WASHINGTON, D.C.- U.S. Congressman John B.
Larson (CT-01) provided testimony to the Senate Energy and Natural
Resources Subcommittee on National Parks this afternoon. The Subcommittee
heard testimony from Senators, the National Park Service and Larson
regarding the Coltsville Study Act and other measures related to National
Parks. The Coltsville Study Act was introduced by Senators Dodd, Lieberman
and Congressman Larson as a first step in the process of making the
Coltsville property in Hartford a National Park.
Brenda Barrett, the National
Coordinator for Heritage Areas for the National Park Service also
testified before the subcommittee, stating that the National Park Service
supports the study proposed by the Dodd-Lieberman-Larson bill. Her
statement went on to say that, "Only though further investigation
will it be possible to determine if it is feasible and suitable for
inclusion in the National Park System."
The text of Congressman Larson's
statement was as follows:
As the sponsor of the House
version of the Coltsville Study Act, I thank the Committee for allowing me
to speak this afternoon on an issue of importance to my constituents and
to the historic preservation of an important American landmark of
achievement. I would also like to commend my two delegation colleagues,
Senator Dodd and Senator Lieberman, for their leadership on this issue.
The history of Coltsville is a
history of industry in central Connecticut, beginning with Samuel and
Elizabeth Colt, then Pope manufacturing's production of bicycles and
automobiles, and finally blooming into what we now know as Pratt and
Whitney in East Hartford. It is a unique regional and international
landmark.
Hartford, Connecticut, the home
to Colt manufacturing, played a major role in the Industrial Revolution,
and when you look deeper at the area one begins to see the unique and
holistic community that developed in the area and brought other early
industrial leaders like Henry Ford to Coltsville to learn the innovative
manufacturing techniques and equipment being invented and developed in the
area.
In fact, Samuel Colt, founder of
Colt manufacturing, and his wife, Elizabeth Colt, inspired Coltsville, a
whole community that inspired and flourished during the Industrial
Revolution and included Victorian mansions, an open green area, botanical
gardens, and even a deer park.
The actual residence of Samuel
and Elizabeth Colt in Hartford, Connecticut, known as "Armsmear,"
is a national historic landmark, and the distinctive Colt factory's blue
dome is a prominent feature of the Hartford, Connecticut, skyline.
It is important to emphasize here
that the Colt legacy is not just about firearms, but also about industrial
innovation and the development of technology that would change the way of
life in the United States. Mr. Colt worked with Samuel Morse in the
development of the telegraph, and Colt manufacturing contributed to the
development of technology in many ways, inspiring the jet engine pioneers
Francis Pratt and Amos Whitney, who served as apprentices at Colt
manufacturing. The influence of the community was extended overseas when
Samuel Colt became the first individual in the United States to open a
manufacturing plant overseas.
Coltsville set the standard for
excellence during the Industrial Revolution and continues to prove
significant as a place in which people of the United States can learn
about that important period in history and its association with the Mark
Twain House, Trinity College, Old North Cemetery, and many historic
homesteads and architecturally renowned buildings.
This legislation and its
overwhelming local support and excitement signifies that we are starting
on the road to developing and cultivating Coltsville's history and its
importance to Hartford and the State of Connecticut. Along with other
members of the delegation and the community, I am committed to preserving
the area's immeasurable historical value, and appreciate the Committee's
consideration of this proposal.
