History of Dutch Point Part One: House of Hope & Shipbuilding

This is the first in a series of videos about Dutch Point in Hartford, Connecticut. This peninsula, formed by the junction of the Park (or Little) River and the Connecticut River was called Dutch Point because it was near the Dutch trading post called the House of Hope that was here in the 17th century. By the 19th century, Dutch Point was the site of shipbuilding and a saw mill operation.
#hartford #hartfordct #shipbuilding #lumberyard #connecticut #history #historyofhartford #historywithdansterner
Check out my video about the Charter Oak: • Where was Connecticut'...
Three of the images used in this video are from the collections of the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History:
Dutch Point, Conn. River (Accession number 1994.49.2): hdl.handle.net/11134/40002:14264
Park River Hartford near Dutch Point Station (Accession number 1982.128.79): hdl.handle.net/11134/40002:13820
Coal pocket on Commerce Street (Accession number 1956.84.36): hdl.handle.net/11134/40002:19926

[@grantman1148]

Hey Dan, your opening map of Connecticut with the red star for Hartford (about :10 into the video) looks more like South Windsor. Might want to move it a bit to the left. You know, closer to Dutch Point. 🙂 Good history, as always. Thanks.

[@historywithdansterner263]

Well, I was thinking about doing a video on South Windsor....

[@whimsicalprofessor3963]

I lived at Dutch Point from the 1965 to 1972... I'm still not okay! 😂 Anyway, great video! ❤

[@billgoodnu]

As a former Hartford Paramedic, I responded to many calls in Dutch Point. I was there from 1996-2006 and saw a lot of stuff. Dan, can you do a video about the Park River including its beginning and termination points. Also include pictures of the Army Corps of Engineers as they did the construction? There are remnants of the Arched bridges that span the river. For example the exit ramp 29A takes the path the old river took towards Bushnell Park. The bridge that supports Main Street the old Arch can be seen. Similarly, The Sailors and Soldiers Arch if you look at its base where it contacts the ground its keystone and several radius cut blocks can be seen. Your expertise and extraordinary detail would make for a very interesting video. Also what is the significance of the pump house in Pulaski Circle? One more question is there a way you could do an overlay in your videos when showing the vintage maps and the old locations of buildings when comparing what is new? I think for the viewers it would help place things in context comparing present day to the past.

[@historywithdansterner263]

@@billgoodnu I'd like to do more about the Park River. I'll think about how I might do overlays with the maps. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@billgoodnu]

@@historywithdansterner263 I have a book on Ancient Rome while I was visiting there that has pages like those used on the old over head projectors. That lets you overlay the map updating the areas structures through the ages.

[@johnfoster535]

The work you are doing and these videos are invaluable ! Especially to someone like me, whose family goes back in the Hartford area a long time ! I will continue watching these with fascination...so much history in Hartford !

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thank you!!

[@thelasthandbook6704]

Wait, wasn't there a dam in Holyoke across the Connecticut River from the middle of the 19th century on?

[@historywithdansterner263]

Somehow they were able to get past a number of dams along the river.