Colt Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Colt Park
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property |
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Samuel Colt Memorial, Colt Park
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Hartford, Connecticut |
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| Area | 106 acres (43 ha) |
| Built | 1905 |
| Part of | Colt Industrial District (ID76001987) |
| Added to NRHP | June 8, 1976 |
Colt Park is a large city park in Hartford, Connecticut. It is located in the Sheldon/Charter Oak neighborhood. The park covers about 106 acres. It was once the private estate of Samuel Colt and his wife, Elizabeth Jarvis Colt. Mrs. Colt gave the land to the city in 1905.
Today, Colt Park has playgrounds, sports fields, a swimming pool, and Dillon Stadium. The park is important because of its connection to Samuel Colt, a famous industrialist. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
A Park with History
The land for Colt Park was originally Samuel Colt's private estate. He called it his "pleasure-grounds." It was designed in a fancy style called High Victorian Gothic. The estate had many beautiful features. These included large pools that reflected the sky. There were also fountains, statues, and ponds for fish and birds. The grounds also had a deer park, orchards, and open fields.
Colt Park was one of the last big parks added to Hartford's park system. It was added in 1905. Another park, Pope Park, was added in 1898. Both parks were meant to serve the working-class neighborhoods of Hartford. These areas included Frog Hollow, Parkville, and Front Street.
In 2019, one of the sports fields in the park was renamed. Public Field #9 is now called Johnny "Schoolboy" Taylor Field. This honors a Hartford native who played baseball in the Negro leagues.
Dillon Stadium
The land where Dillon Stadium stands was part of the original gift from the Colt family. The stadium was built as a project to help people find work during the 1930s. It was officially opened in 1935. A building next to it, called the Field House, was built in 1939.
Dillon Stadium can hold about 9,600 people. It also has a parking area nearby. The stadium has hosted many concerts and sports teams over the years. After being unused for some time, it was renovated and partly rebuilt in 2018 and 2019. Today, it is the home stadium for the Hartford Athletic soccer team.
