West End (Hartford, Connecticut)

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The West End represents one of the final frontiers in the development of Hartford. Much of the area was farmland throughout the 19th century. It wasn't until the turn of the 20th century when upper middle class residential development began to boom. During the 1910's, many two- and three-family homes were constructed. The area north of Fern Street developed between 1905 and 1930 in a more suburban pattern than had the earlier sections near Farmington Avenue.

In 1895, Charles N. Pond donated his large estate to the Hartford Parks Commission. Named in memory of Pond's wife, Elizabeth Park straddles the Hartford-West Hartford border. A sweeping vista of the park with a view downtown Hartford can be seen from an overlook off of Prospect Avenue near Asylum Street.

The West End is also home to the University of Connecticut School of Law and the Hartford Seminary. The institution moved to Hartford in 1865, and in 1923-29, the Hartford Seminary Foundation constructed a Gothic-style complex on a 30-acre campus, where it remains today.

West-Enders feel an enormous sense of pride in their neighborhood. Locally-owned shops and restaurants provide a sense of community, and history abounds. Five sections of the West End neighborhood are listed on the National Register of Historic Districts. This represents about 70% of the entire neighborhood.