National Register of Historic Places

Old Wethersfield Historic District

Wethersfield, Hartford County, Connecticut
Listed
December 28, 1970
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
70000719

About this property

Old Wethersfield, also known as Old Wethersfield Historic District, and historically known as Watertown or Pyquag, is a section of the town of Wethersfield, Connecticut, roughly bounded by the borders of the adjacent city of Hartford and town of Rocky Hill, railroad tracks, and I-91. The site of the first permanent European-American settlement in the state of Connecticut, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. The land for this colonial settlement was acquired from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Wethersfield served as a transportation hub on the Connecticut River in the early years. The Old Wethersfield Historic District was established under town statutes in 1962, "to preserve and protect the many architectural phases of a Connecticut River Community in continual growth from 1634 to the present." Eight years later, in 1970, the Old Wethersfield Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The village includes 50 houses that were built before the American Revolutionary War, plus about 250 additional houses built before the 20th century, about 100 of which were built earlier than the American Civil War. The historic district listed on the National Register includes 1200 structures over 1,300 acres (5.3 km2). Of these 100 date from colonial times. Many of the early frame and brick houses were built by sea captains around the town green. The district includes Wethersfield's green, which is "a slender diamond nearly a half-mile long".

Location

Wethersfield, Hartford County, Connecticut
41.71241, -72.65516

Categories

COMMERCEMILITARYAGRICULTUREPOLITICS/GOVERNMENT
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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This page lists Old Wethersfield 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

Webb, Joseph, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Deane, Silas, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Buttolph-Williams House
Colonial
0.3 mi
Butler, Roger, House
Industrial
1.6 mi
First Church of Christ and the Ancient Burying Ground
Colonial
1.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Old Wethersfield Historic District listed on the National Register?

Old Wethersfield Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 28, 1970.

What type of historic resource is Old Wethersfield Historic District?

Old Wethersfield Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Old Wethersfield Historic District?

The period of significance for Old Wethersfield Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Old Wethersfield Historic District?

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