History Downtown Waterbury Historic District

1 history

1.1 1677–1820: pre-industrial era
1.2 1825–1902: industrialization
1.3 1902–1945: planning era
1.4 1946–present: decline , renewal

history

downtown waterbury s history has 4 distinct eras, same city whole: period settlement in late 17th century beginning of industrialization, industrial era of rest of century, planned development after 1902 fire, , years of industrial decline since world war ii.

1677–1820: pre-industrial era

from time of settlement in 1670s, waterbury had been lightly populated agricultural community. growth hampered in years flood , plague, , later difficulty of farming land. several decades after revolution, population not larger had been century earlier.

industrialization began in 1820s, makers of carriages, buttons , clocks attracted water power offered many streams draining naugatuck in area, feature had given town name. serve them, local businessmen went brassmaking business. established mills of own drew on british expertise in area make alloy in sheets, beginning industry city become known for.

the industrialists began change city. first suggestion community creation of town green. on independence day in 1825, townspeople gathered blast stubborn boulders swampy, neglected two-acre (8,000 m²) remnant of town common around many of original settlers had built homes. in following years town drained , graded area, realigned streets around , moved meeting house off land. in 1842 fenced off, ending use pasture, , 7 years later officially named center square, although original name of waterbury green has prevailed on years.

few buildings remain anywhere in waterbury city s years, due extensive rebuilding followed. dearth, in region many communities have 18th- , 17th-century buildings extant, such local historical society has printed brochure explaining lack of such structure in waterbury visitors, , city s daily newspaper once ran contest find oldest house. within district, oldest structure 1835 greek revival building @ 67–73 south main street. layout , dimensions remain intact; exterior has been extensively altered not considered contributing property despite advanced age.

1825–1902: industrialization

detail of 1 of side spouts of welton fountain

waterbury s growth continued steady slow until incorporated city in 1853. 1860 population had doubled on 10,000. during period exchange place, @ junction of main east-west , north-south routes of city, established central business hub of city. greek revival buildings on blocks reflect era.

waterbury green continued develop, surrounded mix of public , private buildings, including city hall, library, , private houses. first monument, flagpole, added in 1851, joined rectilinear dirt pathways later in decade (themselves replaces witrh current curved concrete paths in 1873). in 1884, honor local veterans of civil war soldiers monument george edwin bissell, added. 4 years later, welton fountain, memorializing donor s favorite horse, joined @ opposite end of park.

an 1893 map of downtown

industry, @ first located in core, began moving larger spaces further away city expanded , grew them. merchants moved bigger buildings, such 1888 romanesque revival platt block , 1890 queen anne hanlon block on east main street. 1894 apothecaries hall, seven-story flatiron-shaped building @ bank , south main, has remained focal point of exchange place ever since.

local architects make mark on district began @ time. wilfred e. griggs first building of note, odd fellows hall on north main, rare american use of venetian gothic mode, went in 1893. first of 2 buildings design local chapters of international fraternal organizations, reflecting growing role in city s social , political life. 1889 richardsonian romanesque st. patrick s hall on east main marked rise of irish americans, not in social-service function in person of architect, joseph a. jackson, himself son of irish immigrant builder.

john kendrick house

wealthier residents built grand homes on west main street, john kendrick house, expansion of commercial district began pushing residential use out of area. houses of worship such henry c. dudley s 1873 st. john s episcopal church, , henry congden s trinity episcopal church, ten years later, followed them. in 1894 silas bronson library moved green current location on grand street, first such move of major public building.

