Dan Antion

Thursday Doors – South End Drive-By

My favorite doors in the south end of Hartford.

This has been a crazy week. It started off with jury duty, followed by a crazy day at work and then by a major winter storm. You’re not allowed to take pictures inside the courthouse. That’s OK, it’s a modern government building, so boring doors. Knowing that I wasn’t going to get back out this week for photos, I snagged as many door photos as I could from my car.

The descriptions are in the captions, but I do want to share that Hartford’s south end is probably the prettiest section of the city. There are fancier sections, more modern sections but the south end has some very nice buildings and houses. I think the south end can support many doorscursions, so you might see some of these buildings again – hopefully in better photos.

The court of Thursday Doors is in session each week, from Thursday morning until noon on Saturday. The Honorable Justice Frampton presides over the court, where plaintiffs from all over the world present evidence of beautiful doors. Judge Frampton is well known for allowing all doors to be presented to the jury (that’s you and me) for review. If you want to introduce evidence of door beauty, enter Judge Frampton’s court and see the bailiff (the blue frog).

This building has been turned into offices. I love the structure.
I adjusted this to lighten the doors. I think the building is stunning.
There are lots of law offices around the courthouse.
The modern government office.
This building is across from the courthouse. I like the details in the brickwork.
This building is under construction. I’ve featured the main doors before, but I like this side door.
Food offering at the courthouse. Actually, I like a good food truck.
The Bushnell Theater main entrance.
The Bushnell Theater
The south end has many such buildings. The brickwork is amazing.
I like this part of the city.
This station received a call while I was trying to get my photo. Priorities, I guess.
Hartford has a number of smaller fire houses scattered throughout the city.
This space has been a number of businesses in the years I’ve been in Hartford. This pub has been there for a few years.
44 (I forget the street) is a pair of identical buildings.
Door details at 44.
An older apartment building in the south end.
This building has been restored. Somewhat modern, but well done.

79 comments

  1. That’s it. I just have to get to downtown Atlanta for doors. Your doors are amazing. I love the absolute diversity of these old buldings in Hartford. You can feel the history in them. As always, another great doors post Dan. Happy Thursday! As Ppoh would say, “Go outside. It’s a really nice day.” Well….if not for all that snow. 😏

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    • Thanks Judy. Jury duty will be discussed at the bar on Saturday. We got at least 12″ of heavy wet snow. It’s hard to tell because it was already settling at 4:00 am. It was very hard to clear because it was so wet. The stuff the snow plow left at the end of the drive and on the sidewalk was like giant (2-3′ diameter) pudding balls. I actually had to break some up with a shovel then let the snow blower chew on them.

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  4. That’s the spirits to take advantage of any situation for a blog post. It’s interesting to read that your city has a prettier part because I think it is true of any. I also like your conclusion :)
    I also hope that the snow storm (the new one) won’t be too bad. That was quite a mess up there, I guess. This winter weather has been so strange, pretty much everywhere.
    Hope your weekend won’t be spent shoveling.

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    • Thanks Evelyne. I agree, every city has neighborhoods that have remained nice and some that have fallen by the wayside. I spent about 2 1/2 hours clearing this mess. We got a lot of heavy wet snow and it was melting by the time I woke up. It has been a crazy winter.

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      • It would be great to have nice neighborhoods everywhere, particularly for the residents of these neighborhoods. But maybe we notice the pretty ones because of the comparison.
        Based on what I saw on the news it looked like wet snow. Quicker to melt. A few days before my son was born in April in Massachusetts a major snow storm hit the area. I freak out wondering how we would drive to Boston under these weather conditions. The snow did melt the day before his birth. Phew!
        I wish for a good spring for all of you, up there. You deserve it.

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  6. Ugh! Jury duty and snow? Dan that’s the week from hell. But you seem to have made the most of it. (And I expect Maddie enjoyed the snow.)
    I love bay windows, so I was already enjoying this one … then you gave us a building where the entire front was (I don’t know what to call it)… I think it is #10. I’m positively giddy about that one! I didn’t even notice what kind of door it had. Hugs.

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    • The building with the multiple rounded sections? I love that building. I really like the contrast between the wood details and the dark brick. They could never afford to build something like that today, so I’m really glad it has survived. Thanks for the comment. Half-way to Friday :)

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  7. The building after the Bushnell Theater is my favorite. Love the brickwork, but especially the four sections that look like the lower portions of towers. And I like the boulders in front. I love to see well-placed boulders in gardens, on lawns, in almost any landscape.

    You’re right, pretty section. Beautiful brickwork and stonework throughout. Some neat doors too!!

    We ended up with about 18″ here. Hope all is well in your corner of the world. Soon it will be mowing, not shoveling! That sounds so much better. Lol.
    •••Ginger•••

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    • Thanks Ginger. That’s about 6″ more than we got. I hope it was easy to deal with. Ours was the consistency of pudding, and very slow going. I think you and Teagan (and me) like the same building. It’s so funny, because I didn’t notice the boulders! I love the brickwork in the buildings in this area.

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    • Thanks Lois. Most of the snow fell between 3:00 pm and 3:00 am. Our office opened at 10:00 today. I spent about 2 1/2 hours clearing the mess.

      I love the brickwork in these buildings. So much effort to make them look pretty. I can’t image we’ll ever see this again.

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    • Ha ha – I was hoping an active blog/twitter/facebook presence would work in my favor. I didn’t need it, but I was ready to claim all those robot followers WordPress tells me I have.

