Barry Square takes its name from Father Michael Barry, whose Catholic parish built St. Augustine's Church on Campfield Avenue in 1902.

Many early parishioners at St. Augustine Church were Irish who came to Hartford as laborers, the greatest number having come from County Kerry.

The central part of the neighborhood served as a military campground in both the Revolutionary and Civil wars, due to the open fields west of Campfield Avenue. In fact, this how the street acquired its name—the camp field streched south and east from the site of the existing Campfield branch of the Hartford Public Library.

Two monuments in the area commemorate officers in the Civil War:

Griffin Alexander Stedman, born in Hartford and a graduate of Trinity College, joined the 14th Connecticut Infantry and almost immediately became a captain in the 5th Regiment Connecticut Volunteers. He was fatally wounded on August 5, 1864 at Petersburg. 26 years old at the time of his death. He is interred at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

When the monument was dedicated on October 4, 1900, in attendance were veterans of the 5th, 8th, l0th, 14th, 16th, 22nd and 25th Connecticut regiments. It was probably the last gathering of Civil War veterans of that size in Hartford.

Thomas McManus served in the Union Army, 1862-1863, as a major in the 25th Connecticut Regiment. He went on to serve as a judge, member of the General Assembly, and director of the Connecticut State Prison at Wethersfield. The plaque, dedicated in 1923, reads in part, "Upon this field which was once their camping ground, his surviving comrades in affectionate memory have placed this tablet as a tribute to his merit and patriotism as citizen and soldier."

The Camp Field Branch of the Hartford Public Library was built in 1928. One of its features, and one of the hidden jewels of Hartford, is a fresco mural above the entryway painted by artist Alton Tobey as part of of WPA project.

The neighborhood is also home to the Old South Burying Ground, which was established when the first burying ground (now known as the Ancient Burying Ground) began to be filled to capacity. more ...

The Wethersfield Line of the Hartford & Wethersfield Horse Railroad Company ran from the Congregational Church in Wethersfield to Spring Grove Cemetery on North Main Street in Hartford. The stable was replaced in 1903 by a brick structure that could accommodate tracks running through it. When the trolleys disappeared from Hartford's streets, this building saw various uses – including as an arena for boxing matches, ice skating and dances. Today, the property houses The Village for Families and Children, an organization that was given an award in 2004 by the Hartford Preservation Alliance for the architecturally-sensitive adaptive reuse of the building.

One of the neighborhoods oldest establishments is Trinity College, located on Summit Street atop what used to be known as "Gallows Hill." ...(more)

A complement of residential and commercial properties, the residents of Barry Square are a multicultural mix who enjoy the community atmosphere of their neighborhood.