Catherine M. Flanagan House

56 Willard Street • Hartford, CT • Hartford County

Historical Significance

This was the home of Catherine M. Flanagan, a native of Hartford and a first generation Irish-American who was active in the suffragette movement during and after World War I. She and five other women were arrested on August 16, 1917 for picketing in font of the White House. They were all sentenced to thirty days in jail under deplorable conditions. Her arrest increased the passion of the struggle for women's suffrage in Connecticut and she played a leading role as an organizer in that effort. She was selected to carry the document certifying Connecticut's ratification of the 19th amendment to Washington in 1920.

Photo: View northeast showing west elevation and façade. (Tod Bryant)

Sources

Hogan, Neil, "Hartford Irishwoman was heroine of suffrage drive,"The Shanachie, v. 18, no. 1, Winter 2006.

Notable Features of Building or Site

This is a classic example of a Perfect Six apartment building, a vernacular form found mostly in Hartford and surrounding towns. These buildings were built around the turn of the twentieth century and they are all three stories. The have a common central entrance which is flanked by full height, three window bays. The interiors are divided into two flats per floor, one on each side of a central corridor. They often have a projecting cornice supported by brackets.

Interrelationship of Building and Surroundings

This building is in the midst of a dense urban neighborhood. The area includes recently built apartment buildings, as well as several late nineteenth and early twentieth century houses.


Additional Information

Date(s):  Built c. 1885
Style(s):  Italianate (Hartford Perfect Six)
Historic Use:  Multi-family residence
Present Use:  Multi-family residence


Accessibility:
Exterior visible from public road.


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