North Bedford Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
North Bedford Historic District
|
|
Houses on Mill Street
|
|
 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | New Bedford, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Area | 60 acres (24 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 00000899 |
| Added to NRHP | September 19, 1979 |
The North Bedford Historic District is a special area in New Bedford, Massachusetts. It's like a protected neighborhood with lots of old buildings. This district is roughly located between Summer, Parker, Pleasant, and Kempton Streets.
This area is mostly a neighborhood with homes built in the mid-1800s. You can see many different types of houses from that time. Some were built for workers, and others were grander homes for business owners. This historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This means it's recognized as an important place in American history.
Exploring the North Bedford Historic District
This historic district is just north of the main downtown area of New Bedford. It covers about 60 acres (24 ha) of land. Inside, you'll find around 400 buildings, and most of them are homes.
Many of these houses are single-family homes made of wood. They show off popular building styles from the 1820s to the 1860s. You'll see many homes with Italianate features, which include things like wide eaves and tall windows. There are also examples of Greek Revival and later Second Empire and Queen Anne styles. Some houses are more fancy and were built for rich business people or merchants.
Besides homes, there are two important non-residential buildings. One is the beautiful St. Lawrence Church. The other is a building for the Massachusetts National Guard, which is like a local military group.
A Look Back: History of the District
New Bedford was once part of a larger town called Dartmouth. It became its own town in 1787. By the early 1800s, New Bedford grew into a major port city. It became the world's top whaling port, even bigger than Nantucket.
The North Bedford area grew as the city's center and waterfront became busy with whaling. People started building homes here, moving from south to north. Even after the whaling industry slowed down, the area kept growing. This was because new textile mills were built along the waterfront in the late 1800s.
Some parts of New Bedford near this district used to have similar old homes. However, those areas were changed in the 1960s as part of city improvements. The North Bedford Historic District remains a special place that shows us what the city was like long ago.
