Hartford is the capital of Connecticut, set on the Connecticut River, with a history that runs from colonial settlement to insurance offices and literary homes. The Mark Twain House preserves the ornate home where Samuel Clemens wrote major works, and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center nearby keeps another writer story in the same neighborhood. Bushnell Park, one of the oldest public parks in the country, offers green lawns, a carousel, and a calm center beside downtown towers.