City Point (neighborhood)
Encyclopedia
City Point is an area in what is now The Hill
neighborhood of the city of New Haven, Connecticut
, located in the southwestern portion of the city. The City Point area was, when settled and through the 18th century, a relatively narrow peninsula extending south into New Haven Harbor
, located where the West River
empties into the harbor. Areas adjacent to the original peninsula have since been filled in, broadening its shoulders, and Interstate 95 has cut across it. The Oyster Point Historic District is a 26 acres (10.5 ha) historic district
encompassing an area of relatively old buildings in City Point south of I-95
.
, on the north by Amtrak railroad tracks, on the east by Hallock Avenue, and on the south by New Haven Harbor
. An earlier tradition defines the northern border as "the southern back yards of Lamberton Street between Hallock and Greenwich Aves." When the neighborhood was bisected by the Connecticut Turnpike
in the 1950s some began to describe City Point as consisting only of the portion south of the highway (Sixth St. to South Water St.) although this is a change from historic usage. Most of the portion south of I-95 is listed as Oyster Point Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places
, referencing the old name of the neighborhood, Oyster Point. The area along Howard Avenue north of I-95 is included in a separate historic district, the Howard Avenue Historic District
. Waterfront condominiums, I-95 and its ramps, and other portions of the neighborhood are not included in any historic district.
beds, City Point's economy included oyster harvesting and fishing from the waters of New Haven Harbor and Long Island Sound
. In 1929 the Boulevard was extended to Sea St., and the West River salt marsh began to be filled in (ultimately becoming Kimberly Field, consisting of two baseball diamonds). In the early 20th century, Second St. was extended to Kimberly Ave. and the first St. Peter Catholic Church was built. The parish included the traditional City Point neighborhood between Greenwich Ave. and Hallock Ave, as well as the Kimberly Ave. area. Thus by the mid 20th century, some residents of Kimberly, Grant, Cassius & Plymouth streets also considered themselves to be City Point residents—even though this area never was part of the geographical "point" from which City Point had derived its name. With the construction of the Connecticut Turnpike/Interstate 95 in the mid-1950s, most of the water on City Point's eastern border also was filled in. The eastern waters were replaced with the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
's yard, One Long Wharf's parking lot, the New Haven Food Terminal, & both Sargent Drive and Long Wharf Drive. Thus today only the southern tip of City Point is bordered by water. Yet when viewing a map of the area, the street grid still clearly shows the original outline of the neighborhood and "point" bounded by Greenwich Ave. and Hallock Ave. In 1978 the (Ella T. Grasso) Boulevard finally was completed, with the construction of a bridge over the railroad tracks, thereby connecting lower Kimberly Ave. to the rest of the Hill. At the end of the 20th century, the second St. Peter Church was demolished along with St. Peter & Kimberly Ave. Schools, and Second St. was returned to its original 1868 configuration. Consequently, today most residents of Kimberly, Grant, Plymouth & Cassius streets consider themselves to be in the Kimberly Square neighborhood or simply part of The Hill, rather than part of City Point.
on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
in 1989. The Oyster Point Historic District includes 130 buildings deemed to contribute to the historic character of its 26 acres (10.5 ha) area, and three other contributing structures. The district boundaries were drawn to include historic buildings and open area, but to exclude modern condominium buildings on the waterfront.
The district's area was a productive oystering community during 1840 to 1925. Extensive tidal flats used to extend out from the area, but have been reduced by landfill and dredging.
The district today is a cohesive neighborhood which includes a number of oystermen's houses
, which is a distinct architectural style of the mid-19th century, and several Queen Anne style houses. As of the NRHP listing, the district included 108 single- or multi-family houses built during 1840 to 1925.
The district includes the southern portion of a park. Bay View Park was developed in the 1890s and includes a Civil War monument. It was reduced to its current 12 acres (4.9 ha) size by I-95's construction through its center. The former Boulevard Sewage Treatment plant was significant for being New Haven's first sewage treatment facility, and also was significant for its Art Deco architecture, but blocked what was formerly a shoreline drive. It was demolished to expand the Sound School's campus.
