On the recordApril 29, 2010
I rise today to introduce the Coltsville National Historic Park Act, which provides for the designation of the Coltsville Historic District in Hartford, Connecticut, as a national park. I would like to thank my colleague, Senator Lieberman, for supporting this legislation, as well as my good friend, Congressman Larson, who recently introduced an identical version of this bill in the House. I recognize that when most of us think of national parks, we picture the vast, sprawling landscapes of Yellowstone and Yosemite. Clearly, Connecticut's smaller size precludes it from having a national park on the scale of these sites. In fact, Connecticut itself is only about twice the size of Yellowstone National Park and currently has only one national park, the Weir Farm National Historic Site, which spans 60 acres in the towns of Ridgefield and Wilton. But, while Connecticut may not possess the physical grandeur of our nation's largest parks, it is home to a rich national heritage that must be made accessible to every American. Located in Hartford's Sheldon-Charter Oak neighborhood, Coltsville grew around Samuel Colt's firearms factory, a landmark red brick building with a blue onion dome, during the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century.
