© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
With our partner, The Connecticut Historical Society, WNPR News presents unique and eclectic view of life in Connecticut throughout its history. The Connecticut Historical Society is a partner in Connecticut History Online (CHO) — a digital collection of over 18,000 digital primary sources, together with associated interpretive and educational material. The CHO partner and contributing organizations represent three major communities — libraries, museums, and historical societies — who preserve and make accessible historical collections within the state of Connecticut.

The Woodside Circle Development

In the early twentieth century, Hartford’s West End presented a bucolic picture.  Cows grazed in the fertile fields of the Goodwin estate and the sweet odor of new mown hay scented the air.  Children fished and swam in the branch of the Park River that flowed through the neighborhood.

This situation lasted until about 1920, when the Goodwin cow pastures were divided into house lots.  By 1925, a series of stately residences had begun to appear, lining well-paved roads, illuminated by electric street lights.  The houses were all provided with electricity, gas, water, and sewage, an unusual level of service in an area that a decade earlier had been farmland.

The architectural firm Smith & Bassette designed a number of these homes, including a huge Tudor revival house for Mrs. Lucius Barbour, a classic Colonial revival house for H. H. Armstrong, and a handsome Dutch colonial for Dr. Edward Beecher Hooker (a nephew of the author Harriet Beecher Stowe).

Immediately adjoining the development, Curtis H. Veeder erected his massive stone house overlooking the Park River.  The site was so low that 11,000 tons of fill were required and pilings had to be driven to support the foundation.  This building today houses The Connecticut Historical Society. 

Many of the architectural drawings for the houses on Woodside Circle are part of The Connecticut Historical Society collection.  With support from the West End Civic Association, these drawings are currently being catalogued, digitized, and added to the CHS online database. To view additional drawings, go to http://emuseum.chs.org:8080/emuseum/view/objects/asimages/223?t:state:flow=d56531a2-a040-429b-ba74-e4590e6e45a0

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content