Hartford's Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods: South Green | Hartford, Connecticut All Photos ©Karen O'Maxfield

Street Map of the South Green Neighborhood

The South Green neighborhood is adjacent to Downtown's southern border.

The public green known today as Barnard Park was originally laid out as a common pasture in the 17th century and remained so well into the 19th century It is said to have been the site of witches' gatherings in Puritan days. These were not tolerated by the early settlers and Hartford saw its share of hangings for those convicted of practicing witchcraft.

In 1816, the town voted to enclose South Green with a fence, and later appropriated needed funds to grade the area to be a military encampment. The green was also used as a venue for circuses, caravans and other types of public entertainment.

Jacob Weidenmann redesigned the green in the 1860's, laying out paths that criss-crossed the park. At the intersection of the paths was a fountain, which is long gone. The only feature remaining today is sections of the ornamental cast iron fence that once surrounded the park.

In 1898, the green was renamed Barnard Park in honor of Henry Barnard, who pioneered the establishment of the American public school system, and whose home was located on Main Street overlooking the park. The Barnard home still stands today, used as transitional housing. The building was listed in 1965 as a National Historic Landmark.

© 2004 Karen O'Maxfield. All Rights Reserved.

The former South Park Methodist Church was established in the 1870's when it was believed that an ecclesiastical society was needed in the south part of the city to complement the established First Methodist Episcopal Church downtown. In 1981, the building was put on the market to fund a new church on Farmington Avenue. Today, the building houses the South Park Inn, a refuge for the homeless.

Among the churches in the area is Saint Peter's. Established in 1859 when the entire population of the city numbered less than 30,000, St. Peter's was the second Roman Catholic church established in Hartford, and its parish included the area south of the Park River as well as the Town of Wethersfield. The congregation consisted primarily of Irish immigrants. Forced to leave their homeland due to the potato famine, they came to Hartford seeking work as laborers.

The present structure was designed by a New York City architect and constructed of Portland brownstone. The Star of David featured in the church's rosette window was a tribute to the friendship between Father Peter Kelly and the rabbi who led the state's first synagogue at the Charter Oak Temple.

One of the more impressive architectural structures in the neighborhood is the former home of Ellery Hills, a shoe manufacturer. Built in the Greek Revival style, its massive yet elegant entryway reflects the magnificence of the homes that once lined Main Street.

Between 1870 and 1930, a building boom occurred in which three- and four-story apartment houses were constructed. Across from the southeast corner of Barnard Park still stands a 72-unit building designed by Dunkelberger and Gelman. Upon closer inspection of the details of the structure, one can readily see elements similar to those found on bridges along the Merritt Parkway, the design of which George Dunkelberger is credited.

Congress Street, which runs from Wyllys to Morris Streets, is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historical Places. Greek Revival and Italianate buildings line both sides of the street. Among the early residents of these homes were Amos Whitney (33 Congress Street) and Francis Pratt (37-39 Congress Street), who partnered to form the Pratt & Whitney Company.

Housing in the area now includes condominiums, such as the Maple Avenue Mews, thus allowing the area to maintain its residential feel.

Washington Street, which creates the western boundary of the neighborhood, was once referred to as Governor's Row, due to the large mansions which lined the street. Among those still standing today is the Samuel N. Kellogg house.

The neighborhood is also home to Hartford Hospital and the Children's Medical Center.

Hartford Hospital was first organized in 1854 in response to a tragedy which had occurred resulting in great loss of life, in part because of the lack of an adequate facility to treat a large number of injured people. All medical and surgical services were free of charge until 1892. Today, Hartford Hospital is major tertiary care and teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and Dentistry.

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