Community Corner

Hidden Gems Of Hartford And Tolland Counties

The latest Hidden Gem is a heavy tribute to some heavy history.

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The 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery Regiment monument at the state Capitol.
The 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery Regiment monument at the state Capitol. (Chris Dehnel/Patch )

HARTFORD, CT — With so much going on at the Connecticut State Capitol, sometimes even the most historically significant monuments get lost in the political mayhem. But when one takes the time to notice a huge Civil War mortar, it's not only worth glancing at, but visiting.

Welcome to this week's Hidden Gem, the tribute to the 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery Regiment.

According to the Hartford Preservation Alliance, the 13-inch mortar gun was traced back to the 1st Connecticut and the siege of Petersburg (in 1864). During the Civil War, it was moved around by rail, which is how it ended up at the Windsor Street freight yard after the war. It was brought to the Capitol by a team of 18 horses, setting the stage for the 1st Connecticut to be the only Civil War regiment to have its memorial placed on the Capitol grounds.

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See more about the 1st Connecticut at the Connecticuthistory.org site.

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Find out what's happening in Greater Hartfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The Hidden Gems series features out-of-the-way mom and pop restaurants, small specialty stores you may have never heard of, little-known historical markers or beautiful nature spots that may be a bit off the beaten path, all located within Hartford and Tolland counties. Do you have a favorite "hidden gem" in the area that you wish to see featured in this column? Email your ideas to Chris.dehnel@patch.com.
Other Gems in this series:
2022

2021 and earlier:

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