Birmingham Green Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Birmingham Green Historic District
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Central Derby, CT |
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| Area | 6.6 acres (2.7 ha) |
| Built | 1836 |
| Architect | Smith & Phelps |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, more |
| NRHP reference No. | 00000325 |
| Added to NRHP | April 21, 2000 |
The Birmingham Green Historic District is a special area in central Derby, Connecticut. It's also called the Derby Green Historic District. This historic place is just north of the main downtown area.
The district includes a grassy park called "the Green." It also has buildings around it on the east, north, and west sides. There are 10 buildings in total, and 3 of them are churches. You can also find 4 monuments here. This area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. It's a great example of how people planned a city in the 1800s.
What is Birmingham Green?
The town of Derby was first settled in 1651. It officially became a town in 1775. Derby used to be much bigger than it is today. Over time, several nearby towns became separate. This made Derby one of Connecticut's smallest towns by area.
In the 1830s, two businessmen, Anson Phelps and Sheldon Smith, helped develop this area. They wanted to make the city's economy stronger. Their plans included a spot for a "Public Square." This area later became known as Birmingham Green or Derby Green.
Phelps and Smith were very good at moving important town activities to this new area. For example, the three churches next to the Green moved there. One moved in 1837, another in 1843, and the last in 1845.
The Derby Green park is about 1.8 acres in size. It has a rectangular shape. Fifth Street is to its north, Minerva Street to its east, and Elizabeth Street to its west. Its southern edge is near Fourth Street.
Many of the buildings around the Green are churches. They also include homes for the church leaders. Another important building is the Sterling Opera House. It was built in 1889 on Elizabeth Street.
