In the early twentieth century, Hartford’s West End presented a bucolic picture. Cows grazed in the fertile fields of the Goodwin estate and the sweet odor of new mown hay scented the air. Children fished and swam in the branch of the Park River that flowed through the neighborhood.
This situation lasted until about 1920, when the Goodwin cow pastures were divided into house lots. By 1925, a series of stately residences had begun to appear, lining well-paved roads, illuminated by electric street lights. The houses were all provided with electricity, gas, water, and sewage, an unusual level of service in an area that a decade earlier had been farmland.
The architectural firm Smith & Bassette designed a number of these homes, including a huge Tudor revival house for Mrs. Lucius Barbour, a classic Colonial revival house for H. H. Armstrong, and a handsome Dutch colonial for Dr. Edward Beecher Hooker (a nephew of the author Harriet Beecher Stowe).
Immediately adjoining the development, Curtis H. Veeder erected his massive stone house overlooking the Park River. The site was so low that 11,000 tons of fill were required and pilings had to be driven to support the foundation. This building today houses The Connecticut Historical Society.
Many of the architectural drawings for the houses on Woodside Circle are part of The Connecticut Historical Society collection. With support from the West End Civic Association, these drawings are currently being catalogued, digitized, and added to the CHS online database. To view additional drawings, go to http://emuseum.chs.org:8080/emuseum/view/objects/asimages/223?t:state:flow=d56531a2-a040-429b-ba74-e4590e6e45a0
