Barkhamsted Center Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Barkhamsted Center Historic District
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Barkhamsted School House from 1821
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 119, 131 Center Hill Rd.; 2,5,6,8 Old Town Hall Rd., Barkhamsted, Connecticut |
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| Area | 12.7 acres (5.1 ha) |
| Built | 1776 |
| Architectural style | Colonial, Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 99001594 |
| Added to NRHP | December 22, 1999 |
The Barkhamsted Center Historic District is a special area in Barkhamsted, Connecticut. It's found where Center Hill Road and Old Town Hall Road meet. This district holds the last remaining parts of Barkhamsted's original town center.
Most of the old town center was covered by water when the Barkhamsted Reservoir was built in the early 1900s. Because of its historical importance, this district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. This is a list of places in the United States that are important to history.
Contents
What Can You See at Barkhamsted Center?
Barkhamsted Center is located near the middle of the town. It sits on the western side of the Barkhamsted Reservoir. The main roads here are Center Hill Road, Day Road, and Old Town Hall Road. Old Town Hall Road now stops close to the reservoir's edge.
There are six important buildings in this district. Five of them were used by the public. These include a church, a parsonage (where the church leader lived), a school, the old town hall, and a building that used to be a tavern (a place where people could eat and drink).
The Old Schoolhouse
The Center Schoolhouse was built in 1821. It was first a two-story building. Around 1880, it was changed to be just one story. The bottom floor was removed, and the top floor became the new ground floor.
The school was moved in 1980 from its first spot, which was very close to the reservoir. It is now on Center Hill Road. Today, the Barkhamsted Historical Society runs the school as a museum. You can visit it to learn about the past!
The Oldest House
The oldest building in the district is the Nathaniel Collins House. It is a one-and-a-half-story house built in the Colonial style. You can find it at 131 Center Hill Road.
A Glimpse into Barkhamsted's Past
The town of Barkhamsted became an official town in 1779. It has always been a rural area, meaning it has lots of farms and open land. Over time, several small villages grew in the town. This particular center became the main place for town activities.
How the Reservoir Changed the Town
In the 1900s, the town was divided by the creation of the Barkhamsted Reservoir. This large body of water was built to provide drinking water for the city of Hartford. The reservoir covered much of the original Barkhamsted Center village. It also flooded another area called Barkhamsted Hollow.
Because of the reservoir, the town's main civic center moved to a village called Pleasant Valley. The main shopping and business area is now in Riverton. This means the Barkhamsted Center Historic District shows what a small, rural community looked like in the mid-1700s, before a big reservoir changed everything.
