Belltown Historic District facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Belltown Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
St. Patrick's Church
Location in Connecticut Show map of Connecticut Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Roughly Main St. between W. High St. and CT 16, and portions of cross Sts. W. High, Barton Hill-Summit, and Skinner, East Hampton, Connecticut
Area	145 acres (59 ha)
Architectural style	Greek Revival, Late Victorian, Federal
NRHP reference No.	85003543
Added to NRHP	October 28, 1985

The Belltown Historic District is a special part of East Hampton, Connecticut. It's like a time capsule showing how the town grew. This area was once a busy center for making bells. Many companies here made bells in the 1800s. You can still see buildings from that time. They show how successful the bell-making business was. This historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

Discovering Belltown's Past

The area we now call East Hampton was settled in 1739. It officially became a town in 1767. At first, the town's economy was mostly about building ships. This activity was centered in Middle Haddam, near the Connecticut River. But by the early 1800s, shipbuilding was slowing down.

How Belltown Became Famous for Bells

In 1807, a man named William Barton came to East Hampton. He was from Bloomfield, Connecticut. William Barton knew how to work with brass to make bells. He opened a factory where he taught many people his skills. These new bellmakers helped the town's economy grow.

The Bevin Brothers were among those William Barton trained. They were the first to use water power to help make bells. They built a dam on Pocotopaug Brook for this purpose. Their bell-making business is still a big part of East Hampton today. By 1860, Belltown had 23 men who were listed as bell manufacturers.

What You Can See in Belltown Today

The Belltown Historic District has a unique shape, like a spider. Its main part is along Main Street, between West High and Edgerton Streets. Other parts of the district reach out along side streets. These streets often have homes and old factory buildings.

The district covers about 145 acres (59 hectares). It includes 145 important buildings. These buildings show many different styles from the 1800s. You can see old factory buildings where bells were made. There are also four churches in the district. Some areas in the southern part of Belltown show where early bell-making businesses once stood.