Underneath that blue dome lies the east armory of a factory once owned by a man who changed American history, the innovator of the revolver, Samuel Colt. Sprawling around the crumbling red brickwork of the old Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company, once the largest private armory in the world, are the remnants of Coltsville, the utopian village he built for his workers.

A model of 19th century industrial paternalism, Coltsville included a church, a social hall for dances and lectures, workers’ housing, a giant landscaped park home to deer and peacocks, sculpted botanical gardens, and thousands of feet of greenhouses filled with tropical fruit and flowers. Samuel Colt felt such responsibility for the welfare of his workers outside the factory that he went so far as to build Potsdam Village, to replicate the feel of the German village from which he imported his skilled craftsmen to work in his willow ware factory.

The National Park Service began having on-site presence in 2015, with workshops and tours, including up into the Blue Onion Dome which affords magnificent views of downtown Hartford, the Connecticut River and Colt Park, formerly the back yard of Armsmear, Samuel & Elizabeth Colt’s mansion. By 2016, an NPS ranger had taken up residence in the South Armory and was giving walking tours of Coltsville.

The old South, East and North armories are under renovation and the two 1855 brownstone buildings, the oldest structures on site, will become the National Park Service Visitor Center. The armories themselves have been or are being renovated into apartments, offices and education facilities.

Find Hotels with Laundry Facilities in Sheldon-Charter Oak, CT

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Top Sheldon-Charter Oak Hotels with Laundry Facilities

Exterior

"Room was great and clean, great breakfast and conveniently located"

$105 nightly

Oct 30 - Oct 31

Total with taxes and fees

Exterior

"Close to the airport, shops and restaurants"

$88 nightly

Oct 29 - Oct 30

Total with taxes and fees

Exterior

"excellent hotel,room clean and excellent service."

$94 nightly

Nov 2 - Nov 3

Total with taxes and fees

Exterior

"Great place 🙌🙌🙌👍👍👍😍"

$103 nightly

Nov 2 - Nov 3

Total with taxes and fees

Free daily buffet breakfast

"Nice place to stay for a quick flight"

$101 nightly

Nov 2 - Nov 3

Total with taxes and fees

Exterior

"Good place to stay"

$122 nightly

Oct 26 - Oct 27

Total with taxes and fees

Exterior

"This hotel was beautiful!! Only thing that was missing was free breakfast! "

$144 nightly

Nov 2 - Nov 3

Total with taxes and fees

Free buffet breakfast

"Beds were very comfortable and room and bath were clean and updated. Thank you for a nice stay."

$107 nightly

Nov 2 - Nov 3

Total with taxes and fees

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Top Sheldon-Charter Oak Hotel Reviews

Motel 6 Windsor Locks, CT - Hartford

Motel 6 Windsor Locks, CT - Hartford

10/10 Excellent

"It's by the airport planes flying low - very loud"

The Farmington Inn & Suites

The Farmington Inn & Suites

10/10 Excellent

"I travel to this area for work and as a woman, I felt safe in this hotel both the parking and my room. My room was just steps to the lobby and eating area. This hotel is a great deal as it has the privacy and anonymity (if you want it) of a hotel, but the ambience of a B & B. If you want a bit of a homelike atmosphere, this is your place. Also all the staff I encountered at the front desk were delightful and I have stayed at other Classic Hotels. This is my new "go to" for the Farmington/Avon area. I will be back!"

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