Armsmear

Armsmear was the home of the Colt Family.

Photo Credit: Nick Caito

Quick Facts

Location:

Hartford, Connecticut

Significance:

Industrialist, Samuel Colt, and his successors pioneered the development of the revolver which had cultural, historical, and geographic impacts on the city of Hartford. The house was the residence of Samuel Colt and Elizabeth Hart Jarvis Colt both who had lasting impacts on the City of Hartford. The house is a pristine example of the Italian Villa Style Architecture in Hartford.

Designation:

Armsmear is a contributing building to the Coltsville Historic District which is registered as a National Historic Landmark District.

OPEN TO PUBLIC:

No

MANAGED BY:

The Trustees of the Colt Bequest Inc.

Amenities

2 listed

Cellular Signal, Scenic View/Photo Spot

Armsmear was the family home of Samuel Colt and Elizabeth Hart Jarvis Colt.

Armsmear was built between 1856 and 1857 by local architect, Octavius Jordan. It would remain the Colt family home until Elizabeth's death in 1905.

The design of Armsmear was inspired by the Colts' travels in the East (Turkey, Iran, France, and Great Britain). It is described as an Italianate Villa with Moorish elements and it was considered to be one of the grandest exotic residences in the United States before the Civil War. The location of Armsmear allowed the Colt family to look upon Colt Park and Samuel Colts' Factory.

The residence, when initially constructed, had an ogee dome, similar to that of the Blue Onion Dome on the East Armory, three towers and elaborate glass conservatories. It was a state-of-the-art building at the time, including gas lighting and a plumbing system.

Aside from linking Colt Factory to the family house with an ogee dome, the name itself, Armsmear, means "the meadow of arms." Today, as it was when it was first built, the main door is guarded by a pair of marble Uffizi Dogs, replicas of ones from Rome's Hellenistic Period.

After Samuel's passing, Elizabeth reimagined the public rooms of Armsmear. The ballroom became a private art gallery and a reception room replaced the music room. Elizabeth continued to add to her private art collection until her passing, giving Armsmear an eclectic, worldly feel.

The philanthropic mission of Elizabeth continued even after her death as Armsmear became a place of residence for senior women of faith with limited income and assets. Armsmear has undergone many changes, but it still maintains the spirit of Elizabeth through the organizations mission.

Armsmear was registered as a Historic Site through the Historic Sites Act in 1935 and in 1966 it was designated as a National Historic Landmark. In 2008 it became a contributing building in the Coltsville Historic District and is registered as a National Historic Landmark.

Armsmear is a private residence and is not open to the public. Please be respectful of the current members residing in this community.