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  11. I’m assuming jury duty went well since you haven’t been sequestered anywhere 🙂

    This looks like a gorgeous part of the city. I enthusiastically request more of these great looking buildings and doors. The building in that first photo, I would want my office in that glass room at the top. Wouldn’t that be the best?!! 🙂

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    • Yes, Joanne, not currently sequestered. I would love to explore that building, although I guess it’s been carved up into a bunch of offices. Still, you’re right about that top level, although I’d never get any work done.

      I have been planning a tour of this area for quite some time. I need a driver, because there’s not a lot of parking, and there are a lot of sketchy places.

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      • You make a good point. I have the same issue with Toronto. Traffic is awful, and parking – if you can find it – is expensive. There are areas I want to go to, but getting there isn’t easy!

        Thankfully, ‘sketchy’ isn’t a problem I worry about. I can’t think of a part of the city I wouldn’t want to go into alone during the day.

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  13. I don’t think cameras are allowed in our courthouse, either – which is a shame because it’s a gorgeous old building with curving marble staircases. But hopefully I won’t have opportunity to be down there any time soon – I really hate jury duty.

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    • Thanks CM. The interior of this courthouse was pretty blah. It’s connected to two other, older buildings which are quite nice, but no cameras, anywhere. I’m good for three years on jury duty. Fingers crossed. I’ve been picked before for both civil and criminal.

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  14. I bang my gavel and declare you guilty of a great sense of humor. Thanks for the hilarious description :-D
    Jury duty eh? Hopefully it’s not a major case and they don’t keep you tied up too long.
    We’re still shoveling out from the tail end of the system you guys got. It will all be over soon enough for the season and then we can go back to complaining about the heat ;-)
    Lots of lovely buildings in that section of town. Next time I’m down that way I will have to factor in an extra day to explore Hartford.

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    • Thank you Your Honor.

      I was out there a long time this morning moving a big load of heavy wet snow from point A to point B. I hope this is the last big mess we get this year.

      If you get to Hartford with time to explore, I’d love to be your tour guide. You have to keep moving in the south end, though, there are some dicey spots.

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  15. Hi Dan – jury duty and snow … all you need – yet you have lots of doors to enter … take care and we’re now full of rain and mist on the west coast of BC – cheers Hilary

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      • They asked me to do jury duty as I left the UK for South Africa … and have avoided it since … I think my brain cells would be considered too ancient now!! Snow – yup had my dose over here … thankfully when I was learning to drive in the UK I drove in the snow from outside London to Cornwall, and then again a few weeks later similarly in the Midlands … got used to it (to a point) then! Cheers H

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        • It snowed in Pittsburgh, the day I got my learners permit. My father made me drive. He “you have to learn some time.”

          I’ve been on two juries, one civil and one criminal. I’d like to think I was done for good, but…

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  18. You stocked up on some good doors, Dan, but what a way to start the week/day! My husband was called for jury duty recently, but you can check in to see if you’ll be needed and he wasn’t, so that worked out well. I hope that’s the last snow you get until next winter. You guys have really been hit hard this year. And well done on the Judge Norm thing. :-)

    janet

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  20. The brick is beautiful. I love the details of gingerbread, and other architectural interest like the little balcony on one, and the columns, and white trim, green trim, and stone.
    Great series!

    I read you guys in the East are expecting another Nor’ easter (sp) I hope it’s not a BIG storm.

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  21. Uuu, the Re-Pub-Lic is slick! I think I’d be tempted to enter even if it weren’t so cold outside. I also like the facade of the house under construction, from more close up it looks different than from afar.

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  22. I just meandered through your gallery, Dan, leaving comments here and there. Really enjoyed the architecture on the older buildings. I LOVE brickwork and in fact the front of our house is a combination of brick and cedar. Brick gives a building such a “rich” and “textured” look. Sorry about the jury duty …. Hope you and the Mrs. and Maddie have a great weekend!!! ☺️

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    • Thanks Amy. I am a big fan of brick, but I really like the building with the wood decorations and balconies. So ,uch thought went into the design of these buildings. It’s a shame we grew out of this phase.

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      • Sad to say but it seems we are now living in a phase of putting as little thought as possible into creating something. That does not apply however to all things. But quality in so many ways has been compromised. 😮

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  23. I live in Southern NJ, we’ve had two Nor’Easters within a week. Heard another one was coming…maybe…hope not. Enjoyed your doors and buildings.

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  24. The building you think is stunning- I do, too. I love how you have dubbed Norm as the judge of Thursday’s Doors. South Hartford looks quite interesting. Thanks, Dan!

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  25. My week was crazy too, but not because of jury duty (that, being able to vote are the only advantages when being a LEGAL resident ). At least you were prepared and commented early on my Thurs. Door – thank you! Love the red building with all the baby windows (if it’s the whole building I don’t know if that is the right term…)
    My inspiration doesn’t send me a notice a few months in advance that I was going to start two bigger painting this week! But you know, you have to strike the iron when it’s hot. Hope you have a restful weekend!

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  27. Oh, man, I LOVE those buildings! I want to live where I can have those South Hartford buildings, my Kentucky/Indiana friends and family, perfect weather, and all the food and beer. Fix that right up for me, ‘kay? ;)

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  30. I loved this tour of Hartford’s south end, Dan! I wish my Mom lived closer to ask if any of these struck her memory chords?
    The brick buildings with contrasting cement or white painted details are such exciting buildings, they just “stand out” in my eyes. The Buchnell theatre building and old (repurposed) courthouse buildings are awesome, too.
    The Allegro Cafe doors and two #44 doors were particularly outstanding, Dan! 🙂

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