ORIGINAL COLT ARMORY – HARTFORD, CT
The slideshow above reflects photographs I took of how the original Colt Armory looks today (Feb., of 2012). It was named “armory” obviously due to the tremendous amount of firearms that were housed within. The factory and surrounding buildings comprised a complex that sat on approx. 260 acres just south of downtown Hartford, CT. This consisted of the main building which encompassed a myriad of machining centers, foundry, Colt Mansion (I will photograph at a later time), warehousing, garages, and office space. In addition (20) six-eight family houses were built on Huyshope and Van Block Avenue for their workers.
The main factory faced Interstate 91, (which is literally across the street), on Van Dyke Avenue. I’ve also taken some photo’s from the north side on Sequassen Street. On Masseck Street you’ll see from the pictures that this area has been converted to modern day offices. There are also a small number of apartments on the complex as well. I believe there are less than (40). Plans are to eventually revitalize most of the buildings in the way of office space and additional apartments. The process appears to be very slow. The Colt Armory is on the registry of National Historic Places.
Of course the “Rampant Colt” icon sits proudly a top the gold starred blue dome. This is a fiberglass replica of the original gilded wood Colt that is now housed in the Museum of CT History at the CT State Library. To view the original “Rampant Colt” and take a tour of this museum go to my blog entry by CLICKING HERE.
In 1994 this operation was shut down and moved to their present day location in West Hartford where they stand today.
For more information about Colt and pictures of weapons etc. CLICK HERE.
For color catalogs of Colts entire product line with nicely done photographs CLICK HERE.
*The photograph of the main factory is slightly distorted. I was forced to use a wide FISHEYE LENS which creates circular distortion. I used photoshop, best I could, to straighten out the building but it's far from perfect.
Interesting. Was the dome added years after? It doesn’t seem like it’s from the same architect.
Hi John,
Thank you for your comment. The star spangled blue dome actually was originally built by the same architect in 1855. A fire in 1864 destroyed the dome and most of the armory but it was quickly rebuilt again, along with it’s dome. The rampant colt that sits atop today is a fiberglass replica while the original sits in a museum in Hartford. However, best I can figure, the blue dome is still the original.
Nice post! I am writing a post currently about Colt and I came across your blog doing some research. Glad you enjoy CT as much as I do!
Hi Deb,
Thanks for visiting and your kind remarks are appreciated. I agree. The Colt complex is quite fascinating. Not only are the remaining buildings a glimpse into yesteryear but the history is rich and a key component in the growth of our wonderful state. I also dropped by your website. You’ve got some good things going on and do a nice job with your informative articles. Best of luck with it as you move forward.