Coltsville Timeline

This guide is a timeline for the process of Coltsville petitioning to become part of the National Park Service. The major focus is on the federal legislation driving this process and the general history related to what is now called Coltsville. It is updated periodically. For histories of the Colt firearms: search our catalog; explore archives finding aids; look at the Colt Industries web site; go to the National Park site; and look at the "Further Research and Reading" and "Additional Resources" pages on this guide (updated periodically).

Public Law 113-291 includes a series of "Conditions for Establishment" that must be met before the park may be formally established. The National Park Service (NPS) is in the process of meeting the criteria.

Previously this research guide linked to most steps in the legislative process. As of April 2022, this guide will be streamlined by linking to the federal bill histories for the legislative process. Bill histories in Congress.gov include links to the relevant documents for a federal legislative history. Consult our research guide on federal legislative histories or  contact our reference librarians for additional information on the process. For detailed information about Coltsville becoming part of the National Park Service, please see our older archived guide:

1999

Colt replica installed on dome.

HB6768 (Connecticut) - An Act Concerning Funding for Certain Operations Related to Tourism

1998

Coltsville National Park Visitor Experience Study

National Park Service conducted a special resource reconnaissance study of the Connecticut River Valley to evaluate the significance of historic manufacturing sites and found that the Coltsville region contains an unequaled concentration of historic resources.

"The [CT] legislature established the quasi-public Capital City Economic Development Authority (CCEDA) in 1998 to plan, manage, and oversee six Hartford redevelopment projects. The projects were devised as part of a blueprint for Hartford's revitalization."

December 31, 1998

Summary report. Coltsville Heritage Park Master Plan released.

1996

September 8, 1996 - Exhibit "Sam and Elizabeth: Legend and Legacy of Colt's Empire" opened at the Wadsworth Atheneum. It ran through March 9, 1997. The companion book is Colt the Making of an American Legend, listed as #45 on the sources page. (Source 45, 48)

1993

All operations at Coltsville plant cease. Colt Fire Arms Company finally abandoned its remaining operations at he Coltsville plant in 1993 and now all of its operations are headquartered in West Hartford. 

1992 & 1993

Hartford's developed and undeveloped heritage assets are analyzed with consultants from National Park Service and National Trust for Historic Preservation  ^[12]