Christ Church was founded in 1762. Our building was erected/consecrated in 1828 and set apart as the Cathedral of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut in 1919.
In 1827, Ithiel Town designed Christ Church in downtown Hartford. The church has gone through generations of revisions. Existing pews were replaced, but the original pew ends were reused, their last rows raised and pew back panels installed. Over the years new painting and colorizing was done. Lights, doors, and other fixtures were installed.
In 1950, a new organ, pipes, and supporting structures were added, and new flooring was installed using multicolored 1ft x 1ft bluestone tiles, the chancel floor was raised, and new steps were added.
In 2021, we embarked on a journey to renovate our Cathedral building to provide a flexible setting suitable for the ministry and vocation of a Cathedral in the 21st Century.
The renovations have created a space for our Cathedral to embody its vocation as a resource for all people in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, in the City of Hartford, and within the Cathedral congregations. The flexibility of the space will enable us to serve a diverse constituency, from engaging the arts, to civic discourse and to community engagement activities serving those who are house and food insecure. This project has presented a remarkable opportunity for this Cathedral to model active and adaptive ministry in the public square. Our renovated space is projected to become a tool of engagement among many groups around issues of social justice, advocacy, and cultural advancement for underserved communities.
The renovations include the following:
- Removal of existing pews
- Accessibility for those with physical challenges (new exterior central ramp and interior ramp)
- Creation of two fully accessible restrooms on the Nave level floor
- Two unisex restrooms.
- New Steps that meet code and carry the Chancel space fully into the Nave
- A moveable Altar
- Fully new theatrical lighting system
- Full accessible Baptismal Font site
- Reuse of pew ends and back panels to integrate storage and new bathrooms
- Hidden Air Conditioning
- Extensive use of natural White Oak, Connecticut’s state tree