The Hill (New Haven)
The Hill is the southwestern-most neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut. As early as 1800, this area was known as "Sodom Hill" and is now home to Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Yale School of Medicine.- Geography :...
neighborhood of the city of New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, located in the southwestern portion of the city. The City Point area was, when settled and through the 18th century, a relatively narrow peninsula extending south into New Haven Harbor
New Haven Harbor
New Haven Harbor is an inlet on the north side of Long Island Sound in the state of Connecticut in the United States. The harbor area is an inlet carved by the retreat of the glaciers during the last ice age approximately 13,000 years ago....
, located where the West River
West River (Connecticut)
The West River is a freshwater stream in southern Connecticut. It flows through the towns of Bethany, Woodbridge, and New Haven before discharging into the West Haven Harbor....
empties into the harbor. Areas adjacent to the original peninsula have since been filled in, broadening its shoulders, and Interstate 95 has cut across it. The Oyster Point Historic District is a 26 acres (10.5 ha) historic district
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
encompassing an area of relatively old buildings in City Point south of I-95
Interstate 95
Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, running parallel to the Atlantic Ocean from Maine to Florida and serving some of the most populated urban areas in the country, including Boston, Providence, New Haven, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore,...
.
Neighborhood definitions
City Point is bordered on the west by the West RiverWest River (Connecticut)
The West River is a freshwater stream in southern Connecticut. It flows through the towns of Bethany, Woodbridge, and New Haven before discharging into the West Haven Harbor....
, on the north by Amtrak railroad tracks, on the east by Hallock Avenue, and on the south by New Haven Harbor
New Haven Harbor
New Haven Harbor is an inlet on the north side of Long Island Sound in the state of Connecticut in the United States. The harbor area is an inlet carved by the retreat of the glaciers during the last ice age approximately 13,000 years ago....
. An earlier tradition defines the northern border as "the southern back yards of Lamberton Street between Hallock and Greenwich Aves." When the neighborhood was bisected by the Connecticut Turnpike
Connecticut Turnpike
The Connecticut Turnpike, known now as the Governor John Davis Lodge Turnpike, is a freeway in Connecticut that runs from Greenwich to Killingly. It is signed as Interstate 95 from the New York state line at Greenwich to East Lyme, and then as Interstate 395 from East Lyme to Plainfield...
in the 1950s some began to describe City Point as consisting only of the portion south of the highway (Sixth St. to South Water St.) although this is a change from historic usage. Most of the portion south of I-95 is listed as Oyster Point Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, referencing the old name of the neighborhood, Oyster Point. The area along Howard Avenue north of I-95 is included in a separate historic district, the Howard Avenue Historic District
Howard Avenue Historic District
Howard Avenue Historic District is a historic district in The Hill neighborhood of the city of New Haven, Connecticut. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. In 1985, it included 151 buildings deemed to contribute to the historic character of the area...
. Waterfront condominiums, I-95 and its ramps, and other portions of the neighborhood are not included in any historic district.
