Armsmear - Hartford CT
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member nomadwillie
N 41° 45.196 W 072° 40.463
18T E 693350 N 4624996
Armsmear ("meadow of arms"), also known as the Samuel Colt Home, is a historic house located at Hartford, Connecticut. It was the family home of firearm manufacturer Samuel Colt and is now a National Historic Landmark.
Waymark Code: WM65Z7
Location: Connecticut, United States
Date Posted: 04/09/2009
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member silverquill
Views: 5

Armsmear was planned for Colt's 1856 marriage to Elizabeth Hart Jarvis, and constructed in 1856 to designs by an unknown architect, possibly local architect Octavius Jordan or factory engineer H. A. G. Pomery, on grounds overlooking the recently completed Colt Armory. It was described by a contemporary thus: "an Italian villa in stone, massive, noble, refined, yet not carrying out any decided principle of architecture, it is like its originator, bold and unusual in its combinations." It features a low-pitched roof, heavy bracketed cornice, round-arched doors and windows, iron balconies, Italianate tower and details, and Turkish domes and pinnacles.

The Colts occupied Armsmear in 1857 and promptly began to develop its gardens. Landscape architects Cleveland and Copeland provided the plans. Unusual, glass-domed conservatories, inspired by London's Crystal Palace, were added in 1861-1862. Ultimately the estate contained some 2,600 feet (790 m) of greenhouses, as well as ponds, fountains, and a deer park.

After Elizabeth Colt died in 1905, the house was converted to a home for Episcopalian women (in 1911) under the terms of her will. She also gave 140 acres (0.57 km2) of Armsmear's grounds to create Hartford's Colt Park. The city has subsequently replaced the greenhouse, garden, and ponds with ball fields and a skating rink.

Source: (visit link)
Street address:
80 Wethersfield Ave
Hartford , CT


County / Borough / Parish: Hartford

Year listed: 1966

Historic (Areas of) Significance: Person

Periods of significance: 1850-1874

Historic function: Domestic

Current function: Domestic

Privately owned?: yes

Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2009 To: 12/31/2009

Hours of operation: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM

Primary Web Site: [Web Link]

Secondary Website 1: Not listed

Secondary Website 2: Not listed

National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log User Rating  
nomadwillie visited Armsmear - Hartford CT 04/05/2009 nomadwillie visited it
chrissyml visited Armsmear - Hartford CT 12/20/2008 chrissyml visited it

View all visits/logs