Hartford’s Ropkins Library branch reopens with history center

Children from the SAND School enjoy a balloon animal artist while visiting the newly renovated Ropkins Library branch of the Hartford Public Library during the grand reopening, Hartford, Conn., Wednesday, April 12, 2023. The newly renovated space, located at SAND School, includes the Hartford History Center Annex to share stories of the city. Photo by Cloe Poisson/Special to the Courant

Bound volumes of The Hartford Courant are now stored at the Hartford Public Library’s Ropkins Library branch at SAND School, Hartford, Conn., April 12, 2023. The Courant volumes, as well as the Hartford Times, are part of the Hartford History Center Annex now located at Ropkins. The grand reopening of the event took place on Wednesday. Photo by Cloe Poisson/Special to the Courant

Bea Powell, Chair of the Clay Arsenal Neighborhood Revitalization Zone Committee, chats with Bruce Rogers at the grand reopening of the Hartford Public Library’s Ropkins Library branch at SAND School, Hartford, Conn., Wednesday, April 12, 2023. Powell is a longtime Clay Arsenal resident and Rogers, who lives in Coventry, grew up there. Commenting on the history center Rogers said, “A man who knows his history knows himself.” Photo by Cloe Poisson/Special to the Courant

State Rep. Jimmy Sanchez (left) watches as Noelia Ortiz takes a photo of Sanchez’s father’s name that they found in a directory at the new Hartford History Center Annex at the grand reopening of the Hartford Public Library’s Ropkins Library branch at SAND School, Hartford, Conn., Wednesday, April 12, 2023. Sanchez and Ortiz grew up in the Clay Arsenal neighborhood where the library is located. Ortiz worked with Sanchez on the library project when Sanchez was a member of the Hartford City Council. Ortiz works for a current councilman. Photo by Cloe Poisson/Special to the Courant

Bridget Quinn, President and CEO of the Hartford Public Library, gestures while making remarks at the grand reopening ceremony of the Ropkins Library branch at SAND School, Hartford, Conn., Wednesday, April 12, 2023. She was joined by Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin and State Rep. Jimmy Sanchez. Off camera is Mark Billington whose father’s photos of Hartford from the 1950s were donated to the Hartford History Center Annex now located at the Ropkins branch. Photo by Cloe Poisson/Special to the Courant

Mark Billington (left) chats with Henry Hester at the grand reopening of the Hartford Public Library’s Ropkins Library branch at SAND School, Hartford, Conn., Wednesday, April 12, 2023. The newly renovated space includes the Hartford History Center Annex that includes photos of Hartford from the 1950s taken by and donated by Billington’s father to the annex. Hester, who was a friend of Billington’s father, is on the board of the Upper Albany Neighborhood Revitalization Zone Committee. Photo by Cloe Poisson/Special to the Courant

Victoria Ward, 13, (right) shares a chair with her sister, Faith Ward, 8, while listening to speakers at the grand reopening of the Hartford Public Library’s Ropkins Library branch at SAND School, Hartford, Conn., Wednesday, April 12, 2023. Their mother, Kaytrene Ward, brought the girls to the event. They are regular patrons of the library. Photo by Cloe Poisson/Special to the Courant

Hartford Public Library President and CEO Bridget Quinn (second from left) cuts the ribbon at the grand reopening of the Hartford Public Library’s Ropkins Library branch at SAND School, Hartford, Conn., Wednesday, April 12, 2023. Joining Quinn was Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, Bea Powell, Chair of the Clay Arsenal Neighborhood Revitalization Zone Committee, State Rep. Jimmy Sanchez, and Lew Brown, former NBC CT reporter (l-r) among others. Photo by Cloe Poisson/Special to the Courant

Visitors chat and browse in the new Hartford History Center Annex at the grand reopening of the Hartford Public Library’s Ropkins Library branch at SAND School, Hartford, Conn., Wednesday, April 12, 2023. The newly renovated space includes the Hartford History Center Annex to share stories of the city. Photo by Cloe Poisson/Special to the Courant

Photographs of Hartford taken in the 1950s were donated to the Hartford History Center Annex located at the newly renovated Ropkins Library branch of the Hartford Public Library at SAND School, Hartford, Conn., Wednesday, April 12, 2023. The newly renovated space includes the Hartford History Center Annex to share stories of the city. Photo by Cloe Poisson/Special to the Courant