Landmark Status
When businesses do good deeds for their community, it’s not only socially responsible, but it’s also good business. By doing so, businesses often reap both tangible and intangible rewards.
Take Joseph Merritt & Co., marking the occasion of its 100th anniversary in Hartford this year. As part of its celebration, the graphics firm has created oversized 2008 calendars that pay tribute to six historical and cultural landmarks.
While the calendars will be a source of fund raising revenue for the six nonprofits — the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, the Mark Twain House & Museum, The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, the Connecticut Historical Society, the Old State House, and the Butler McCook House & Garden — the calendars also recognize Hartford’s rich history.
The landmarks, such as the Old State House and Mark Twain House, are expensive to maintain and will benefit from the calendar sales. And the calendars are Merritt’s way of acknowledging the significance of Hartford’s heritage.
So while Merritt is honoring some of Hartford’s treasures as we start 2008, The Hartford Financial Services Group is applying to the city for a demolition permit to tear down Mass Mutual’s historic structure in Asylum Hill.
As part of its due diligence pertaining to its option to buy the property — which it wants to use for future growth and parking — The Hartford wants to know whether it will receive approval to demolish all or parts of the Mass Mutual building before committing to the purchase.
It should be noted that a number of investors and developers have passed on the property for a number of reasons. One reason often cited is its inadequate and outdated heating system.
According to company spokesman Joshua King, The Hartford is open to conversations with community and city officials about how best to develop the property. While the company declined to discuss its development options in specific details, King did confirm that the preservation of the original structure is a likely consideration.
There is little desire for The Hartford to tarnish its reputation by tearing down a historic structure for a parking lot. But the company won’t rule out the possibility of demolition at this time.
The company has worked hard to be a good corporate citizen. It currently employs 7,000 in the city, supports a number of educational programs and donates about $7 million annually to philanthropic causes.
Founded in 1810, The Hartford reported $26.5 billion in revenues in 2006 and is one of the nation’s largest investment and insurance companies. The challenge is that the city of Hartford can’t afford to lose the company, and the company will not want to be remembered as the corporation that took a wrecking ball to one of the city’s landmarks.
Few have forgotten how Mass Mutual demolished a row of six historic brick apartments — called Fraser Place — about six years ago to make way for additional parking. Shortly after the 1911-1912 apartments were torn down, Mass Mutual moved to Enfield.
Although renovating a historic building is costly, there are a number of developers who have renovated historic landmarks in Hartford in recent years. The former G. Fox & Co. and Sage-Allen department stores have been renovated. Trumbull on the Park restored two historic Lewis Street homes, and the exterior portion of the Goodwin Mansion was restored as well.
Merritt’s calendars serve as a timely reminder that it is important to pay tribute to the city’s landmarks and heritage. While the city of Hartford needs corporations such as The Hartford, it also needs to maintain its unique sense of place.
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