Rocky Hill Center Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Rocky Hill Center Historic District
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Old Main, Pratt & Washington Sts., Glastonbury Ave., and Riverview Rd., Rocky Hill, Connecticut |
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| Area | 112 acres (45 ha) |
| Architectural style | Colonial, Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 07000111 |
| Added to NRHP | March 9, 2007 |
The Rocky Hill Center Historic District is a special area in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. It's like a time capsule that shows what the town center and homes looked like long ago. This district stretches along Old Main Street and includes many important old buildings. You can see the town's main civic (like town hall) and religious buildings here, along with many beautiful homes from the 1700s and 1800s. This historic area was officially recognized and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
Contents
Discovering Rocky Hill's Historic Heart
This historic district covers the traditional center of Rocky Hill. It runs along Old Main Street, starting from the Wethersfield border. The district then goes south to a unique triangular area. This area is bordered by Old Main Street, Riverview Road, and Glastonbury Avenue.
The streets here mostly look like they did in the 1800s. You'll find the town's most important public and church buildings. There's also a wonderful collection of homes. Most of these houses were built in the 1700s and 1800s.
A Look Back in Time
The land that is now Rocky Hill was first settled in the 1600s. Back then, it was part of a larger town called Wethersfield. In 1723, it became its own separate church area. Later, in 1843, Rocky Hill officially became its own town.
Rocky Hill grew because of a big flood in the Connecticut River around 1700. This flood changed the river's path. It made Rocky Hill the main port for Wethersfield. The town became important for trade with other places.
The first church was built in 1727 near the south end of Old Main Street. This spot became the center of town. The main residential area grew northward from there.
From Port to Suburb
Rocky Hill's importance as a port began to fade in the early 1800s. This happened because ships got better and sandbars in the river were cleared. For a long time, the town remained mostly farmland. In the 1900s, Rocky Hill started to change. It grew into the suburban area we see today.
Old Buildings, New Stories
Most of the buildings in the historic district are homes. There are 232 buildings that are considered historically important. Many of them were built before 1850. They show great examples of Georgian and Federal styles of architecture.
The oldest building in the district is the Captain David Riley House. It was built around 1710. This house is a two-story building with three sections, built in the Georgian style.
Important public buildings from early times still stand. One is Academy Hall. It was built in 1803 as a schoolhouse. Today, it's a museum about local history. The Rocky Hill Congregational Church, built in 1808, is another key landmark. You can easily spot it in the town center.
Newer public buildings are also part of the district. These include the public library, built in 1967. The town hall was built in 2000. Part of the town hall building includes an older wooden structure from 1916. The John Robbins House is the only brick house in the district. It dates back to the 1700s.
