National Register of Historic Places

West End Historic District

New Britain, Hartford County, Connecticut
Listed
December 24, 1998
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
98001542

About this property

The West End Historic District encompasses a predominantly residential area west of downtown New Britain, Connecticut. Forming a rough C shape around the west part of Walnut Hill Park, the area was developed in the late 19th century as one of its premier upper-class neighborhoods, home to business and civic leaders, with a fine array of late 19th and early 20th century architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. New Britain experienced an economic boom in the years after the American Civil War, driven by innovation and manufacturing of building hardware and similar goods. Walnut Hill Park was laid out in 1870, and the city received landscape design guidance from Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux on the layout of the park and the surrounding areas to the northwest, west, and south. Much of this land was owned by Henry Russell, chairman of the park commission, who platted out streets roughly parallel to the park boundaries and sold off lots for residential development between 1884 and 1908. This resulted in the present layout of roads running northeast-to-southwest (Lincoln, Forest, and Vine Streets) and east-west (Hart Street) that form the core of the historic district. The houses that were built in this area are predominantly in the restrained styles of the early 20th century, including the Colonial Revival, American Foursquare, and Tudor Revival. They are typically set on handsome lots with generous setbacks, on tree-lined streets. The local architectural firm of Davis and Brooks designed a significant number of these houses, including a fine Shingle style house on Vine Street that eventually became the home of architect William Brooks. Many homes were built for executives of the Stanley Works, New Britain's leading hardware manufacturer. National Register of Historic Places listings in Hartford County, Connecticut

Location

New Britain, Hartford County, Connecticut
41.66143, -72.79478

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 West End Historic District

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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

Walnut Hill Park
Listed
0.3 mi
Walnut Hill District
Listed
0.3 mi
Masonic Temple
Industrial
0.4 mi
Sloper-Wesoly House
Industrial
0.4 mi
South Congregational Church
Industrial
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was West End Historic District listed on the National Register?

West End Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 24, 1998.

What type of historic resource is West End Historic District?

West End Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for West End Historic District?

The period of significance for West End Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

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

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