Simsbury Center Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Simsbury Center Historic District
|
|
Capt. Jacob Pettibone House, in 2010
|
|
 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Roughly, Hopmeadow St. from West St. to Massaco St., Simsbury, Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Area | 75 acres (30 ha) |
| Architect | Keller, George, et al.; Hapgood, Melvin P., et al. |
| Architectural style | Colonial, Early Republic, Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 96000356 |
| Added to NRHP | April 12, 1996 |
The Simsbury Center Historic District is a special area in the town of Simsbury, Connecticut. It covers about 75 acres, which is like 57 football fields! This district includes seven blocks of Hopmeadow Street. It also has many old shops, community buildings, and homes on Railroad, Station, and Wilcox Streets, and Phelps Lane.
The oldest part of this district is a cemetery that started in 1688. But most of the buildings you see today were built much later. They were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. This means it's an important place to protect because of its history.
History of Simsbury Center
Simsbury was first home to Native Americans, who called their settlement Massaco. English colonists bought the land in the 1650s. People started to settle there in the 1660s. Simsbury was first part of Windsor. Then, in 1670, the Connecticut Colony officially made it its own town.
Hopmeadow Street became the main road going north and south. It was on the west side of the Farmington River. The town center grew up near a place where people could cross the river by ferry. Many of the houses from the 1700s and early 1800s are still there. Today, most of these old houses are used as shops or offices.
The district looks the way it does because of many buildings from the late 1800s and 1900s. These buildings are often for community use or businesses. Good examples include Eno Memorial Hall and the Simsbury Bank and Trust Company Building. The bank building was built in 1917. It is one of three buildings in the district that have been used as the town hall. Both buildings were designed by Smith & Bassette, a famous architecture company from Hartford.
The historic district is mostly long and straight. It runs along Hopmeadow Street between West Street and Massaco Street. In the middle, it stretches east to include buildings between Hopmeadow Street and the railroad. This includes the Simsbury Railroad Depot, which was built around 1875. At the northern end of the district, you'll find the Horace Belden School and Central Grammar School. These buildings now hold the town offices.
Important Buildings in the District
Here are some of the important buildings and places you can find in the Simsbury Center Historic District:
- Simsbury Free Library, built in 1887, at 749 Hopmeadow Street.
- Eno Memorial Hall, built in 1932, at 754 Hopmeadow Street. It's a great example of Colonial Revival architecture.
- Pettibone House, built around 1790, at 741 Hopmeadow Street. It's an old house that was later changed to the Colonial Revival style.
- First Church of Christ, at 689 Hopmeadow Street.
- The Simsbury Bank and Trust Company Building, at 750-760 Hopmeadow Street.
- Simsbury Center Cemetery, at 755 Hopmeadow Street. This is the oldest part of the district.
- Buildings at 783-835 Hopmeadow Street.
- Methodist Episcopal Church, at 799 Hopmeadow Street.
- Massacoh Plantation, at 800 Hopmeadow Street.
- Titus Barber House, at 920 Hopmeadow Street.
- Horace Belden School / Simsbury Town Office Building, at 933 Hopmeadow Street.
- A bronze plaque at Pent Road.
- St. Mary's Church and Rectory, at 944 and 940 Hopmeadow Street.
- The Simsbury Railroad Depot, located at Railroad and Station Streets.
Pictures of the District
-
Simsbury Free Library
-
Schoolhouse
-
Schoolhouse bell
-
Meetinghouse
-
Barn
-
18th Century Cottage
-
Simsbury Cemetery
-
Simsbury Cemetery Main Entrance
-
Carriage House
-
Ice House
