City Point Historic District

Street view of City Point historic district, Howard Avenue
Town:
New Haven »
Year of Establishment:
2001
Overlapping Historic Designation(s):
LHD, NRHD, SR
District Authority:
Historic District Commission
Link to Commission or Municipal Website:
Map:

Map of the local historic district obtained from the City Hall, New Haven.

View PDF
District Character:
Urban neighborhood
Features:

Buildings, Parks, Monument, Water front, Other- Sewage treatment, Boat slips

Architectural Style:

Greek revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Stick style, Colonial revival, Revival/ eclectic styles, Vernacular, Modern

Era:
19th century, 20th Century
General description:

City Point Historic District, which is bounded on the north by the Interstate 95 and on the south by New Haven Harbor, encompasses about 30 acres. Historically known as Oyster Point, the area is the southern tip of the peninsula called City Point, a residential neighborhood that once extended north all the way to Columbus Avenue. Despite its relative isolation, the area continued to flourish. Today the district is still a vital well-preserved neighborhood, one which displays exceptional architectural integrity. Howards Avenue, the spine of the district, still connects it to the rest of the city. Other streets in the district are Greenwich Avenue, Sixth Street, Hallock Avenue and most of the Sea and South Water Streets. Almost 100 residential historic properties are found are found along these streets as well as several historic and modern commercial properties at the waterfront. Bayview Park on the northeast and the site of the old Bolevard Sewage Treatment Plant on the eastern edge of the neighborhood are also included. [1]

Significance of the district:

Architecture, Maritime history, Commerce: An exceptionally cohesive, well-preserved urban residential neighborhood, the Oyster Point Historic District is historically significant for its maritime associations, specifically the oystering industry which flourished there between 1840 and 1925. The district contains representative examples of vernacular domestic architecture of exceptional quality and variety constructed during its period of significance by carpenter builders. Of particular importance are the oystermen's houses, a distinctive building type built in the mid-nineteenth century and first influenced by the Greek Revival style, and the many fine Queen Anne-style houses of the later nineteenth century. [NR]

District Boundary (according to the LHD Study Report, copied in 2010):

Starting at the southwest corner at the harbor shoreline, the western boundary runs in a northerly direction to Interstate 95 along the east property line of Harbor Landing Condominium, thereby excluding that property, and the west (rear) property lines of all parcels on the west side of Greenwich Avenue. The northern boundary generally follows the south side of the easement for the Interstate 95 to include Bayview Park and the adjoining ballfield, then turns to the southeast to encompass the site of the treatment plant and returns to the harbor. The boundary then turns to the southeast to run along the harbor line to the starting point, thereby including all the buildings and the structures along the waterfront.[1]

Sources:

[1] City Point Historic District Study Committee, City Point Historic District Report, 1999.
[2] Assessor information retrieved from the website www.visionappraisal.com.
[3] District information and maps retrieved from the town website http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/.
[4] Additional information retrieved from http://www.nhpt.org/.
[NR] Cunningham Jan, Oyster Point Historic District, National Register Nomination Number- 89001085 NRIS, National Park Service, 1989 - http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/89001085.pdf; http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Photos/89001085.pdf

Notes:

The boundaries of the local historic district and the National Register historic district are not coterminous.

Disclaimer:

Content for this website and district boundaries were compiled from several sources and are subject to change. Boundaries for LHDs may be different from those of State or National Register Districts. To verify the boundaries and particulars of a specific district, consult the LHD study report on file with the respective municipal authority or the State Historic Preservation Office.

Date of Compilation:
9/15/11
Compiler:
Manjusha Patnaik, CT Trust for Historic Preservation
Other links: