State Veterans Memorial

Hartford, CT

Successful memorials serve as a place to reflect and to honor, engaging visitors’ senses in a way that facilitates remembrance and community. Working closely with the non-profit group Connecticut Veterans Memorial, Inc., BL Companies designed the State Veterans Memorial to honor the more than 1.3 million Connecticut citizens who have served their country since the Revolutionary War. Blending the traditional and the creative, the memorial features a granite colonnade structure consisting of five columns representing each branch of the military. A semi-circular granite Honor Wall with the message, “Honoring those who served,” serves as a memorial framing element. The design draws visitors in, complementing its setting within Minuteman Park and the nearby State Legislative Office Building and State Armory, and rewards those who explore with engraved granite markers that highlight various conflicts throughout history. In the evening, specialized lighting casts a gentle glow, while features like granite pavers, benches, communal spaces, and carefully landscaped surroundings immerse visitors in a meaningful experience of reflection and remembrance.