1902–1945: planning era

howland hughes building rear facade. unlike front of building, had not been restored of 2011.

by turn of century waterbury producing 48 percent of american brass. strength of city s industries, many of whom building newer , larger facilities anyway, left in position recover 1902 fire destroyed 42 buildings on 3 acres (1.2 ha) downtown, many newer construction in italianate style, such surviving 1854 reynolds block on north main. after flames extinguished, city set restoring itself, giving future district many of distinctive buildings. first, second renaissance revival howland hughes department store building on bank street, opened following year, first such enterprise in waterbury; , architect wilfred e. griggs followed styled elton hotel on west main across green next year , masonic temple further down street in 1912. such large-scale buildings ensured downtown remained city s economic center, @ cost of driving remaining residential use out. residential buildings remained converted institutional use; large apartment blocks 1910 jacobethan hitchock , northrop, 2 buildings next masonic temple shared common elevator tower, built on periphery of downtown.

as had when creating waterbury green, urban renewal program undertaken create new library park @ intersection of grand , meadow streets. old commercial buildings , tenements in area demolished, , streets realigned , straightened create appropriate neighborhood new waterbury union station, opened in 1909. although outside district, 240-foot (73 m) clock tower, modeled on torre del mangia in siena, italy, has since become city s distinguishing landmark owing dominance of skyline.

within future district, american brass, city s largest employer, built renaissance revival headquarters in 1913 @ grand , meadow corner, facing station. complemented georgian revival waterbury city hall east designed cass gilbert , completed in 1917, 5 years after original building @ leavenworth , west main destroyed arsonist. gilbert complemented @ same time chase headquarters building, 1 of city s brassmakers. other large buildings, headquarters of local banks, filled out grand street. these part of conscious attempt, following contemporary city beautiful movement, provide impressive vistas both approaching , leaving commercial center @ exchange place, hub of city s trolley lines.

detail of grillework @ east entrance of citizen s , manufacturer s bank entrance

during world war city s brass mills in constant operation military contracts, first allies , later federal government when united states joined them. afterward, prosperity continued roaring twenties, introducing more significant new buildings city. in styles had been used downtown, georgian revival ymca building on west main, gilbert s 1921 waterbury savings bank next municipal complex, , second renaissance revival waterbury savings bank on north main. henry bacon contributed citizen s , manufacturer s bank on leavenworth street in style, in 1921, , following year third one, palace theater on west main, gave city premier theater many years. later years of decade brought in newer styles baroque revival immaculate conception church, 1928 edifice reflecting progress of waterbury s catholic immigrant communities.

the last significant architectural style downtown, art deco , modernist buildings, came @ end of period, before great depression put halt new private construction. prominent examples of these styles in district 1930 brown building @ corner of east , south main, , 1931 art deco post office on grand street. further down street same year s telephone building, douglas orr, uses modernistic brick detailing on georgian revival design.

exchange place in mid-20th century


1946–present: decline , renewal

a decade later, prosperity returned world war ii drove brass mills round-the-clock production again. time did not continue after war, plastics began displace brass in manufacturing. downtown suffered returning veterans, honored new, star-shaped monument on green, sought live in more suburban neighborhoods, single-family house , yard, living option no longer existed in center of city. created demand newer , bigger roads accommodate automobile traffic came city suburbs, , buildings demolished build them.

the effect on district mixed. while bus routes replaced trolley lines continued meet @ exchange place, urban renewal programs later in 20th century eliminated major properties, notably mckim, mead , white buckingham block @ corner of bank , grand , neighboring democrat building. @ west main , bank, baubee s corner, brick building inspired federal style rowhouses of 19th century, met wrecking ball. other historic buildings, such 1908 rietner building on north main, home city s chamber of commerce, modernized extent historic character lost.

newer construction continued in district, new uconn campus taking of cleared land in east, obliterating spring , school streets in process. new bronson library built in 1963, followed new state courthouse 9 years later, in 1974. downtown has remained economic center of city , surrounding region of naugatuck valley, many local banks still clustering offices around green.

in 2000s neglect of city hall led city s own building department citing unsafe. in 2006 $48 million bond issue renovations rejected voters in referendum. next year city s board of aldermen put $36 million plan no referendum sought. rebuilt building opened in 2011.