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Another old article

mikel

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mikel Hamlet

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Came across this article during a Google Search:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...757C0A966958260

Hartford Loses Bit of History

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AP

Published: April 2, 1990

LEAD: In a matter of seconds, 78 years of Hartford history disintegrated today in a flash of flame, a loud rumble and a tidal wave of smoke and dust that billowed along Asylum Street.

In a matter of seconds, 78 years of Hartford history disintegrated today in a flash of flame, a loud rumble and a tidal wave of smoke and dust that billowed along Asylum Street.

The city's first skyscraper, the 11-story Hartford-Aetna Building, its metal skeleton laced with explosive charges, came crashing down into a massive heap of twisted steel girders and concrete chunks at 7 A.M.

The demolition of the building, to make way for a 45-story office tower, went off like clockwork as a man's voice over a loudspeaker boomed ''five seconds'' to hundreds of onlookers and a loud blast, followed by a rumble that shook the ground, brought the building down.

Explosives were carefully spaced to pull the building in on itself to keep debris from flying off the demolition site.

The demolition brought to an end the debate between the Society for Savings, which plans to erect the new office tower, and architectural preservationists, who had unsuccessfully argued that as the city's first skyscraper, the building should be saved.

:shok: Gee thanks alot, Society for Savings, we really appreciate the parking lot you've left us... Does anyone know the names of the people involved with ensuring that the buildings be destroyed? And are they still in Hartford? :angry:

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mikel Hamlet

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Well, at least they learned their lessons and have started renovating the buildings we still have sooner than later. Does anyone have a pic of the building Society for Savings killed?

Here is part of it, on the right of the picture. The one in the post above is another Aetna building that I believe was also on Main Street.

929306704_l.jpg

Another partial shot, this time it's on the far left:

htfd6iz4.jpg

(Large version here http://www.rootsweb.com/~cthartfo/images/htfd6.jpg)

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JimSawhill Hamlet

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In that old photo of the Old State House, you can see the World War II memorial that used to sit on the lawn. It was so poorly maintained, it just collapsed one day.

Luca Brasi:

That is an OLD PIC...the Gold Building is not there!! Unfortunatly Society for Savings couldn't stand when the ECONOMY COLLASPED. The Society Building would have been empty (it was going to be the HEADQUARTERS of them) when Fleet bought them.

The Hartford-Aenta Building and the HARVEY & LEWIS BUILDING were the force to help our old buildings be saved. I think there'll be a building on the site soon.

Jim S

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mikel Hamlet

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Those Society for Savings people demolished 11 buildings?!?! While they were at it, why not knocked down the old state house and the state capital building. Those guys and that G. Fox lady were just unbelievable.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...756C0A96F948260

Had I not been eleven, I think I would've chained myself to the building to prevent demolition.

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drc72 Burg

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Those Society for Savings people demolished 11 buildings?!?! While they were at it, why not knocked down the old state house and the state capital building. Those guys and that G. Fox lady were just unbelievable.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...756C0A96F948260

Nice they knock down a 11 historical buildings, to make way for a skyscraper that never came to be. Thanks for the extra parking though. :rolleyes:

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  • 2 weeks later...
blink55184 Whistle-Stop

blink55184

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I think this line can start the discussion

"And it's the necessity of work to bring revitalization projects to their full completion that stands as Hartford's biggest challenge today, given its history of half-assed commitments. "I just had an opportunity to preview the latest plans for Adriaen's Landing, and if that really takes off, Hartford is really going to be one of the premiere cities in the Northeast," says Grant. "It's going to bring some retail back and some housing, and hopefully an awful lot of tourists. It can't just be office space that closes at five o'clock. That was a big mistake that was made before."

http://old.hartfordadvocate.com/articles/hfdmess.html

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SOCOM Hamlet

SOCOM

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I think this line can start the discussion

"And it's the necessity of work to bring revitalization projects to their full completion that stands as Hartford's biggest challenge today, given its history of half-assed commitments. "I just had an opportunity to preview the latest plans for Adriaen's Landing, and if that really takes off, Hartford is really going to be one of the premiere cities in the Northeast," says Grant.

Hello Front Street...

I don't know if you guys read that article in Sunday's Courant, but the people who were complaining were complaing about the lack of stuff to do in the vicinity of the Conevntion Center, and I don't blame them. I don't know why the state (or city for that matter) thinks Conventioneers are going to stand for an empty lot drectly across from their hotel.

