TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction and Background
The Talcott Street Church Commemoration team is working with CT State Community College Capital’s Hartford Heritage Project to research effective and sustainable methods for publicly commemorating Hartford’s first free-standing Black church. Despite the city’s commitment to preserving other facets of its history, there is a notable discrepancy in its treatment of the Talcott Street Church in particular, and the history of its African American community in general. Inequity in historical preservation is not an issue that is unique to Hartford, and scholarship surrounding this discrepancy reveals a pattern of political, economic, and social obstacles that emerge from a more complex system of racial injustice in the United States. In order to mitigate these obstacles for our own purposes, we surveyed a selection of research studies that focus specifically on circumstances that are relevant to the Talcott Street Church: the commemoration of non-extant historical sites, and the preservation of 19th century autonomous African American communities. The information we gathered from our review of this literature is largely what informed the design of our research practices, with special care taken to amplify the voices of Hartford’s current Black community, and the church’s legacy congregation: Faith Congregational Church.
Our community partner, the Hartford Heritage Project (HHP) is a place-based education initiative at CT State Capital. The intent of the HHP is to bring the city’s history, literature, and art into all of the college’s curricula by programming lessons and assignments around Hartford-based topics, and partnering with local cultural institutions. The Talcott Street Church was a centerpiece for Black community building, abolitionist activism, and education in the state of Connecticut, and served as a symbol of resilience in the face of adversity. Despite this, there remains no public recognition of the church or its members. Given that CT State Capital neighbors the historical site of the church, and that it is predominantly students of color who are enrolled in the college, the Hartford Heritage Project has a vested interest in finally bringing this history to light. Commemorating all facets of American history not only empowers marginalized peoples, but bridges the gap between our understanding of racial injustice in the past and present.
Definitions
COMMEMORATING NON-EXTANT HISTORICAL SITES
One of the greatest pragmatic challenges in attempting to preserve the site of the Talcott Street Church lies in its non-extant status, given that the original building was demolished during the mid-20th century to make space for the parking garage of the historic G. Fox Department Store. Casey Cep (2020) cites President Lyndon B. Johnson’s subsequent 1966 National Historic Preservation Act as a barrier against preserving African American historical sites due to the eurocentric nature of its criteria for qualifying the federal protection of historic spaces. “One of the criteria for preservation is architectural significance, meaning that modest buildings like slave cabins and tenement houses were long excluded from consideration” (Cep, 2020). The site of the Talcott Street Church – like many other African American historical sites across the country – does not meet this criterion because the original building no longer exists. As such, the current congregation is forced to rely on grassroots funding and publicity.
COMBATTING THE MYTH OF A POST-RACIAL PARADIGM
A more abstract challenge in commemorating the Talcott Street Church is the accumulation of public support for advocacy work and government funding. The potential for public push-back, citing our effort as futile or antagonistic, would fall under a recent pattern of wide-spread fallacious rhetoric suggesting that we exist in a post-racial paradigm. According to Bettina Love and Brandelyn Tosolt (2010), this is essentially the idea that – given the progress of Black Americans under the Emancipation Proclamation, the Civil Rights Movement, and more recently the election of President Barack Obama – we no longer exist under a social structure that is oppressive to people of color; Black citizens are alloted the same opportunities as White citizens. Proponents of this belief might consider the necessity behind our current effort to be outdated, and an impetus for unnecessary discomfort among “blameless White Americans.” Love & Tosolt (2010) rebut this viewpoint, positing that “America has rallied around a message of harmony that excludes Black issues and everyday Black Americans.” In other words, embracing the fallacy that structural racism no longer exists hinders our ability to acknowledge and address its contemporary manifestation.
ESTABLISHING INCLUSIVITY THROUGH PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH
Attempts to understand the culture and history of marginalized communities under a traditional epistemic framework for qualitative research have repeatedly produced inaccurate narratives that are often linguistically inaccessible to the groups they represent (Kindon et al. 2007). This traditional framework tends to center the interpretations of scholars and preservation experts, while further marginalizing the voices of their subjects. Participatory Action Research (PAR) is the modern qualitative research approach that our team has adopted. It seeks to “replace an ‘extractive,’ imperial mode of social research with one in which the benefits of research accrue more directly to the communities involved” (Kindon et al. 2007, p. 1). Moreover, Kindon et al. define PAR as a “collaborative process of research, education and action” (p. 9). In collaborating with the members of Faith Congregational Church, and the descendants of some of Talcott Street Church’s historical members, we seek to center the input of the community we are directly supporting.
