House of Hope (fort) facts for kids

The House of Hope (also called Fort Good Hope) was an important trading post built by the Dutch in the 1600s. It was like a small fort and a trading center all in one. This post was part of the Dutch colony called New Netherland, which is now mostly New York. Today, you can find where it once stood in Hartford, Connecticut.

History of the House of Hope

Building the Trading Post

In 1633, a powerful Dutch company called the Dutch West India Company (WIC) built the House of Hope. They built it on the south bank of the Little River. This river is now known as the Park River. It flows into the larger Connecticut River. The WIC wanted this fort to be their main trading spot in the northeast.

The Dutch bought the land for the fort from the Sequins. The Sequins were a group of Native Americans living in Connecticut. Jacob van Curler bought the land for the WIC in June 1633. He then added a strong wooden building (a block house) and a fence made of tall stakes (a palisade) to the post. A small group of soldiers (a garrison) and two cannons were sent from New Amsterdam to protect it.

English Settlers Arrive

Soon, English settlers from other New England colonies started moving into the Connecticut Valley. In 1633, a group led by William Holmes came from Plymouth Colony. They started a town called Windsor, just a few miles north of the Dutch fort.

In 1634, John Oldham and some families from Massachusetts built temporary homes. They settled in the area of Wethersfield, south of the Dutch outpost. Over the next two years, 30 more families joined them there.

The number of English settlers grew very quickly in 1636. A religious leader named Thomas Hooker led 100 settlers and 130 cows on a long journey. They traveled from Newtown (now Cambridge) in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They settled right across the Park River from the Dutch fort. This new settlement became the city of Hartford.

In 1637, the three English towns—Windsor, Hartford, and Wethersfield—joined together. They formed a government to fight in the Pequot War.

End of the Fort

The Dutch and English colonies had disagreements about their borders. In 1650, representatives from both sides met. They signed an agreement called the Hartford Convention. This treaty set the border 50 miles west of the Connecticut River. This meant the Dutch fort was now on English land.

In 1653, the English took control of the fort. The House of Hope was no longer a Dutch trading post.

Today, the area where the rivers meet is near Sheldon Street in Hartford. A nearby street is named Huyshope. This name reminds people of the old Dutch fort and its history.