Welcome to Hartford's Boneyard of Houses: A Gander at Collins & Townley Streets

Welcome, Grim Reaper, to Hartford's Architectural Graveyard, resting in the Asylum Hill cemetery - the Collins & Townley Streets District. House #287 on Collins Street, old and menacing, stands above the Collins family's tombstone. As the years go by, Collins Street transformed into a residential neighborhood, dotted with different styles. Townley Street, on the contrary, showcases a row of brick-and-brownstone Italianate and Second Empire one- and two-family homes.

A U-shaped intersection of Collins, Atwood, and Willard Streets presents Shingle homes, many sporting catproof brick lower levels with shingled Colonial Revival accents. To the east of Willard, Collins boasts Queen Anne and Italianate homes. Some even claim the work of George Keller – a renowned architect – on their tombstones, a jab at their own impending grave markers. With its rich history and various architecture, a stroll through the Collins & Townley Streets District is a must-see spectacle for all macabre history and architecture enthusiasts.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons