For a period, a village within Hartford was called Glenwood. This is the area south of the railroad tracks by Capitol Avenue, and north, east, and west of the Park River. It included Willow, Laurel, Woodbine, and Riverside Streets. Accounts describe it as being less fashionable than the Nook Farm section, yet it held “calico balls”and raised money for an honor roll to be located at Laurel and Willow.
It also had a roving church. The Glenwood Congregational Church was built near Laurel and Capitol, but in 1907 it was moved to Park and Park Terrace to be closer to the growing population of factory workers. The journey took six days and needed to cross the Laurel Street bridge before the church was set down at its new site, facing Pope Park.
The character of Glenwood changed with the installation of I-84 and burial of the Park River. Now, there are a few high rises, a low rise, parking lots, a farm, and a private park (pictured).
Richard Nelson
Right where that park is now was the Warehouse one of the best really queer bars as opposed to gay bars which were really flannel hunting lodges, straightest gays we ever did meet. Everyone loved the Warehouse, and like Alice’s Restaurant you could get anything you want and then some. We used to walk the tracks from downtown to get there and always hoped that a pick up would occur for a ride to paradise after hours. Prior to the Warehouse it was Cell Block like S&M go for it. Oh the stories some of us could tell of what went on in the lounge area, the tea rooms, the parking lots and behind the bushes in our drinking, dancing, and you know what days. Queer history of a small part of Glenwood.