Hotchkissville Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Hotchkissville Historic District
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by W. Wood, Paper Mill, Weekeepeemee, Washington, and Jack's Bridge Rds., Woodbury, Connecticut |
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| Area | 320 acres (130 ha) |
| Architectural style | Federal, Colonial, Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 96001460 |
| Added to NRHP | December 6, 1996 |
The Hotchkissville Historic District is a special area in Woodbury, Connecticut. It's like a preserved piece of history! This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. It includes most of the old village of Hotchkissville. This village is centered where Washington and Weekeepeemee roads meet.
Hotchkissville started as a farming community. But in the 1800s, it grew with new industries, especially textile factories. Even with these changes, the village still feels very rural. It shows off many different building styles from the 1700s and 1800s.
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What is Hotchkissville Historic District?
A historic district is an area with a group of buildings, structures, or objects that are important because of their history or architecture. The Hotchkissville Historic District covers about 320 acres. It's recognized for its unique collection of old buildings. These buildings show how people lived and worked long ago.
A Look Back: Hotchkissville's History
The town of Woodbury was founded in the late 1600s. The Hotchkissville area was mostly farmland at first. Big changes began when the Washington Turnpike opened in 1803. This road is now called Washington Road.
From Farms to Factories
Early industries started along the Weekeepeemee River. There were sawmills for cutting wood and gristmills for grinding grain. Some of the houses in the district today belonged to the owners of these mills.
In 1814, a man named Josiah Hotchkiss changed one of these sawmills. He turned it into a textile mill. A textile mill makes cloth and fabric. The Hotchkiss family's business grew a lot in the first half of the 1800s. They built houses for their workers and an office for the mill. They also bought more water rights along the river to power their growing factories.
However, their business faced big problems during an economic downturn in 1857. This event is known as the Panic of 1857. The Dawson family then took over the mill properties. Other factories also started in the late 1800s. But these businesses eventually struggled. They couldn't get their goods to market easily because there were no good railroad connections nearby.
The Village Today
The historic district stretches along both sides of the Weekeepeemee River. Washington Road (Connecticut Route 47) is the main road on the east side. Westwood Road is on the west side. The district starts at Jack's Bridge Road in the south. It goes up to Paper Mill Road in the north.
Not much is left of the old factories. The main mill complex burned down in 1920. Most of the buildings you see in the district are in the Federal or Greek Revival styles. Some also have simpler Victorian design elements. These styles were popular in the 1700s and 1800s.
Important Old Buildings
Many buildings in the Hotchkissville Historic District are important. They help tell the story of the village. Here are a few examples:
- Josiah Hotchkiss House: Located at 21 Weekeepeemee Rd, this house was built around 1760. It's an example of Colonial or Saltbox style architecture.
- Bela Potter House: Found at 2 Easy Street, this house was built in 1847. It shows the Italianate style, which was popular for its decorative features.
- John Ways House: At 6 Easy Street, this house also dates to 1847 and is in the Italianate style.
- Chester Knowles House: Located at 10 Easy Street, this 1847 house is another example of Italianate architecture.
- Eli S. Peet House: This Greek Revival style house at 152 Washington Road was built around 1835.
