Chelsea Parade Historic District | |
John Fox Slater Memorial Museum in 1958 | |
Location | Roughly bounded by Crescent, Broad, Grove, McKinley, Perkins, Slater, Buckingham, Maple Grove, Washington, and Lincoln, Norwich, Connecticut |
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Coordinates | 41°32′1″N72°4′55″W / 41.53361°N 72.08194°W Coordinates: 41°32′1″N72°4′55″W / 41.53361°N 72.08194°W |
Area | 205 acres (83 ha) |
Built | 1850 |
Architect | Wilson Potter |
Architectural style | Mid 19th Century Revival, late 19th and 20th Century Revivals, late Victorian |
NRHP reference No. | 88003215 [1] |
Added to NRHP | May 12, 1989 |
The Chelsea Parade Historic District encompasses a predominantly residential area north of downtown Norwich. Centered around the Chelsea Parade, a triangular public park, the area has long been a preferred residential area for the city's upper classes, and includes a catalog of architecture from the 18th to 20th centuries. It includes 565 contributing buildings, two other contributing sites, and six contributing objects over an area of 205 acres (83 ha). The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. [1]
Norwich's first area of settlement was Norwichtown near the Yantic River, but it quickly developed a commercial port called Chelsea Landing further south, where the Yantic and Shetucket Rivers meet to form the Thames. Initially common pastureland, the Chelsea Parade area was subdivided in 1726, and in 1740 roads were built through the area, joining Norwichtown and the port. By the late 18th century, Norwich was the largest city in Connecticut. The Chelsea Parade area was from the late 18th century a desirable residential area, where the city's wealthy built their houses. The Chelsea Parade was set aside as a public common in 1797, and gradually became more like a public park, around which residential and civic buildings were built. It continued to be a fashionable address through the 19th century, as the city's business shifted from maritime commerce to textiles and other manufacturing, powered by the nearby rivers. One of the grandest estates near the Parade was established by John Fox Slater, the grandson of early textile pioneer Samuel Slater; only the carriage house survives. The Slaters supported the founding of Norwich Free Academy, located in the district, as well as founding the Slater Memorial Museum. [2]
The historic district is roughly in the shape of a teardrop, with Washington Street and Broadway, the roads flanking Chelsea Parade, as its principal thoroughfares. More densely-built residential areas on either side are included in the district. It includes several properties previously listed on the National Register, including the Nathaniel Backus House, the Broad Street School, and the Converse House and Barn. Other notable buildings include the Park Congregational Church (UCC), and St. Patrick Cathedral.
Norwich, called "The Rose of New England", is a city in New London County, Connecticut. The Yantic, Shetucket, and Quinebaug Rivers flow into the city and form its harbor, from which the Thames River flows south to Long Island Sound. The population was 40,493 at the 2010 United States Census.
Several neighborhoods of Norwich, Connecticut maintain independent identities and are recognized by official signs marking their boundaries. The following is a list of neighborhoods in Norwich.
Broad Street – Davis Park Historic District is a historic district in the borough of Danielson, in the town of Killingly, Connecticut. The district is mainly residential in character, and includes Davis Park, a 1.9-acre (0.77 ha) triangular park created in 1890 and bounded by Main, Reynolds, and Broad Streets. The district as a whole is 30 acres (12 ha) in size. It includes examples of Stick/Eastlake, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival architectural styles and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. It includes 95 contributing buildings, one contributing site, and four contributing objects.
The Dayville Historic District encompasses a collection of mid-19th century architecture in the Dayville village of Killingly, Connecticut. It is clustered around the junction of Main and Pleasant Streets, extending along Main to High Street. The area flourished in the mid-19th century, as a consequence of the railroad being routed nearby, serving area textile mills. The district, residential except for a church, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
The Quaker Hill Historic District encompasses the center a mainly residential village in northeastern Waterford, Connecticut. Running in a mostly linear fashion along Old Norwich Road between Connecticut Route 32 and Richard Grove Road, the area first grew as a settlement of religious non-conformists in the 17th century, developed in the 19th century as a small industrial village, and became more suburban in character in the 20th century. Its architecture is reflective of these changes, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
Plainfield Street Historic District is a historic district in Plainfield, Connecticut that encompasses the historic area of Plainfield Village, the town center of Plainfield. The district is linear, being located along Route 12 between Railroad Avenue and Route 14A. It has been the center of the town's civic life since its settlement in the early 18th century, and includes two centuries of architectural styles. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
The Prospect Hill Historic District encompasses a large residential area in the Willimantic section of Windham, Connecticut. Located north of the Main Street commercial district, it was developed between about 1865 and 1930, and is one of the state's largest historic districts, with more than 800 contributing buildings. It is roughly bounded by Valley, Jackson, Bolivia, Washburn, Windham, and High Streets, and contains one of the state's largest single concentrations of Victorian-era residential architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
Norwichtown is a historic neighborhood in the city of Norwich, Connecticut. It is generally the area immediately north of the Yantic River between I-395 and Route 169.
