New Videos on Keney Tower and Keney and Ely Mansions
My most recent videos on YouTube relate to the section of Main Street between Pleasant Street and Ely Street, just north of Dunkin Park and South of the Tunnel (where the railroad tracks go under Main Street). In the first video, I give the story behind the Keney Memorial Clock Tower. Henry and Walter Keney had a successful wholesale grocery business where the tower was later built in 1898. There is a question whether Henry Keney, who left the funds for a memorial in his will, intended it to commemorate the brothers’ business or whether, as the plaque in the tower’s vestibule states, he left it to honor his mother. The Keney brothers lived in a mansion just north of the tower that was torn down in the 1930s.
The second video is about the Keney brothers’ neighbor next door, the wealthy shipping merchant William Ely, who erected two adjacent houses here, one in 1811 and the other circa 1832. I explain in the video why a town in Alabama was named Elyton in his honor. The 1811 house was torn down to provide a better view of the new Keney Clock Tower and the 1832 house was torn down in the 1920s to make way for the new Barnard School (later the Barnard-Brown School and now Capitol Prep Magnet School). Please check out these videos and give them a like if you enjoy them!
There’s another lost building that stood in this area, just behind the Keney Tower. I’m thinking of writing a piece about it on this Substack, so stay tuned!
I’m on my way to watch the 2nd part of the video now thank you
this was absolutely excellent. When I was a young teenager. I used to deliver auto parts for Acme auto. I would deliver auto parts down on Windsor Street to Kenny automotive. Back then there was a older guy would’ve had full of white hair and he used to tell me all the time about his family donated Kenny Park to Hartford along with money I learned later about the Kinney tower, I remember the old fire stone tire place that stood there long before people were selling roses and flowers for holidays on my evening walk just recently I was just at the tower, taking pictures of the tower and by the church behind what Firestone used to be taking pictures it’s abandoned now, but I never had any clue. There was a mansion that stood there where the fire stone was great information. Hartford is full of rich history.