SheldonCharterOak |
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| SheldonCharterOak is located on the fringe of Downtown. This area is significant to Hartford's history because it was the site of the original colonial settlement in 1623 as a Dutch trading post. In 1636, Thomas Hooker and his colonists laid out house lots. The greatest influence on the development of Sheldon Charter Oak and South Green was Samuel Colt, inventor of the automatic revolver, who settled in Hartford in 1848. The Colt Dome, on top of the factory complex, has been a Hartford landmark since it was built in 1855. The complex included an armory, workers housing, a social hall, a church, a parish house, a park, and Colt's own mansion, Armsmear. The grounds of Colts estate were willed to the City of Hartford for use as a park, and Colt Park was opened to the public in 1905. In recent years, the Colt factory complex has developed work studio dwellings that have attracted local artists to live here. Blocks along Main St., Charter Oak Ave., and Van Dyke Ave. contain retail, office and commercial uses. | 
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