Wadsworth Athenaeum
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| Established | 1844 |
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| Location | 600 Main Street, Hartford, Connecticut |
| Director | Thomas J. Loughman |
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Wadsworth Atheneum
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Wadsworth Atheneum
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| Location | 25 Atheneum Sq., Hartford, Connecticut |
| Coordinates | 41°45′48″N 72°40′26″W / 41.76333°N 72.67389°WCoordinates: 41°45′48″N 72°40′26″W / 41.76333°N 72.67389°W |
| Built | 1842 – July 31, 1844 |
| Architect | Alexander Jackson Davis and Ithiel Town |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP Reference # | 70000709 |
| Added to NRHP | October 6, 1970 |
The Wadsworth Atheneum is an art museum located in Hartford, Connecticut. The Wadsworth is noted for its collections of European Baroque art, ancient Egyptian and Classical bronzes, French and American Impressionist paintings, Hudson River School landscapes, modernist masterpieces and contemporary works, as well as collections of early American furniture and decorative arts.
Founded in 1842 and opened in 1844, it is the oldest continually operating public art museum in the United States.
The museum is located at 600 Main Street in a distinctive castle-like building in downtown Hartford, Connecticut, the state's capital. With 75,000 square feet (7,000 m2) of exhibition space, the museum is the largest art museum in the state of Connecticut. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
The museum is a member of the North American Reciprocal Museums program.
The Wadsworth, as it is most commonly known, was constructed on the site of the family home of Daniel Wadsworth in the heart of downtown Hartford. Its architects were Alexander Jackson Davis and Ithiel Town, who designed the "castle" that is the Atheneum's oldest building. Construction began in 1842 after the museum was incorporated on June 1 of that year. The museum opened on July 31, 1844 and has operated continuously since then.
The Wadsworth family, being one of the oldest and most affluent in the city, contributed numerous valuable pieces of art to be displayed at the time the museum opened. The first collection consisted of 78 paintings, two marble busts, one portrait miniature, and one bronze sculpture. In addition to the fine arts collection, the original building housed the forerunners of the Hartford Public Library and Connecticut Historical Society, giving rise to the name "Atheneum," an institution broadly devoted to culture and learning. In light of that public role, the Wadsworth has, since its founding, played host to a wide variety of cultural and community activities, including dramatic and dance performances, exhibits of historical artifacts, social functions, and benefits.
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