History
The neighborhood was originally a "point" or peninsula surrounded by New Haven Harbor on the east and south, bordering what is now Hallock Ave. & South Water Street, and the West River wetlands on the west, bordering what is now Greenwich Ave. In the 19th and early 20th Century, until public health authorities condemned the oysterOyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
beds, City Point's economy included oyster harvesting and fishing from the waters of New Haven Harbor and Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
. In 1929 the Boulevard was extended to Sea St., and the West River salt marsh began to be filled in (ultimately becoming Kimberly Field, consisting of two baseball diamonds). In the early 20th century, Second St. was extended to Kimberly Ave. and the first St. Peter Catholic Church was built. The parish included the traditional City Point neighborhood between Greenwich Ave. and Hallock Ave, as well as the Kimberly Ave. area. Thus by the mid 20th century, some residents of Kimberly, Grant, Cassius & Plymouth streets also considered themselves to be City Point residents—even though this area never was part of the geographical "point" from which City Point had derived its name. With the construction of the Connecticut Turnpike/Interstate 95 in the mid-1950s, most of the water on City Point's eastern border also was filled in. The eastern waters were replaced with the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
's yard, One Long Wharf's parking lot, the New Haven Food Terminal, & both Sargent Drive and Long Wharf Drive. Thus today only the southern tip of City Point is bordered by water. Yet when viewing a map of the area, the street grid still clearly shows the original outline of the neighborhood and "point" bounded by Greenwich Ave. and Hallock Ave. In 1978 the (Ella T. Grasso) Boulevard finally was completed, with the construction of a bridge over the railroad tracks, thereby connecting lower Kimberly Ave. to the rest of the Hill. At the end of the 20th century, the second St. Peter Church was demolished along with St. Peter & Kimberly Ave. Schools, and Second St. was returned to its original 1868 configuration. Consequently, today most residents of Kimberly, Grant, Plymouth & Cassius streets consider themselves to be in the Kimberly Square neighborhood or simply part of The Hill, rather than part of City Point.
Oyster Point Historic District
The Oyster Point Historic District area within the City Point neighborhood was listed as a historic districtHistoric district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1989. The Oyster Point Historic District includes 130 buildings deemed to contribute to the historic character of its 26 acres (10.5 ha) area, and three other contributing structures. The district boundaries were drawn to include historic buildings and open area, but to exclude modern condominium buildings on the waterfront.
The district's area was a productive oystering community during 1840 to 1925. Extensive tidal flats used to extend out from the area, but have been reduced by landfill and dredging.
The district today is a cohesive neighborhood which includes a number of oystermen's houses
Oystermen's houses
Oystermen's house style is an architectural style of the mid-19th century in coastal, oceanfront areas where oyster collectors lived and worked. A number of such houses are preserved in Oyster Point Historic District, a National Register of Historic Places-listed historic district on New Haven...
, which is a distinct architectural style of the mid-19th century, and several Queen Anne style houses. As of the NRHP listing, the district included 108 single- or multi-family houses built during 1840 to 1925.
The district includes the southern portion of a park. Bay View Park was developed in the 1890s and includes a Civil War monument. It was reduced to its current 12 acres (4.9 ha) size by I-95's construction through its center. The former Boulevard Sewage Treatment plant was significant for being New Haven's first sewage treatment facility, and also was significant for its Art Deco architecture, but blocked what was formerly a shoreline drive. It was demolished to expand the Sound School's campus.
Points of interest
.- Bayview Park
- New Horizons School
- New Haven HarborNew Haven HarborNew Haven Harbor is an inlet on the north side of Long Island Sound in the state of Connecticut in the United States. The harbor area is an inlet carved by the retreat of the glaciers during the last ice age approximately 13,000 years ago....
- 1875 Howard Ave. Methodist Church building, front and bell tower added 1890 (now home of New Light Holy Church)
- The Sound SchoolSound SchoolThe Sound School is a regional vocational aquaculture center situated in the City Point neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut.The Sound School Regional Vocational Aquaculture Center is an accredited inter-district college preparatory high school, one of the 19 vocational agriculture centers in...
List of streets
- Cassius St. (although its inclusion is controversial)
- First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth Sts.
- Greenwich Ave.
- Hallock Ave.
- Howard Ave.
- Lamberton St. (from Hallock Ave. to Greenwich Ave.)
- Sea St.
- South Water St.
- St. Peters Ave. (formerly)
Gallery
See also
- Howard Avenue Historic DistrictHoward Avenue Historic DistrictHoward Avenue Historic District is a historic district in The Hill neighborhood of the city of New Haven, Connecticut. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. In 1985, it included 151 buildings deemed to contribute to the historic character of the area...
, another historic district that includes the northern part of the neighborhood
External links
- City Point, New Haven, Connecticut
- City Point Requests Improvements
- Oyster Point Historic District, New Haven Community Trust's website version excerpting from National Register of Historic Places nomination document