Archive for the 'Architecture' Category
Discover Hartford’s West End
One of our roles, as a real estate agents representing sellers, is to act as an informal promoter for the various towns and neighborhoods in which our clients live. Potential buyers from other parts of Greater Hartford, or even other parts of the country, may not know what an area is actually like. They may have never visited, and they may have formed their own mental images based on what they’ve heard from other people. Sometimes they’re basically right. More often they’re completely off base.
In our auto-centric culture, it’s very easy to zoom right past the West End without even realizing it’s there. And it’s also very easy to gather opinions about the City of Hartford, in which the neighborhood is located. The constant conversation about Hartford in the media, and in the workplace, makes people feel confidant that they understand the City … that they get it.
But do they really “get it?” I find that perceptions about Hartford’s West End neighborhood are often quite different from the reality. My solution – pictures! Lots and lots of pictures. If people don’t have time to visit the West End, then let’s bring the West End to them.
The page that follows is a photo mosaic of pictures all taken in the West End. It’s just my initial version, and will continue to evolve as I take more and more pictures of the neighborhood and what goes on in it. As a real estate website, there’s an obvious focus on houses, including the ones for sale. I think this is appropriate since the West End has some of the most architecturally interesting homes in the region, most built between 1890 and 1930. Hopefully the pictures also show that it’s a true mixed-use community with terrific restaurants and a world-renowned park all within walking distance.
Please consider passing this link along to family, friends, co-workers, and anyone else you think might appreciate this sort of community. Who knows, maybe they’ll be inspired to visit, and decide the West End would be a nice place to call home. Thanks!
PS – Feedback is also encouraged!
Finding History in Your House
One evening during the second summer that we lived in our house, a stranger knocked on our front door. He introduced himself and said that his grandfather was an architect that recently passed away. He was cleaning out his grandfather’s office and came across some original blueprints to a house that said it was to be built on Oxford Street, but didn’t give a specific number. The man thought it would be a nice gesture to give the blueprints to the owners of the home, so he walked up and down Oxford Street until he found the house that matched the blueprints.
The house on the blueprints was our house.
We were very grateful that he went through the trouble of finding our home. Looking at the prints was like stepping back in time to the early 1900s- seeing the original design and how it changed from the outset and how it’s been modified over the years. What a great piece of history on our house that we didn’t even know existed.
On another occasion, we met some folks at a dinner party that live in a similar vintage house in West Hartford. They mentioned that in one of the drawers in their butler’s pantry they found several vintage pictures of Elizabeth Park and early 1900s living in Hartford. They were also thrilled with their find because it added a little more color to their house and what life was like during the time when it was built.
Recently a friend emailed me that he finished a wallpaper removal project in his early 1900s home and was surprised to see the paper hanger’s signature on the plaster beneath the paper, “papered by Leonard Des Roches, 1988.” He did some online research and found an obituary for the craftsman, who passed away a few years back. The brief article gave details of a family man that also was a well respected paper hanger in the area for many years. My friend remarked that you could tell that “Lenny” took great care in his work and paid attention to detail in the areas that needed special cuts, he didn’t find one flaw in the entire job.
With older houses, we sometimes get these pleasant surprises when we take on remodeling projects or just dig a little deeper in the built-ins and nooks and crannies. It makes me wonder about the craftsmen that built these homes to begin with, as well as those that have worked on them over time, and the families that lived in them. Old houses can be canvases for history, you just have to be on the lookout.
Readers, have you ever had any interesting finds in your home that helped you learn more about previous owners or the people that built or worked on your home over the years?
Weekend Plans: Mar 12th 2011
Daylight savings starts on Sunday … or maybe it ends on Sunday. I can never remember if we save daylight in the summer or winter. Whatever it’s called, the clocks spring forward on Sunday morning at 2am, costing us an hour of sleep. Looking at the bright side of the issue (ha!), it will be light even later in the evenings this coming week, allowing home buyers to actually see the houses they tour after work.
Events & Activities
Knox Parks Foundation is throwing a Tropical Party in their Laurel Street greenhouse this Friday, March 11th, from 6:00pm to 10:00pm. Word on the street is that they’re bringing in some parrots from the Beardsley Zoo. Go check out the birds, music, and general good times in this benefit event – tickets are $20.
The annual Hartford St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held Downtown this Saturday, March 12th. The event kicks off at 11:00am from the Capital Avenue side of the State Capitol building. From there it loops past the Old State House before finishing near the Memorial Arch. Free parking is available at the Morgan Street garage for the day, and they’re also throwing in a $20 20% off dining voucher to encourage folks to come back for a meal on the 17th.
