Broad Street Green Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Broad Street Green Historic District
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Fountain, Broad Street Green
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly along Broad St., from Batchelder Rd. to Union St., Windsor, Connecticut |
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| Area | 30 acres (12 ha) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 99001613 |
| Added to NRHP | December 30, 1999 |
The Broad Street Green Historic District is a special area in Windsor, Connecticut. It's like a living museum that shows what the town center looked like in the late 1800s. This district is built around the Broad Street Green, which is a lovely public park. You can find it on the east side of Broad Street (Connecticut Route 159), between Union and Batchelder Streets. The district has many different kinds of buildings that show Windsor's long history. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999 because of its importance.
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Exploring the Broad Street Green Historic District
This historic district covers about 30 acres (12 hectares). It includes all the buildings that face the green between Batchelder and Union Streets. You'll also find a few buildings on Union and Central Streets. These stretch down to the railroad tracks, where the old train station is located.
Windsor's Early Beginnings
The town of Windsor was one of the first places settled in Connecticut. Its history goes all the way back to 1633. The earliest part of Windsor was near where the Farmington River meets the Connecticut River. This is just north of Hartford.
The Green's Development
The area south of the Farmington River also became very important. It grew into a second village center for the town. The Broad Street Green was first set up as a common area in the 1700s. A "common" was a shared open space for everyone to use. In the late 1800s, it was turned into the beautiful park we see today.
A Growing Town Center
During the 1800s, this village area became very important for business. It eventually took over from the original town center, known as the Palisado Green area. Today, the Broad Street Green area is where you'll find many of Windsor's important buildings. These include the town hall, the fire station, the post office, and the library.
Historic Buildings to See
The library is partly located in the Oliver Mather House. This house was built in 1777, making it the oldest building still standing in the district. You can also see several two and three-story brick buildings. These were once used for shops and businesses along the west side of the green. The buildings show different styles, including Greek Revival architecture and Gothic Revival architecture.
