482 
PARK AND CEMETERY 
So you can easily appreciate the great opportunity which 
confronted the state of Connecticut and the city of Hart- 
ford at this time. If both of these monumental buildings 
could be grouped about the state capitol and Bushnell Park 
as a center, with each building surrounded by sufficient 
grounds so that its proportions could be appreciated and en- 
joyed, the state of Connecticut would have a civic center 
equaled by few cities in America, 
Here, then, was the opportunity — but how to shape it into 
a genuine reality was the problem. 
On November 14, 1903, the members of the second state 
armory commission were named by Governor Abiram Cham- 
berlain. 
On December 15, 1903, a petition signed by 100 of the lead- 
ing men of Hartford, was presented to the new commission, 
asking them to authorize the writer to prepare detailed plans 
and estimates of his scheme, in order that a close approxima- 
tion could be made of its cost. No information was ever ob- 
tained as to whether this petition was received with en- 
thusiasm or ridicule, or whether it was pigeon-holed or con- 
signed to the waste basket. However, no request was ever 
received from the commission for further information or en- 
lightenment' upon the possibilities in the development of the 
roundhouse site for military purposes. For two months noth- 
ing was heard of the armory question, until on February 13, 
1904, it was announced that the commission had agreed upon 
a location on Main street, about a half-mile away from the 
state capitol. 'While the selection of this site was favorably 
received in some quarters, the citizens of Hartford in general 
didn’t appear to be in any great danger of developing a hot- 
box in their enthusiasm over the choice of the commission. 
The supporters of the roundhouse site for the location of the 
new state armory were disappointed in this decision because 
the commission had apparently ignored all of their requests 
for its careful consideration, and these advocates believed 
most firmly that it possessed some merit. 
Here was a combination of circumstances, in February, 
1904, but ten months before the convening of the 1905 Legis- 
lature, which made the cause of the roundhouse site advo- 
cates look hopeless. The commission was a powerful one; 
it had selected its site and paid down between $4,000 and 
$5,000 in options to bind its choice, and was proceeding with 
the preparation of plans for the armory. At that time it was 
generally conceded that the railroad company which owned 
10^2 of the 1214 acres contained in the roundhouse site was 
strongly opposed to its sale to the state and its abandonment 
for railroad purposes. 
With this powerful combination of forces arrayed against 
us, we believed there_was still a fighting chance, for it was 
a matter for the legislature to settle, and we could not see 
how they could deny us a hearing and an opportunity to 
present our case. Up to this time it had been impossible to 
determine how much local support could be counted upon. 
After studying the situation with a great deal of care, we 
were satisfied that if we could get the public thoroughly 
aroused and interested in the proposed improvements about 
the state’ capitol we could present our cause in a formidable 
manner. In order to bring about such a result the writer 
had a series of twelve articles prepared by men qualified by 
training and experience to treat his particular subject in a 
convincing manner upon “The Grouping of Public Buildings.” 
The publication of this series was commenced on April 30, 
1904. The articles appeared. in seven of the leading repub- 
lican, democratic and independent newspapers of the state, 
and were read with much interest. The series was closed 
after the fall election of members to the 1905 Legislature, at 
a time which we considered ripe for its presentation by a 
more detailed article on the roundhouse site. While these 
articles were being published, the writer called a consultation 
of friends and suggested the organization of a municipal art 
society, to support, among other things, the roundhouse site 
scheme. This conference resulted in a call for a preliminary 
meeting, and the organization of “The Municipal Art Society” 
of Hartford, Conn., which had within a few months of this 
meeting a membership of over 300, and now has between 400 
and 500 members. 
On November 28, 1904, this society passed strong resolu- 
tions endorsing the roundhouse site project, thereby being 
the first local organization to take such action. While these 
forces were at work, the writer was hustling around giving 
lantern-slide lectures on “The Grouping of Public Buildings” 
before other local organizations. Within a short time similar 
resolutions had been passed by the “Landlords and Tax- 
payers’ Association,” “The Civic Club,” “The Florists’ Club” 
and “The Hartford Business Men’s Association,” having a 
combined membership of over 1,500. 
The clouds of the storm which was to break with full 
force over the Legislature a few months later were rapidly 
forming. That our campaign was making progress we appre- 
ciated because criticisms like the following began to appear 
in one of the local papers which sympathized with the armory 
commission: “Now comes forward the useless Municipal 
Art Society; Ford, the dreamer, and the Taxpayers’ Associa- 
tion, in the role of general ‘Buttinski.’ ” The more we were 
clubbed the harder we worked. An alliance between all of 
the organizations endorsing the roundhouse project was next 
formed to carry the contest before the General Assembly. 
The state capitol became the storm center of this spirited 
contest, and the advocates on both sides maneuvered for ad- 
vantage for several months. While behind the commission 
in advantage at the convening of the General Assembly, the 
roundhouse site advocates obtained the endorsement of Gov- 
ernor Henry Roberts, who committed himself to its purchase 
and use for military purposes in unequivocal terms in his in- 
augural message. This action by the governor was like a 
bolt from a clear sky to the supporters of the armory com- 
mission, but an enormous advantage to the roundhouse site 
advocates. It placed them in a position to present their 
cause before the Legislators with much greater confidence in 
its success. But this project was far from won at this time. 
Three members of the armory commission were members 
of the Legislature. One was the lieutenant-governor, pre- 
siding over the senate, another was a member of the senate, 
and the third was a member of the house. With no advocates 
of the roundhouse site in the Assembly, it still looked like a 
hard contest to win. When the various committees were ap- 
pointed by the speaker of the house, the armory commission 
scored a second victory by getting the member of their com-* 
mission who was in the house appointed house chairman of 
the military committee, before whom the whole matter would 
have to be threshed out. About this time it was suggested 
by some of the supporters of the armory commission that if 
the roundhouse site advocates would drop the question of the 
location of the armory, they would unite with us in the pur- 
chase of the railroad properfy, and let the Legislature decide 
later whether or not the armory should be placed upon this 
site or upon Main street, as recommended by the armory 
commission. To this proposition we quickly consented, for 
we believed that if the railroad property was purchased in 
advance of the Main street site there would be little chance 
of the Legislature buying a second armory site; and further- 
more, we all realized that the great accomplishment was in 
the purchase of the grounds and the removal of the long- 
standing nuisance, and that its future use was of secondary 
importance. With both sides agreed upon this action, a bill 
was presented and passed very early in the session authoriz- 
