The Lyceum and vibrant communities

Scholars, government officials and business and community leaders have brought energy and creativity to The Lyceum for more than a century. Purchased by the Melville Charitable Trust in 2003 and renovated in 2019, it now provides meeting space to the community, non-profit and for-profit businesses.

The Lyceum prioritizes making meeting space available for policy makers and organizations committed to ending homelessness and righting social injustices to eliminate housing discrimination and to ensure equal affordable housing opportunity for all people in all communities throughout Connecticut. 

Role of Forge City Works

Forge City Works operates The Lyceum on behalf of the Melville Charitable Trust as one of their social enterprises. Founded in 2007 originally as Billings Forge Community Works, with a name change in 2017.

Forge City Works uses food as our vehicle for community and individual empowerment, but food feeds more than just the body. Food feeds the soul, hope for the future and our social and economic enterprises.

Food is the centerpiece that radiates energy on one side through job-training, and on the other side through our cafe, catering and Farmers’ Market. Our food businesses provide hands-on culinary and customer service training and generate about half of our organizational budget.

We have used the delicious benefits of fresh food to spur investment, support, good health and future employment for the entire Hartford community. We use food to change lives, build connections, and create opportunities. We develop leaders within the community and build bridges to resources and friends outside of it.