A Very Brief History of Elmwood

This area of Elmwood has one of the richest histories in the town. Maps from the 1600's show the Connecticut trail – an Indian path that crossed the colony. A series of claypits on the Eastern side of Elmwood were likely being used by native Americans long before the colonists arrived.

During the Revolutionary War, Elmwood had a very active branch of the 'Sons of Liberty'. Our area received its name when after the pivotal victory at Saratoga in 1777, thirteen elm trees were planted in celebration. The site is honored by a plaque at the corner of South Quaker Lane and New Britain Avenue. Soon after the war, rows of elm trees were planted along New Britain Avenue and Newington Road. They flourished for over one hundred and fifty years until they were wiped out by Dutch elm disease in the 1940's. The good news is that the Elmwood Business Association has begun a drive to plant disease resistant elms in the neighborhood. The elms are returning!

During the Revolutionary War, the Sarah Whitman Hooker House (next to Szechuan Tokyo) was used to hold three British officers as prisoners of war. It is the oldest house in the town. And, as you may already know, West Hartford's patron saint, Noah Webster (author of the first American dictionary), was born and lived just over the hill from Elmwood.

Elmwood's biggest industry was pottery. The Goodwin Pottery Company flourished for many years (it was located by the railroad bridge) and New Park Avenue was home to many international corporations including Royal Typewriter and Heublein. Notable businesses still remain in the area including 'Wiremold', 'Abbott Ball' and the world headquarters for 'Uncle Bill's Sliver Grippers' (believe me – you need to have a pair of these tweezers in your medicine cabinet).

The area now known as Beachland Park was at one time a 'model farm' of the early 1900's. Produce and dairy products were produced in hygienic conditions – it was the forerunner of what we would now call an organic farm. The former creamery building is still located at the entrance to the park. The dammed pond adjacent to that building once powered a woolen mill and was later used to harvest ice for use in refrigeration.

As with much of the country, there were boom years after the Second World War. Many returning GI's bought the small ranches and capes that were newly built in Elmwood. Many small, strip mall type shops were built along New Britain Avenue and have been re-habbed for the 21st century. The Quaker Green Condominiums are centered around the former Talcott Junior High School (built in 1922) which saw countless West Hartford kids walk through its doors. After the school closed in 1979, it was the headquarters of Coleco, best known for the Cabbage Patch Doll craze of the 1980's.

Elmwood remains extremely attractive because it is an affordable and walkable community. Most of the stores are locally owned and eclectic to say the least! Check out stores like 'The Chalkboard', 'The Puppy Center' and 'Jerry's Artarama'. Also, Elmwood sports a great selection of restaurants. Tapas, 'The Corner Pug' and 'The Fernwood' have been popular for years. In the upcoming ten years you can expect to see New Britain Avenue reconstructed to make it pedestrian friendly and to slow the traffic flow. The Children's Museum of West Hartford will be moving to the area adjacent to the Elmwood Community Center in the near future, a greenway/bike path along the Trout Brook will be built and a bus rapid transit line into the capital city will have a stop located within a five-minute walk of the center.

Add to all of this the convenience of West Hartford Center and Westfarms Mall and you can't help but see that you have everything right here within a five mile radius -- parks, recreation, shopping, education and history!

No wonder people think we have an attitude!





sponsored by Dr. Rick Liftig - www.drliftig.com -  a dentist west hartford elmwood