TABLE OF CONTENTS
America 250 + Talcott St. Church 200 Celebration
Connecticut Museum of Black History
It is our hope that these recommendations will be carried out by a permanent coalition of cultural organizers and city government in the years to come, with input from current members of Faith Congregational Church.
Short Term
MARKER ON THE ORIGINAL SITE
The site of the historical Talcott Street Church building is currently occupied by a parking garage that is unused and falling apart. While there have been discussions of demolition, it is unclear when this will be put into effect. In the meantime, we believe that immediate action should be taken to implement a temporary artifact on the site – such as a plaque or a mural (similar to the one pictured on the right) – signaling that this space is a historic landmark. When the parking garage is eventually demolished, the presence of a plaque and/or mural would effectively stake out this site so that future infrastructure will include recognition of the Talcott Street Church.
Medium Term
AMERICA 250 AND TALCOTT STREET CHURCH 200 CELEBRATION
Given that the 250th anniversary of the United States coincides with the 200th anniversary of the construction of the Talcott Street Church building, we believe that the year 2026 will provide ample opportunities for the following recommendation to be carried out. The Talcott Street Church has a legacy of promoting artistry, education, and entrepreneurship among Hartford’s Black citizens. As such, it is important that this legacy is perpetuated in our coalition’s commemoration efforts. One of the ways we suggest promoting this history while supporting the city’s Black community would be to organize a public festival inviting Black musicians, poets, dancers, actors, etc. from Hartford to perform their own pieces, and pieces related to the history of the Talcott Street Church (e.g. excerpts from Ann Plato’s poetry, James Mars’ autobiography). Black business owners around Hartford would also be invited to vend the products that they sell. This would also provide an opportunity to raise fund to support Faith Congregational Church so that they can sustainably carry on their services and events.
Long Term
MONUMENT PARK
This small park, on Trumbull St. over I-84 between the XL Center and Dunkin Park, is unkempt and unused. It is located on the road between the historic site of the Talcott Street Church and the current site of Faith Congregational Church, making this location symbolic of the congregation’s resilience.
Google Earth, 2024
We suggest that this space be used to create a monument park, celebrating the church and its members. This may include statues of figures like James W.C. Pennington, Augustus Washington, Hosea Easton, or simply display an artistic reconstruction of the former church building (similar to the one pictured on the right). Not only would this improve the aesthetics of this space for passers-by driving into Downtown Hartford, but it would invite pedestrians to look at the monuments, and acknowledge the history they represent. This space gets a lot of foot traffic between people visiting Dunkin Park, the XL Center, Hartford Stage, and the neighboring skate park.
CONNECTICUT MUSEUM OF BLACK HISTORY
Our final recommendation would be to create a Connecticut Museum of Black History: whether as an attachment to, for instance, the Wadsworth Atheneum, or as a stand-alone building with unique architectural identity. This space would be dedicated to celebrating the contributions of Connecticut’s marginalized communities, and sharing the state’s diverse, untold stories. Such a museum would provide ample opportunity for the economic revitalization of Downtown Hartford, attracting visitors from across the state of Connecticut.