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drc72 Burg

drc72

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I think this line can start the discussion

"And it's the necessity of work to bring revitalization projects to their full completion that stands as Hartford's biggest challenge today, given its history of half-assed commitments. "I just had an opportunity to preview the latest plans for Adriaen's Landing, and if that really takes off, Hartford is really going to be one of the premiere cities in the Northeast," says Grant. "It's going to bring some retail back and some housing, and hopefully an awful lot of tourists. It can't just be office space that closes at five o'clock. That was a big mistake that was made before."

http://old.hartfordadvocate.com/articles/hfdmess.html

Intersting read, but very depressing at the same time. I'm glad the ending of it was more optomistic.

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uconn99 Hamlet

uconn99

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IN THE REGION: CONNECTICUT AND WESTCHESTER; Office Construction Booming in Hartford

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By ELEANOR CHARLES

Published: September 6, 1987

LEAD: ''WHEN I came here in 1974 I stood on the corner of Trumbull and Asylum Streets and it was the most depressing sight I had ever seen,'' said Alfred A. Gatta, Hartford's city manager, of the downtown skyline. ''We had disinvestment, lost tax ratables and people were fleeing the city.''

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...75AC0A961948260

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uconn99 Hamlet

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A couple other interesting reads.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...752C0A962948260

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_..._v17/ai_6244037 (This one is interesting, it says there was a full color add about the Cutter center, I wonder if someone can find this magazine)

Looks like kids in WA are learning about some Hartford buildings :) -

http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/WASL/Mathe...rd%20tallest%22

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r c nelson Unincorporated Area

r c nelson

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A couple other interesting reads.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...752C0A962948260

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_..._v17/ai_6244037 (This one is interesting, it says there was a full color add about the Cutter center, I wonder if someone can find this magazine)

Looks like kids in WA are learning about some Hartford buildings :) -

http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/WASL/Mathe...rd%20tallest%22

I have a copy of ct magazine September 1987.It has the Cutter pop up insert. The insert is between page 44 & 45. "Hartford's golden age isn't part of the past. It's right around the corner..." I was living in Providence at the time and was jealous that Hartford was adding another building to it's core. However, Providence has come a long way since then. Both cities need people living downtown. Moving from Hollywood Florida to Newburyport Ma. Maybe in 5-10 yearrs move back to Providence.and live downtown. I think the skyline of Hartford looks good from any angle. Always liked Hartford and wpop & wdrc in the 60's

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MadVlad Town

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I have a copy of ct magazine September 1987.It has the Cutter pop up insert. The insert is between page 44 & 45. "Hartford's golden age isn't part of the past. It's right around the corner..." I was living in Providence at the time and was jealous that Hartford was adding another building to it's core. However, Providence has come a long way since then. Both cities need people living downtown. Moving from Hollywood Florida to Newburyport Ma. Maybe in 5-10 yearrs move back to Providence.and live downtown. I think the skyline of Hartford looks good from any angle. Always liked Hartford and wpop & wdrc in the 60's

Any way you could take a pic and post it for us?

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Luca Brasi Hamlet

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I remember the Courant having a Sunday section one week in about 1990 called "How Big is Big," and in it they had scaled archtectural drawings of all the planned skyscrapers side by side with existing buildings already built in Hartford. The Cutter Building absolutely dwarfed City Place.

I also have a friend in real estate who has a framed black and white drawing in his office entitled "Hartford 2000." The drawing is a view of downtown with all the proposed skyscrapers from the time in place. It includes:

The Goodwin

180 Allyn

Lafayette Place

Linden Arms

Metro Center

1000 Main

World Trade Center

The Cutter

Society for Savings

Its awesome. While it was unrealistic to expect all of these projects would get built, it is a very impressive drawing.

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drc72 Burg

drc72

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I remember the Courant having a Sunday section one week in about 1990 called "How Big is Big," and in it they had scaled archtectural drawings of all the planned skyscrapers side by side with existing buildings already built in Hartford. The Cutter Building absolutely dwarfed City Place.

I also have a friend in real estate who has a framed black and white drawing in his office entitled "Hartford 2000." The drawing is a view of downtown with all the proposed skyscrapers from the time in place. It includes:

The Goodwin

180 Allyn

Lafayette Place

Linden Arms

Metro Center

1000 Main

World Trade Center

The Cutter

Society for Savings

Its awesome. While it was unrealistic to expect all of these projects would get built, it is a very impressive drawing.

I have seen an archectitual drawing of what the city would of looked like, had all these buildings been built. The skyline is beautiful now, but it would of been truley amazing if all this happened. Oh Well, back to reality.

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