Hartford's Colt Park isn't officially a National Historic Park yet - but it's close

HARTFORD — President Barack Obama authorized Hartford's Colt Park to become a national historic park in 2014, but the designation hasn't formally been established because of the lengthy, technical deed process involved. 

Being established as a national historic park would allow the 106-acre site to receive more funding and resources, but in the meantime new federal funding is allowing the city to renovate two historic buildings on the land  — one of which may become the visitors center for the national park of the future.  

"To be able to get a full budget, we had to go through certain steps, which were to establish relationships and agreements with the city to be able to do work cooperatively, just like this," said Coltsville National Historical Park Superintendent Kelly Fellner. 

The $1 million will be used to restore the Colt Gardener’s Cottage and Carriage House and integrate the buildings into the Coltsville National Historical Park, bringing it one step closer to formally being established, according to U.S. Rep. John Larson, who has championed the project and the funding. 

"For those of you who have been involved in this, everybody on the foundation, you know how long these things take," Larson said at an event announcing the funding Friday. "This has been over 20 years now in terms of us taking it step by step, but under Mayor Bronin it is finally going to come to fruition." 

In 2008, "Coltsville" which includes the park and nearby industrial district, became a National Historic Landmark. Today, the park blends new features like a playground and basketball courts with the history of area, most notably, the Gardener's Cottage and Carriage House which overlook the pool and are currently overgrown with vines. 

Fellner said the hope is to turn the Gardener's Cottage into a visitor's center once the park is fully established as a national historic park using the new funding streams that designation will afford. Mayor Luke Bronin said some of the $1 million in funding announced Friday will go to stabilizing the buildings and preventing further deterioration. 

"What you can see is that both this Carriage House and the Gardener's Cottage, they need investment just to protect and stabilize," Bronin said. "We need to make sure that we are stopping deterioration and that we're putting these buildings in a position to fully redevelop and reuse them and respect their history." 

Colt Park has a rich history that Larson, Bronin and Fellner all touched on Friday. The Coltsville Factory, constructed in 1847, was the birthplace of the Colt Revolver. In hopes of attracting employees, the Colts built a community around the factory where those who worked at the factory could live and experience a variety of entertainment. 

In 1862, a fire destroyed the factory, but Elizabeth Colt rebuilt it. She passed in 1904 and left most of the land to the City of Hartford to be developed as a park. The Colt Factory, known for its blue dome, currently houses apartments and commercial space. 

"This is all incredible that it was done by such a visionary woman who didn't even have the right to vote at the time," Larson said.  

Even though the park is not formally established as a national historic park, Fellner, who is based out of the Springfield Armory, serves as a park ranger of sorts. 

"When these buildings are rehabilitated, it's going to be a wonderful backdrop to the whole park and all the amazing work that's been done," Fellner said. "And I also think it really underscores a lot of the sort of goals for this historical park and for this historic district to blend both the historic features and our modern-day recreation." 

At the press conference Friday, Larson took the opportunity to celebrate outgoing Bronin, who announced he would not seek reelection in November earlier this year. 

"I don't think there's a more outstanding mayor in the United States of America," Larson said.