Coit Street Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Coit Street Historic District
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Coit Street
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Coit St., Washington, Tilley St., Bank St., and Reed St., New London, Connecticut |
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| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Late Victorian, Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 88000068 |
| Added to NRHP | February 19, 1988 |
The Coit Street Historic District in New London, Connecticut is a special area. It's a historic district because it has many old buildings that are important to history. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
It covers about 4 acres and includes 33 important buildings. This area is just southwest of the city's main downtown. Long ago, this spot was known as Bream Cove. It was later filled in and developed in the 1800s. You can find four of the city's oldest buildings here, dating back to the 1700s! The district includes all the properties on Coit and Brewer Streets, plus those on Blinman Street between them.
Exploring Coit Street's Past
Coit Street is one of New London's oldest streets. It was probably first laid out in the late 1640s. Back then, houses were built facing Bream Cove. The street still follows where the coastline of the cove used to be.
In 1694, the Coit family bought seven acres here. They were a very important family of shipbuilders and business people. William Coit, whose house is at 92 Washington Street, was an active sailor during the American Revolutionary War.
How the Area Grew
During the 1800s, Bream Cove was filled in. This created more land for building. Even with these changes, the area stayed a popular place to live. People liked it because it was so close to downtown.
More houses were built in the second half of the 1800s. This added many different styles of buildings to the neighborhood.
Architectural Styles You'll See
The Coit Street Historic District looks like many city neighborhoods from the 1800s. It has lots of houses built close together on narrow streets.
The most common style you'll see is Greek Revival. These houses often have a front that looks like the end of a building, with a triangular roof. You can also spot Italianate and Queen Anne style homes. Sometimes, older buildings were updated with new porches or other features in these styles.
