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Sign Up Now for Asylum Hill Tours

May 9-16, 2007
By The Hartford News

Asylum Hill, the neighborhood that Mark Twain and Katharine Hepburn called home, will be on display next weekend, May 19 and 20. The Hartford Preservation Alliance (HPA), the Northside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance (NINA) and the Hartford Children’s Theatre will host two tours featuring Asylum Hill’s abundant architectural splendor and rich heritage.

A Guided Walking Tour will be held Saturday, May 19 at 12:00 noon. The tour will include the Ashley Street historic area. Park at Veeder Place, 20 Sargeant Street, Hartford.

On Sunday, May 20, a Home & Garden Tour will be held from 12:00 noon – 3:00 pm. Participants will be able to visit inside vintage Victorian homes and gardens, sample complimentary local cuisine from Asylum Hill’s diverse cultures and enjoy performances by the Hartford Children’s Theatre as they portray Victorian children from the 19th century. Park at Veeder Place.

Tickets are $10 each or $15 for both days. Cash or check only. For more information, call 860-570-0331 or email [email protected].

Asylum Hill is named after the Asylum for the Deaf (now the American School for the Deaf), which was founded “on the Hill” in 1817 and was the first school of its kind in the United States.

In the late 19th century, the neighborhood became a fashionable residence for Hartford’s elite, many of whose homes are still standing.