The Downtown Norwich Historic District is a historic district representing the core of the downtown area of the city of Norwich, Connecticut in the United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It includes 115 contributing buildings and one other contributing structure over a 64-acre (26 ha) area. Several buildings in the historic district are also individually listed on the National Register, including the Norwich Town Hall, the Telephone Exchange Building and the Carroll Building.
The Bean Hill Historic District is a historic district in Norwich, Connecticut that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It consists of a well-preserved collection of buildings focused on the Bean Hill Green, which capture the 19th-century period when Bean Hill was a local center for manufacturing and commercial activity. The district is located in the vicinity of West Town Street between I-395 and Connecticut Avenue, and also extends northeast along Huntington Avenue to include properties further beyond Bean Hill Plain. The district is about 22 acres (8.9 ha) in size, with 23 contributing buildings.
The Bradford-Huntington House is a historic house at 16 Huntington Lane in the Norwichtown section of Norwich, Connecticut, United States. The house was built in stages, beginning around 1691, and is one of the oldest to survive in the area. It was owned by American Revolutionary War officer Jabez Huntington. It is claimed that Huntington hosted George Washington here. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. It is also a contributing property in the Norwichtown Historic District.
The Joseph Carpenter Silversmith Shop is a historic building that was built between 1772 and 1774 on the green in Norwichtown, now a section of Norwich, Connecticut. It is a 30 feet (9.1 m) by 24 feet (7.3 m) 1 1⁄2-story clapboarded building with a gambrel roof. The interior has a single brick chimney that was used for the forge, but it has been modified and adapted for modern use with modern doors, electric lighting and heat, and a disappearing overhead stairway that leads to the attic. Joseph Carpenter (1747–1804) was a successful of silversmith, clockmaker, and pewterer, and shared the building with his brother, a merchant. The shop was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 6, 1970, and was listed as a contributory property for the Norwichtown Historic District on January 17, 1973.
The Leffingwell Inn is a historic inn at 348 Washington Street in the Norwichtown section of Norwich, Connecticut. With a construction history dating to 1675, it is one of Connecticut's oldest buildings, and was an important meeting place during the American Revolutionary War. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
The Gen. Jedidiah Huntington House is a historic house at 23 East Town Road in Norwich, Connecticut. Built in 1765, it is a good example of Georgian residential architecture, notable as the home of Jedidiah Huntington, a general during the American Revolutionary War. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and is a contributing property to the Norwichtown Historic District.
The Yantic Falls Historic District encompasses a historic mill and associated worker housing on Yantic Street in Norwich, Connecticut. The 10-acre (4.0 ha) area includes a complex of mill buildings, mainly built in brick, and mill worker housing, also out of brick. The area's industrial history dates to the early 19th century. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 28, 1972.
The Little Plain Historic District is a predominantly residential historic district located in Norwich, Connecticut. When originally listed in 1970, it was centered on Little Plain Park, located about halfway between modern downtown Norwich and the Norwichtown green, the colonial center of the town. From the late 18th century onward this area became a desirable and fashionable area to live, as it was closer to the growing port area of the city. The area was mostly built out by about 1875, and features a rich concentration of Greek Revival, Gothic Revival and Italianate houses, although older and later styles are also represented. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and enlarged in 1987. The 1987 enlargement expanded the district southward along Union Street and Broadway, to abut the Downtown Norwich Historic District, and increased the district's size from 30 acres (12 ha) to 38.8 acres (15.7 ha).
The Dr. Daniel Lathrop School is a historic school building at 69 East Town Street in the Norwichtown section of Norwich, Connecticut. It is a single-story brick structure with a gambrel roof, located facing the village green next to the Joseph Carpenter Silversmith Shop, another historic building. Built in 1782, it is one of the oldest surviving brick school buildings in the state. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 29, 1970. It now serves as a visitors center for the local historical society.
The Gov. Samuel Huntington House is a historic house at 34 East Town Street in Norwich, Connecticut. The house was built in 1783 by Samuel Huntington (1731–96), a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence and a Governor of Connecticut. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 6, 1970, and is a contributing property to the Norwichtown Historic District.
The J. F. Slater Memorial Museum, also known as Slater Memorial Museum, is an historic building and art museum on the grounds of the Norwich Free Academy in Norwich, Connecticut, built in 1885 and dedicated in 1886. It is designed in Richardsonian Romanesque architecture and is said to be the finest work of architect Stephen C. Earle.
The Commonwealth Works Site is an historic industrial archaeological site in Norwich, Connecticut. Located near the Yantic Falls on the Yantic River, it was the site of a major industrial facility developed in the mid-19th century, with an industrial history dating back to the 18th century. Charles Augustus Converse had consolidated water rights at the falls, and built a large complex which housed a number of different water-powered enterprises, including the gun factory of Ethan Allen, a gristmill, sawmill, woolen mill, nail factory, and a cork-cutting factory.