Division Street Historic District
About this property
The Division Street Historic District encompasses one of the best-preserved 19th-century residential areas of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Now separated from downtown Bridgeport by the Connecticut Route 25 highway, the area includes a cross-section of 19th-century architectural styles, as well as a diversity of sophistication, from working-class accommodations to high-style Victorian mansions. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The Division Street Historic District is located in Bridgeport's West Side-West End area, bounded roughly by State Street to the north, Iranistan Avenue to the west, Black Rock Avenue to the south, and West Avenue to the east. Much of this area was historically part of Fairfield; the area west of Park Avenue (known historically as Division Street) was annexed to the city in 1870. It was by that time already undergoing development to provide housing for the city's burgeoning workforce. The earliest worker-oriented housing predates the annexation, with Black Rock Avenue and Hanover Street already populated with worker-oriented housing by 1862. The area from Park Street east was an enclave for some of Bridgeport's most affluent and influential residents. The surviving elements (portions were demolished during urban renewal actions of the 20th century) include a number of high-style Queen Anne Victorian houses on Park Street and West Street. One of the city's most controversial 19th-century developments took place along Cottage and Lewis Streets, in the heart of the district. P.T. Barnum, the circus showman and city booster, sought to place a residential development on the site of an old cemetery in this area. He successfully engineered the passage of state and city legislation (during his periods of service in the state legislature and as city mayor) to make this possible. The process by which this was accomplished, and the manner in which the graves were relocated, were both high controversial. The development is also notable for the consistent use of the designs of Palliser, Palliser & Company in its construction. National Register of Historic Places listings in Bridgeport, Connecticut
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Division Street Historic District
This page lists Division Street Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Division Street Historic District listed on the National Register?
Division Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 2, 1982.
What type of historic resource is Division Street Historic District?
Division Street Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Division Street Historic District?
The period of significance for Division Street Historic District is recorded as the listed era.
Can I research the history near Division Street Historic District?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Division Street Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Fairfield County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Fairfield County.
Explore FairfieldCounty ›More historic places in Connecticut
Browse all historic places in Connecticut.
View Connecticuthistoric sites ›Connecticut history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
Connecticuthistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Division Street Historic District will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.