Post Hill Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Post Hill Historic District
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Broad, Center, Vauxhall, Berkeley, Fremont and Walker Streets, New London, Connecticut |
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| Area | 58 acres (23 ha) |
| Architectural style | Second Empire, Queen Anne, Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 93000812 |
| Added to NRHP | August 5, 1993 |
The Post Hill Historic District is a special area in New London, Connecticut. It's known for being the oldest settled part of the city. Imagine walking through history! This district is a great example of how towns grow and change over hundreds of years.
Exploring Post Hill Historic District
The Post Hill Historic District is located just west of downtown New London, Connecticut. It sits on high ground, giving you a great view of the Thames River to the east. Streets like Channing, Vauxhall, and Granite run through this historic area.
Even though it's the oldest settled part of New London, most of the buildings you see today were built later. These more than 200 buildings were constructed between about 1840 and 1925.
One very old spot here is the Antientest Burial Ground. This was the city's very first cemetery, started around 1650! Williams Park, at the southern end of the district, was created in 1858. This park helped the area grow even more.
The houses in the district come in many different styles. But they usually have a similar size and setting. The district also includes the Nathan A. Woodworth House. This house was already famous enough to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The entire Post Hill Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 5, 1993. This means it's a place recognized for its important history.
A Look Back in Time
New London was first settled in 1645. English colonists, led by John Winthrop Jr., started the town. Post Hill got its name from Richard Post, an early landowner. This is where the town's first civic center was planned.
Besides the old cemetery, land was set aside for a meeting house. This was a building used for both religious services and town meetings. The main roads in the area also date back to these early settlement days. Williams Street went from the town center to a mill. Vauxhall Street was the main road to Colchester.
Over time, the waterfront became very important for the town's economy. So, the town's main civic center moved closer to the water by the mid-1700s. Post Hill stayed more like a quiet, rural area for a while.
But by the mid-1800s, New London was growing. People needed more homes near the city center. This led to the development of Post Hill. Thomas Fitch, a well-known local businessman, bought a lot of land here. He then planned out streets for new houses. Most of the area was built up by the late 1800s. Only a few more plots were built in the early 1900s.
