Quaker Hill Historic District (Waterford, Connecticut) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Quaker Hill Historic District
|
|
Red Lion Tavern (1824) in 2011
|
|
 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Roughly along Old Norwich Rd. from Richards Grove Rd. to Mohegan Ave. Pkwy., Waterford, Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Area | 102 acres (41 ha) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, et al. |
| NRHP reference No. | 02000337 |
| Added to NRHP | April 11, 2002 |
The Quaker Hill Historic District is a special area in Waterford, Connecticut. It's mostly a neighborhood with homes. This historic district stretches along Old Norwich Road. It started as a settlement for people with different religious beliefs in the 1600s. Later, in the 1800s, it became a small village with factories. By the 1900s, it grew into a more modern suburban area. The buildings in the district show these changes over time. Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
Contents
Discovering Quaker Hill's Past
The Quaker Hill area in Waterford was part of the land divided up when English settlers first came to New London in the mid-1600s. Much of this land was bought by James Rogers. His family later started their own religious group. They were called "Rogerenes" and had ideas from both Baptist and Quaker beliefs.
The Rogerenes did not want to follow the rules of the colonial government. They also refused to pay taxes for church ministers. Because of this, their village grew without a traditional central meeting house.
How Quaker Hill Grew Over Time
In 1792, Old Norwich Road was built through the area. This road was a "turnpike," which was a toll road connecting New London and Norwich. Only a few buildings from before this road still stand today. One of these is the only stone house, built in 1794 for Christopher Green.
In the 1800s, the village became important for making paper. It also became a "streetcar suburb." This means people could live there and easily travel to New London by trolley. A trolley line ran right along Old Norwich Road.
What You'll See in the District Today
The Quaker Hill Historic District has a unique shape. It mainly follows Old Norwich Road and includes the historic center of the Quaker Hill neighborhood. The district has 109 important features. Most of these, 92 to be exact, are buildings that help tell the story of the area. These buildings cover about 102 acres.
Most of the buildings are homes. They show many different styles from the 1800s and early 1900s. Some of the streets and properties included are on Caroline Court, Northwood Road, Quaker Hill Green, Richard's Grove Road, Rosemary Lane, and many parcels along Old Norwich Road.
Important Buildings in the District
Many interesting buildings are part of the Quaker Hill Historic District. These buildings help show the history and different styles of the area.
Some of these special buildings include:
- The Christopher Green House: This house was built in 1794. It's in the Georgian style and is the only stone building in the whole district.
- The Benjamin Green House: This is a house built in the Colonial style.
- The John Rogers House: This house might be from as early as 1782.
- Quaker Hill Baptist Church: An important church in the community.
- Red Lion Tavern: A historic building that once served as a tavern.
- Alexander House
- Glassbrenner House: Built around 1900, this house shows a mix of Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles. You can find it at 188 Old Norwich Road.
- Quaker Hill School: A large brick building with tall, flat columns called "pilasters."
- Quaker Hill Firehouse: Built in 1927.
- Ester Blum House: Built around 1920, this is a four-square style home at 93 Old Norwich Road.
- John Burch House: Built around 1800, located at 95 Old Norwich Road.
- James Moore House: Built around 1860, this is a Gothic Revival cottage at 97 Old Norwich Road.
-
Benjamin Green House (1736 or 1800)
-
Chistopher Green House (1794)
-
Quaker Hill Baptist Church (1835)
-
American Queen Anne style (1900)
-
American Craftsman (1926)
-
Bungalow (1930)
-
Dutch Colonial Revival (1936)
