Fairfield Historic District (Fairfield, Connecticut) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fairfield Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
c. 1840s woodcut of town center
Location in Connecticut Show map of Connecticut Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Old Post Rd. from Post Rd. to Turney Rd., Fairfield, Connecticut
Area	60 acres (24 ha)
Architectural style	Greek Revival, Romanesque
NRHP reference No.	71000897
Added to NRHP	March 24, 1971

The Fairfield Historic District is a special part of Fairfield, Connecticut. It includes the town's historic center, mainly along Old Post Road. This area is home to Fairfield's town hall, the public library, and many old houses. Some of these houses date back to the late 1700s! This district also covers parts of the town's very first settlement area from colonial times. Because of its important history, the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

Fairfield's Past: A Historic Town Center

Fairfield's town center was first planned way back in the 1600s. Important founders, like Roger Ludlow, helped design it. They divided the area into four main sections, called "Four Squares." One square was for Ludlow himself, another for a minister, one for town buildings, and a large one for a town common or green. You can still see parts of this original plan in how the town's public and religious buildings are set up today.

A tough time for Fairfield happened in 1779 during the American Revolutionary War. British troops attacked and burned the village center. This destroyed all the town's public buildings and many homes. However, some houses in the district actually survived this attack! The town hall, which was rebuilt in 1794, still shows what buildings looked like back then.

Exploring the Historic District's Treasures

The Fairfield Historic District is home to about 75 buildings that are very important to history. It stretches from Old Post Road near US 1 in the west to Turney Road in the east. You'll find these special buildings mostly along Old Post Road and a few nearby streets.

Some of the most important places in this historic district include:

• The town green, a central open space.
• The town hall, an important building for local government.
• The Rising Sun Tavern, located at No. 1 Town Hall Green, built in 1783. A tavern was like an old inn or restaurant.
• The Silliman House, at 543 Old Post Road, built in 1791 by William Silliman. His father, Gold Selleck Silliman, was a general in the militia.
• The Fairfield Academy, now known as Old Academy, which was moved from its original spot.
• A house at 249 Beach Road, which people say survived the British burning because a servant quickly put out the flames!
• The house at 349 Beach Road, which is a "saltbox" style house built before 1750. A saltbox house has a long, sloping roof in the back, like an old wooden salt container.
• The Burr Mansion, at 739 Old Post Road.
• The house at 952 Old Post Road.

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  Fairfield Town Hall

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  The Old Academy building

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  The historic Sun Tavern