Finally, college basketball conference tournaments continue throughout the week, leading up to the NCAA Tournament Selection show/event/spectacle on Sunday evening. It’s the height of the bubble season! Are you on the bubble? ESPN considers the UConn men to be “locks” for the Big Dance, and one of a staggering 10 Big East teams they believe have tournament invitations wrapped up. Sadly, my Demon Deacons are not even on the bubble this year after turning in a 1-15 conference record in the weak ACC (only 2 ranked teams?!?).
Open Houses
10 Walbridge Road, West Hartford, $559,000, Sun 1:00 to 3:00
Located on one of West Hartford’s most desirable streets, this grand home has all the wonderful architectural details of the early 20th century. The living room (photo above) is amazingly comfortable with a brick fireplace, a built-in bookcase, and french doors out to the 3 season room with southern exposure. I took a quick break there during yesterday’s open house for agents and almost didn’t leave. It’s just a really great space. Interesting without being too ornate or fussy. Spacious, yet still intimate. And that’s just the living room! There are plenty of other great rooms in the home to discover. It has 6 bedrooms and 3.5 baths over 3,171 sqft. More details and a photo tour are available.
791 Prospect Ave #B3, West Hartford, $305,000, Sun 1:00 to 3:00
For a maintenance-free living experience, this large condo is packed with amenities. The main living space is large and bright, and takes advantage of its position on the corner of the building. The master suite has a huge bedroom, separate office/study, multiple walk-in closets, and of course a full bath. There are great details like a marble floored entry, hardwood floors through the kitchen and main living area, laundry in the unit, elevator access, and parking in the heated garage under the building. Like to swim, or maybe just read in the sun? Check out the pool or your private balcony. And if that’s not enough, step through the private gate into world-renowned Elizabeth Park. The unit has 2 bedrooms and 2 baths over 1,826 sqft. More details and a photo tour are available.
What Else?
Send Kyle (KyleB@KyleB-RE.com) a quick note if you know of other events we should include … thanks!
Love Those Older Homes
Here are a couple of house pictures for your Monday morning. Both are older homes in the City of Hartford. I really like the front porch of the first home and the overall look and detailing of the second. Both were built in the early 1900s. Enjoy!
CHS Preserves Drawings of Historic Homes
The Connecticut Historical Society is in the process of digitally preserving the original architectural drawings of over 60 historic homes in Hartford’s West End.
Late last week I had an opportunity to sit down with Nancy Finlay, CHS Director of Graphics, to learn more about the collection. She spoke passionately about both the project and the team working to make these historic documents more broadly available.
The source material for this multi-year effort has been in the CHS collection for over a decade. Most of the drawings arrived indirectly from the original architects’ collections, with more than 1,000 projects represented. Initially, the team had to travel off-site for the scanning work, which was time consuming and expensive when all the costs were considered. The continual improvement of technology has made the equipment more affordable in recent years, allowing CHS to bring a scanner in-house, and the project to proceed at a much faster pace. There are 24 homes online at the time of publication, with the remaining properties expected to be available by the fall.
One of the team’s main challenges is matching project drawings to specific addresses. In many cases the only identifying marks on the set are the client name, which was usually a developer rather than the original owner. Work to identify the individual properties continues, and Ms. Finlay said she wouldn’t be surprised if the number of West End homes grew in the coming months as more properties are found.
Visitors are welcome to view the drawings in the collection, though it is important to call ahead. The graphics team can search their database to determine if there is a record of a specific home, and pull the drawings in advance. I asked about one West End property that I’ve spent a bit of time in recently, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that the original schematics were in the collection. The floor plans answered a number of questions I had about the home, and showed what was originally designed.
I’ve also spent a couple hours going through some of the drawings posted online. They’re fascinating to me because the rooms are labeled for the intended uses, creating a window into history. For example, one property had a “Sewing Room” on the second floor, which would most likely be considered a bedroom (and a tiny one at that) the next time the house is listed for sale. A couple of basements had two separate areas designated for coal storage – one labeled “furnace coal” and another labeled “kitchen coal.” Many properties have areas designated specifically for servants, whether it’s a small “Maid’s Room” on the third floor or a “Servant’s Hall” connecting the different floors, or a “Maid’s Alcove” off the kitchen.
Take a few minutes to investigate the exhibit online at the Connecticut Historical Society. But be warned, time passes quickly once you start looking at the plans!