Harwinton Historic District - B
- District Overview
- Inventory List
- Town:
- Harwinton »
- Year of Establishment:
- 1989
- 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 retrieved from the Historic District Study Committee Report, 1989, SHPO Library, Hartford.
View photo - District Character:
- Rural Center
- Features:
Buildings, Open Spaces, Cemetery
- Architectural Style:
Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, 20th Century Modern
- Era:
- 18th Century, 19th Century, 20th Century; Period of Significance- 1790- 1940
- General description:
Harwinton Historic District - B encompasses the historic buildings and sites associated with the early growth of the center of town. The district is located in the north central part of the town where religious and commercial activities are centered. It displays a typical New England setting of buildings and spaces between the buildings. A prevalence of walls, trees, and fences visually integrate the external features. Views and vistas provide walls of space for the setting. The ambiance prevails without crowding or intrusions in historic low density.
Most of the buildings in the Center Corners Historic District are residential, several serve a religious function, and there are four town-owned properties. Commercial activity is now conducted at the southeast corner of Burlington and South Roads. Generally, the buildings are domestic or modest in scale, set well back from the road and widely spaced from one another. They embody the distinguishing characteristics of several periods and styles of architecture. [NR]
- Significance of the district:
Architecture:Harwinton Historic District - B has historical significance because the area it embraces has served as residential, religious, and commercial focus for the Town of Harwinton since it was settled early in the 18th century. It is the site of the first Congregational meetinghouse, 1745, and one of the town's earliest burying grounds, also established in the mid-18th century. The meetinghouse formed the nucleus around which a small cluster of buildings coalesced, with houses, Center Academy, store, and tavern.
The district is significant architecturally because it contains well-preserved buildings which are good examples of historic architectural styles. The buildings date from the 18th century, when the district was settled at the central crossroads of the Town of Harwinton, through the mid-20th century, when well-designed Colonial Revival work was executed. The Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, and Colonial Revival styles are represented. The group of six Federal style houses with their four-bay gable ends facing the street is outstanding. [NR]
- District Boundary (according to the LHD Study Report, copied in 2010):
The district includes properties surrounding the intersection of South Road and Litchfield Road as described in the district ordinance.
- Sources:
[1] District information retrieved from the town website http://harwinton.us/.[2] Historic District B, Harwinton, Report of the Historic District Study Committee, 1989, SHPO Library, Hartford. [3] Assessors information and Parcel IDs retrieved from the website www.visionappraisal.com. [NR] Ransom David F., Litchfield-South Roads Center Historic District, National Register Nomination Number- 96001365 NRIS, National Park Service, 1996 - http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/96001365.pdf; http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Photos/96001365.pdf.
- Notes:
The Litchfield-South Roads National Register Historic District's boundary resembles that of local Harwinton Historic District created by the Town of Harwinton. Several non-contributing properties included in the local district are excluded, and historic houses east of the central intersection not included in the local district are added. [NR]
- 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:
- 12/15/11
- Compiler:
- Manjusha Patnaik, CT Trust for Historic Preservation
