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All the United States Connecticut Hartford Flood 1936 Marker

Flood 1936 Marker

A tiny memorial for the year the Connecticut River almost destroyed New England.

Hartford, Connecticut

Added By
EB Savage
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A close-up view of the marker.   e1savage (Atlas Obscura User)
A close-up view of the marker.   e1savage (Atlas Obscura User)
Flood 1936 Marker.   e1savage (Atlas Obscura User)
On the brick area to the right and slightly lower than the light is a tiny circle. That is the marker.   e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
Flood 1936 Marker.   e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
Not easy to find.  
Flood 1936 Marker.   e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Extremely tiny and all but forgotten, this last surviving private flood marker on the Polish National Home in Hartford marks how high the waters rose in the Connecticut River flood of 1936.

The Polish National Home, a beautiful Art Deco stone building built in 1930, is flecked with the last known 1936 flood marker. It’s almost impossible to notice, unless one is specifically looking for it. The doors on the front of the building are no longer used, and the marker isn’t legible from the street. 

The marker, which reads “Flood 1936,” is about the size of a quarter. A line in the middle of the small circle represents the height where the water rose. 

Though it's small, the marker commemorates a mighty disaster. In March of 1936, there were unusually strong rains in Hartford and the surrounding areas. The melting snow from an especially harsh winter helped fill the Connecticut River to its bursting point. The resulting flood nearly wiped out the city.

Afterward, President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent the Army Corps of Engineers to the city to build flood walls, channels, and levees. The Flood Control Act of 1936 aimed to make sure such a catastrophic disaster never happened again.

As the floodwaters receded and Hartford rebuilt, memorials were placed on many of the buildings. Individuals marked where the floodwaters rose on their houses and businesses. But, as time went on, those tiny memorials were painted over or lost. Now, decades later, this tiny coin is the only one left.

Related Tags

Floods Memorials History Environmental Disasters Environment Rivers Cities Art Deco

Know Before You Go

If you approach the marker from the front of the building you will not be able to see it as the gate is locked, but to the left of the building is a parking lot. Pull into the parking lot and drive all the way around to the other side of the building. If you park there you can walk up to the entrance on the other side of the fence and gate and see the marker. This is private property and there is video surveillance. If there isn’t an event and plenty of parking and you are respectful, nobody ever seems to mind.

Community Contributors

Added By

e1savage

Edited By

Kerry Wolfe, Collector of Experiences, Jimbeau

  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Collector of Experiences
  • Jimbeau

Published

December 6, 2017

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Sources
  • http://www.courant.com/courant-250/moments-in-history/hc-historic-connecticut-floods-photogallery.html
  • http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/great-new-england-flood-1936/
Flood 1936 Marker
60 Charter Oak Ave
Hartford, Connecticut
United States
41.759314, -72.671483
Visit Website
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Hartford

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Stories 1

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