A Theoretical Framework for Commemorating Talcott Street Congregational Church
The commemoration of Hartford’s first Black church, Talcott Street Congregational Church, must be grounded in an inclusive, community-centered, and historically authentic approach. Drawing from the diverse perspectives provided in our studies, this framework emphasizes three key principles: addressing structural challenges in preservation, critically examining commemorative practices, and fostering active community participation. Together, these principles form a comprehensive guide to ensure that commemoration efforts are both meaningful and enduring.
ADDRESSING STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES IN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION
The challenges in preserving African American historical sites often stem from structural issues, such as miscommunication among stakeholders, insufficient long-term planning, and a lack of well-defined governmental support. Ashley Adams and Alec Edges’ research entitled, Advancing Underrepresented Preservation Webs: A Cross-Case Analysis for African American Historic Site Planning reflects on preservation efforts at the Nicodemus National Historic Site in Kansas, US and Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park in California, US. They highlight the importance of building robust partnerships between government entities, local communities, and educational institutions. Successful preservation depends on fostering clear communication, delineating roles, and formulating long-term strategies. For Talcott Street Congregational Church, this necessitates assembling a coalition of preservation experts, local historians, and church descendants to guide the process. The coalition should prioritize a shared vision that aligns preservation policies with the specific cultural and historical significance of the church.
Moreover, the study by Stefanie Benjamin et al. reveals disparities in public support for African American heritage preservation, emphasizing the need to counteract narratives that undermine the importance of these sites. For example, their research found that Black respondents were more likely to support the protection of African American historic sites, while non-Black (especially White) respondents were less supportive and tended to adopt a “post-racial” or “color-blind” perspective on history. This highlights a broader challenge in gaining widespread public support for the preservation of African American sites, which is often undermined by these conflicting attitudes and narratives. Therefore, to ensure that African American heritage sites are appropriately commemorated, there must be concerted efforts to engage diverse communities, challenge exclusionary narratives, and foster a more inclusive understanding of history. Thus, effective commemoration must confront and address public misconceptions, particularly in predominantly non-Black communities, by educating the broader public on the church’s role in advancing African American history and civil rights. This involves deploying educational campaigns that emphasize the church’s legacy in Hartford’s broader historical context, fostering support across diverse demographics.
RETHINKING COMMEMORATIVE PRACTICES: ETHICAL AND MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Monuments and commemorations must serve as tools for justice and collective memory, rather than perpetuating exclusion or erasure. The insights from Allais et al.’s A Questionnaire on Monuments underscore the need for ethical decision-making in commemoration. Traditional monuments often reflect dominant ideologies that exclude marginalized voices, as seen in the problematic legacy of Confederate memorials. For Talcott Street Congregational Church, commemoration must avoid static representations that risk oversimplifying its historical impact. Instead, it should adopt what Alex A. Moulton terms a “materialist approach” to commemoration, where the physical space of the church itself becomes a site of memory.
This approach centers the church not just as a symbolic monument but as an active space for community engagement, storytelling, and education. Such practices might include creating interactive exhibits within the church’s preserved structure or hosting community events that honor its history as a hub for abolitionist work and African American worship. Moulton’s emphasis on situating memory within specific locations resonates strongly here: the church’s site must be consciously preserved and activated to counteract the historical erasure of Black communities.
CENTERING COMMUNITY VOICES IN THE COMMEMORATION PROCESS
Authentic commemoration requires meaningful collaboration with the communities whose histories are being honored. As demonstrated by the successful examples of the Anacostia Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, engaging local communities as active participants ensures that commemorations reflect lived experiences and cultural authenticity. The failures of the “Harlem on My Mind” exhibit and Colonial Williamsburg highlight the risks of exclusion and misrepresentation when communities are left out of decision-making processes.
For Talcott Street Congregational Church, community involvement must begin at the planning stage. Establishing an advisory committee composed of descendants, congregants, and local residents can help shape the vision and priorities of the commemoration. Methods such as forums, oral history projects, and participatory design workshops can gather diverse input, ensuring that the commemorative efforts resonate with those most connected to the church’s legacy. Additionally, incorporating grassroots “remixing as praxis,” as proposed by Andrea Roberts et al., can amplify local knowledge and traditions while collaborating with preservation experts to sustain long-term efforts.
The case of the Anacostia Museum also underscores the importance of empowering communities to co-produce content. This could be achieved through initiatives like community-curated exhibitions, digital storytelling projects, and public art installations that celebrate the church’s role in Hartford’s Black history. By fostering a sense of ownership and agency, these efforts not only honor the church’s legacy but also strengthen community ties.
BALANCING HISTORICAL ACCURACY AND CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE
Finally, commemorative efforts must strike a balance between honoring historical memory and addressing contemporary social justice concerns. As Allais et al. note, monuments must reflect present-day values while confronting historical injustices. For Talcott Street Congregational Church, this might involve contextualizing its history within broader struggles for racial equity and civil rights. Exhibits and programming could explore the church’s abolitionist activities, its role in providing spiritual and communal refuge for Hartford’s Black population, and its enduring influence on African American religious and social life.
