NPS Ranger Tours
Return to Coltsville
Coltsville National Historical Park (NHP) begins its second season of walking tours by National Park Ranger Bert Barnett. Join us each Saturday and Sunday at 10 am and 2:00 pm starting Saturday June 3 through Sunday, September 17, 2017. Glimpse the life and times of Sam and Elizabeth Colt through the village of Coltsville. Meet at the Colt Monument in Colt Park adjacent to Armsmear, 80 Wethersfield Ave. in Hartford, CT. Admission is free.
Superintendent James Woolsey of Coltsville NHP and Springfield Amory NHS remarked,
“We are proud to announce the return of walking tours through the key elements of Coltsville NHP. The National Park Service again offers a series of weekend walking tours that explore this significant region of Hartford. With the support of our Coltsville partners, we have immersed ourselves in the district’s Coltsville stories, and now return to the neighborhoods encompassing the area to share the wealth of Coltsville history”
Park Ranger Bert Barnet, on a detail from Gettysburg National Military Park, will again lead visitors through the area, with walks that highlight the stories of Coltsville NHP at the peak of its glory, when Sam and Elizabeth’s planned community sought to address the needs of all those who worked there – “in mind, body, and spirit.” Due to weather considerations, sunscreen, water, and a hat are advisable. Programs will be cancelled in the event of inclement weather.
Barnett commented that,
“I am pleased to be able to return to Coltsville NHP, to assist the Service and their partners in featuring this important part of America’s industrial history.”
Coltsville National Historic Park is managed by Springfield Armory National Historic Site. It encompasses historic Coltsville, the industrial village built by Sam and Elizabeth Colt to fabricate firearms. The National Park Service, working with a variety of partners, seeks to preserve the Colt Factory, The Church of the Good Shepherd and Parish House, many examples of worker and manager housing, the Colt family mansion Armsmear, and Colt Park plus the Colt Memorial. Coltsville is recognized for its innovative firearms manufacturing. For information call 413-734-8551 or check www.nps.gov/spar.
-NPS-