Keney Tower facts for kids
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Keney Tower
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Main and Ely Sts., Hartford, Connecticut |
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| Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
| Built | 1898 |
| Architect | Haight, Charles C. |
| Architectural style | Collegiate Gothic |
| Part of | Downtown North Historic District (ID04000390) |
| NRHP reference No. | 78002871 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | March 30, 1978 |
| Designated CP | May 6, 2004 |
Keney Tower is a tall, historic tower in a small public park in Hartford, Connecticut. It stands at the corner of Main and Ely Streets. This special tower was built in 1898. It was created to remember members of the important Keney family. The tower is a great example of Collegiate Gothic architecture. It is also the only tower of its kind standing alone in Hartford. Keney Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
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What is Keney Tower Like?
Keney Tower is located just north of downtown Hartford. It is in a park that is about 1.5 acres big. The tower stands near the middle of this park. The bottom of the tower is 30 feet wide. It rises to an impressive height of 130 feet.
How Was It Built?
The tower is made from red sandstone. This stone was cut from a quarry in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. The design makes the tower look even taller. It has strong corner supports called buttresses. There are also pointed decorations called pinnacles. These rise above the roof with crosses on top.
Special Features of the Tower
You can see clock faces on all four sides of the tower. Above these clocks are arched openings. These openings have louvers, which are like angled slats. Inside this part of the tower are chiming bells. These bells ring every 15 minutes.
The History of Keney Tower
The Keney family was very well-known in Hartford. They owned the land where the tower now stands. The tower was built in 1898. This happened because of the will of Henry Keney. He wanted to remember his family's wholesale grocery business. It was called H. & W. Keney.
A Special Memorial Message
However, the family decided to put a different message on the tower. A plaque on the tower reads: "This tower erected to the memory of my mother is designed to preserve from other occupancy the ground sacred to me as her home and to stand in perpetual honor to the wisdom, goodness and womanly nobility of her to whose guidance I owe my success in life and its chief joy ~ Henry Keney". This shows it was a very personal tribute to his mother.
Who Designed the Tower?
A famous architect from New York City designed Keney Tower. His name was Charles C. Haight. He was known for designing buildings in the Collegiate Gothic style. This style often looks like old European university buildings. In 1924, the Keney family trust gave the tower and the park to the city of Hartford.