By adopting a holistic approach to commemoration—one that addresses structural challenges, rethinks traditional practices, and centers community voices—the efforts to honor Talcott Street Congregational Church can serve as a model for preserving African American history. Through thoughtful planning, active engagement, and a commitment to justice, this framework ensures that the church’s legacy will continue to inspire future generations.
Analysis of Research Gaps
Our research on the Talcott Street Congregational Church uncovered several gaps that present valuable opportunities for further investigation. A primary limitation lies in the predominance of qualitative data in existing studies. While our project emphasized commemorative initiatives for African American history, particularly surrounding the Talcott Street Church, the lack of quantitative research constrained our ability to draw broader, data-driven conclusions. Expanding the scope of research to include quantitative methods could provide critical insights into the church’s historical and contemporary significance within Hartford’s Black community and beyond.
Another significant gap is the broader underrepresentation of African American history in historical commemorative initiatives. The Talcott Street Church, despite its historical importance, has not been adequately recognized in local or national scholarship. This absence reflects a systemic neglect of community-centered narratives in early preservation and commemorative practices. Addressing this gap in future research is essential to fostering a more inclusive historical narrative that highlights the contributions of marginalized communities. Our study also faced challenges due to limited long-term data. While census reports and archival materials offered valuable demographic insights, they were insufficient to construct a comprehensive timeline of the church’s active years. This limitation hindered our ability to fully contextualize the church’s evolving role within Hartford’s African American community and its broader impact over time. Additionally, the reliance on case studies presented both opportunities and constraints. Given the distinct role and history of the Talcott Street Church, directly comparable examples were scarce. This lack of specificity forced us to make insights from other areas, such as museum-based commemorations, which often emphasize broader narratives rather than the specific focus required for church-centered commemorations. Although these examples offered useful frameworks, they were not always fully aligned with the unique dynamics of the Talcott Street Church’s legacy.
Conclusion
The Talcott Street Church Commemoration Project addresses an enduring gap in Hartford’s historical narrative by focusing on the city’s first free-standing Black church, a cornerstone of African American resilience, activism, and community in the 19th century. Through a rigorous examination of scholarly research and a collaborative partnership with the Hartford Heritage Project, this initiative seeks to bring visibility to an underrepresented history while emphasizing ethical and inclusive commemorative practices. Our findings reveal that the challenges in preserving African American historical sites are deeply rooted in structural inequities, ranging from limited governmental support and public engagement to systemic erasure of marginalized narratives. Effective commemoration, as our theoretical framework highlights, must confront these barriers by fostering cross-sector collaboration, adopting innovative and ethical approaches to memorialization, and centering the voices of those whose histories are being honored. For Talcott Street Congregational Church, this means prioritizing community input, amplifying its role in Hartford’s abolitionist movement, and situating its legacy within the broader context of African American history and civil rights. At the same time, the limitations in existing research underscore significant opportunities for future inquiry. The lack of quantitative data, insufficient long-term historical records, and limited comparative studies on African American church commemoration reveal critical gaps that require attention.
This project’s implications extend beyond commemorating a single church. It serves as a model for equitable historical preservation, bridging the past and present to confront racial injustice and empower marginalized communities. By honoring the legacy of the Talcott Street Church, we aim to ensure that its history inspires future generations while creating a deeper understanding of Hartford’s rich and diverse cultural heritage. This effort exemplifies the transformative potential of commemorative initiatives that are inclusive, community-driven, and historically authentic, offering a path forward for preserving African American history in Hartford and beyond.
References
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Allais, Lucia, et al. “A Questionnaire on Monuments.” October, vol. 165, Aug. 2018, pp. 3177, https://doi.org/10.1162/octo_a_00327.
Benjamin, S., Kline, C., Alderman, D., & Hoggard, W. (2016). Heritage Site Visitation and Attitudes toward African American Heritage Preservation: An Investigation of North Carolina Residents. Journal of Travel Research, 55(7), 919–933. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287515605931.
Cep, C. (2020, January). The fight to preserve African-American history. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/02/03/the-fight-to-preserve-african-american-history.
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Moulton, A. A. (2021). Black Monument Matters: Place‐based commemoration and abolitionist memory work. Sociology Compass, 15(12) https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12944.
Roberts, A., & Kelly, G. (2019). Remixing as Praxis: Arnstein’s Ladder Through the Grassroots Preservationist’s Lens. Journal of the American Planning Association, 85(3), 301–320. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2019.1622439.