commodore Colt standing on the deck of his ship, the Dauntless, near the steering wheel.
See also
