Constructing Privileged Landscapes In 19th Century Southern New England

Summary

Alix W. Stanley spent the early 20th century purchasing old family properties in the ‘Stanley Quarter’ section of New Britain, Connecticut. The properties, owned by Stanley family members from 1644 through the mid-18th century, provided his ancestors the ability to generate considerable wealth, some of which Alix’s father used to create the Stanley Tool and Die Company. In 1928, Stanley gifted the 360 acre patchwork, which included his mansion and historic Stanley family homes to the city for the creation of a public park.

Despite Mr. Stanley’s well-known benevolence, such overt acts of philanthropy have the ability to mask the contexts of inequality that brought them to fruition. This research examines the Stanley family’s legacy of agricultural and industrial capital accumulation, questions what roles the park may have played in the construction and maintenance of White pubic space in the town, and how it has impacted the modern city landscape.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Archaeologies Of Violence And Privilege   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2016

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 335