Located in the heart of downtown Hartford and just a 15 minute walk from the current State Capitol building, stands the Old Connecticut Statehouse built in 1796. This building currently houses a museum that highlights the early history of Connecticut history. Designed by Charles Bulfinch, many of the United States’ historical debates, including Thomas Hooker’s fundamental orders; this became the basis for ‘the consent of the people’. Also, the trials of the Amistad captives were held here. Some notable legislators that served in this building include P.T. Barnum, Noah Webster, and Gideon Welles. Some of the notable artifacts in the museum include an old roadside marker, a bible, stein, and helmet from the 1640s settlement, historical items across the Hartford born Coleco’s timeline (including Colecovision, moccasins, electronic games, and a couple Cabbage Patch dolls), and a early 1900s Fire Engine. There is also a portion of the museum focused on Reverend Joseph Steward’s collection of curiosities. Steward once used space in the Old State House as a portrait studio and used a room on the third floor to highlight wonders and treasures from around the world Today a reproduction of his “Curiosity Room” includes numerous stuffed and mounted animals, such as a stuffed alligator and a few albino mammals, animal skeletons, several mechanical devices from the colonial era, and his prized oddity – a two headed calf. A good place to visit during lunch if you are working downtown.
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