Evergreen Avenue Historic District

Aerial view of Evergreen Avenue; Source- Bing
Town:
Westport »
Year of Establishment:
2008
Overlapping Historic Designation(s):
LHD, SR
District Authority:
Westport Historic District Commission
Link to Commission or Municipal Website:
Map:

Map of the historic district retrieved from the Historic District Commission Handbook.

View photo
District Character:
Suburban Neighborhood
Features:

Buildings, Others- Cemetery, Bridge

Architectural Style:

Remodeled Cape, Stick Style, Remodeled Garrison Colonial Revival, Bungalow, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Dutch Colonial, Arts and Crafts, Spanish Revival

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

Evergreen Avenue, a half-mile long road connecting Myrtle Avenue to North Compo Road, sits in a typical New England wooded coastal plain area, formerly farm land, adjacent to downtown Westport in the area known originally as East Saugatuck. The street, initially named Cemetery Avenue of Street, is described at its inception as the right-of-way to Evergreen Cemetery and the Gorham family cemetery, as well as being the former rear entrance to the Westport sanitarium grounds, located on the south side of present Evergreen Avenue. The cemetery was established immediately proceeding Westport's incorporation by the Saugatuck Congregational Society on a little more than an acre parcel; the Gorham family cemetery, adjacent on one-third of an acre, was established soon after. [2]

Significance of the district:

Evergreen Avenue Historic District is typical of an 'in-town' residential street where a specific development scheme was not instituted, but reflects the evolution of a late nineteenth and early twentieth century streetscape over many decades. The majority of houses were constructed before 1920, the remainder being infill construction from the automobile-driven suburbanization of Westport. The only exception is 3 Evergreen Avenue which was originally constructed ca. 1840 and relates to the older development pattern of Myrtle Avenue. All of the late 19th and early 20th century homes are modest in scale and expression and reflect American architectural trends of the period. Styles include Queen Anne, Classical Revival, Arts and Crafts, Colonial Revival, Cape Cod and various vernacular expressions. Most of the houses retain their original form, expression and, to a large degree, their architectural integrity. [2]

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

The district includes the premises shown as lots 48, 49, 58, 59, 60, 76, 82; lots 10 through 20; and lots 69 through 74 on the map filed in the Westport Town Clerk's office as Map. No. 9902.

Sources:

[1] District information retrieved from the town website http://www.westportct.gov/.
[2] Study report for the proposed Gorham Avenue historic district, 2006, SHPO Library, Hartford.
[3] Westport Historic Resource Inventories accessed from the town website [http://www.westportct.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=910].
[4] Assessor information retrieved from the website- www.visionappraisal.com.
[5] Historic District handbook accessed in the town website [http://www.westportct.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=280].
[6] GIS information retrieved from http://webmap.jws.com/taxmap/viewer.aspx?JWSCONFIG=CT_Westport.

Notes:

None

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:
12/31/11
Compiler:
Manjusha Patnaik, CT Trust for Historic Preservation