This post marks the Seventh Anniversary of Historic Buildings of Connecticut! That means that there has been one post a day here for seven years! Thanks to all those who follow this site and enjoy Connecticut’s great historical and architectural landmarks!
Pictured above are the bow-fronted brownstone rowhouses located at 11-17 Capitol Avenue in Hartford. Built in 1879, their construction is attributed to the Hartford builder John W. Gilbert, who also built the neighboring rowhouses (19-25 Capitol Avenue) in 1871 and the nearby Hotel Capitol (corner of Main Street and Capitol Avenue) in 1875. Gilbert, himself a chess enthusiast, was married to a legendary chess player, Ellen E. Gilbert, who was the nineteenth century’s queen of correspondence chess. The couple lived at 21 Capitol Avenue.
A little bit of Brooklyn in Hartford!
The foundations for the the houses at 11-17 Capitol Ave. were being laid in late 1879 and the houses were completed the following spring.
Though John W. Gilbert built the houses at 19-25 Capitol Ave. as well as the Hotel Capitol, both of those were actually designed by Seneca W. Lincoln. No architect has been listed for the houses at 11-17 Capitol, though it may be possible that Lincoln also designed those for Gilbert (but that is only speculation). Also,