Downtown New Britain added to National Register

PHOTO | Contributed Downtown New Britain has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

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Downtown New Britain has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The mayor’s office said the designation will help preserve the city’s mix of historical architectural styles and open up more opportunities for property owners to have access to historical tax credits.

The main corridors in the approximately 80-acre district include Main Street, West Main Street, Arch Street, Glen Street and Franklin Square. Significant historic structures in the district date between the 1860s and 1960s; the most prominent architectural styles include Italianate (74 Whiting St.), Beaux Arts (191 Arch St.), Queen Anne (94 Glen St.), and Art Deco (24 Washington St.).

The district includes 126 resources (buildings, sites and objects) that are considered contributing factors the historic district. Included are commercial, industrial, civic, church, and residential buildings.

Leah Glaser, an associate professor of history at Central Connecticut State University, spearheaded efforts to get the Hardware City added the register with the assistance from students participating in the public history master’s degree program. The project grew out of a historic preservation plan that the city commissioned in 2010.

There are currently three other city areas on the National Historic Register: the West End, Walnut Hill Park, and Central Park. In Connecticut, the National Register is administered by the State Historic Preservation Office of the Department of Economic and Community Development.

The historic preservation designation brings economic benefits to property owners, including eligibility for federal and state tax incentives.