National Register of Historic Places

Main Street Historic District

Bristol, Hartford County, Connecticut
Listed
August 14, 1995
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
95001006

About this property

The Main Street Historic District of Bristol, Connecticut encompasses much of the city's central business district, an area built up in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The district's 19 historic buildings are located along adjoining stretches of Main and Prospect Streets, and include important civic and commercial buildings. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. The city of Bristol was incorporated as a town in 1785 and as a city in 1910. It historically had two principal villages, the southern one located near the banks of the Pequabuck River, where early industrial activity developed. The city center arose on the north side of the river in the pre-Civil War 19th century, when the town became America's leading manufacturer of clocks. Main Street was laid out in 1826, through the efforts of Chauncey Jerome, owner of an early clock factory, and the river crossing spurred additional industrial development along the river. The town center's subsequent growth as a financial, commercial, and civic center was assured by the 1850 arrival of the railroad. All of Bristol's early banks were located here, and its old town hall still stands here as well. The historic district extends along Main Street, from Summer and High streets in the north to Riverside Avenue in the south, and extends for one block along Prospect Street near its center. Most of the district buildings are either brick or masonry in construction, and range in height from two to four stories. Prominent buildings include the Bristol National Bank building at 200 Main Street, designed by McKim, Mead & White, and the Lorraine Building/Curtis Block building at 175 Main Street, which was built in c. 1905, but restyled in the Art Deco style with a cast-stone facade. National Register of Historic Places listings in Hartford County, Connecticut

Location

Bristol, Hartford County, Connecticut
41.67242, -72.94238

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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.

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Everything a full report reveals about Main Street Historic District

This page lists Main 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:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Beleden House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Federal Hill Historic District
Early Republic
0.3 mi
Bristol Girls' Club
Industrial
0.4 mi
South End Historic District
Industrial
0.4 mi
O'Connell, Clara T., School
Industrial
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Main Street Historic District listed on the National Register?

Main Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 14, 1995.

What type of historic resource is Main Street Historic District?

Main Street Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Main Street Historic District?

The period of significance for Main Street Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Main 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 Main Street Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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