West End Architecture

The Connecticut Historical Society has Hartford's most significant collection of drawings of domestic architecture from the first decades of the twentieth century. During this period, Hartford architects such as David Douglass, Cortlandt Luce, William Marchant, Lester Scheide, and Smith and Bassette designed beautiful and supremely livable houses in a wide range of architectural styles for a wide range of clients. These houses range from modest homes for returning World War I veterans to spectacular mansions for Hartford's wealthiest citizens. These houses established Hartford's West End as a district of beautiful homes and enhanced Hartford's reputation as one of the loveliest cities in America. Only a small portion of the CHS collection is currently digitized. For more information on CHS holdings, contact the Graphics Collection.