With its proximity to the cultural hub of New York City and its quieter suburban and rural landscapes, Connecticut was fertile ground for artists and writers in the period of Modernist movements between 1913 and 1979. Many of these cultural figures are well known through biographical and critical studies. Creative Places seeks to show how place played a significant role in creative work, and how in turn the artists and writers influenced communities in Connecticut.
267 Grand Street, Waterbury
- Benjamin Franklin Statue
- Paul Wayland Bartlett
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In 1918, the Waterbury City Fathers commissioned Bartlett to design the Benjamin Franklin Statue in front of the Silas Bronson Library.
- Description of Significance/Historical Narrative
- The story of the Benjamin Franklin statue is an expression of the patriotism that followed World War I. On its way back to Waterbury after being cast in Baltimore, the statue stopped in 22 cities, accompanied by children in the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts as well as members from the Sons of the American Revolution. People gathered at each stop to see it, and in many cities, parades promoted Americanism and the founding of the United States.
- Date of Construction
- 1921
- Historic Designation(s)
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- National Register District
- Historic Resource Inventoryfile_download