West Haven Green Historic District
Encyclopedia
West Haven Green is the town green of the New England town
of West Haven, Connecticut
. The green is bordered by Church Street on the south, Savin Avenue on the west, Main Street on the north and Campbell Avenue on the east. The green and surrounding buildings are part of the West Haven Green Historic District.
There is a sidewalk around the perimeter of the green and paths into the green from the corners and mid-blocks meeting at the center. The dominant structure on the green is the Congregational Church (built 1859). Behind the church is a cemetery. There are also several war memorial markers, a bandstand, and a flagpole around the perimeter of the green. Wooden benches are scattered at various locations on the green. A stone chess table with seating is located near Main Street. At the north end of Main Street is a stone monument to West Haven fire fighters, on top of which is a large bell. Near the east end of Savin Street is a large boulder commemorating British Adjutant William Campbell, who saved the life of Reverend Noah Williston during the British invasion (July 5, 1779) of West Haven in the American Revolutionary War
. A modern octagonal bandstand is located north of the center of the block of Church Street.
Buildings on Campbell Street (named after William Campbell) are mainly two-story commercial buildings with store fronts on the first floor that were built in the 20th century. One exception is a three-story brick Italianate
structure on the corner of Main Street and Campbell Avenue. The Town Hall (built in 1969) is also located at the intersection of Main and Campbell. Savin Street consists mainly of early 20th-century single family homes, one exception being a red brick funeral home in the Colonial Revival
style. On the west corner of Church Street across from the green are two 19th century wood frame houses. The rest of the block is taken up by the Christ Episcopal Church and its associated structures and sites.
The West Haven Green Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on August 11, 2000. In addition to the green itself, the district includes 20 of 23 buildings on and around the green as contributing properties. Two of the memorials on the Green dating from the early 20th century (the World War I memorial and the Firefighters' Monument) are also considered to be contributing properties.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
of West Haven, Connecticut
West Haven, Connecticut
West Haven is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 52,721.-History:...
. The green is bordered by Church Street on the south, Savin Avenue on the west, Main Street on the north and Campbell Avenue on the east. The green and surrounding buildings are part of the West Haven Green Historic District.
There is a sidewalk around the perimeter of the green and paths into the green from the corners and mid-blocks meeting at the center. The dominant structure on the green is the Congregational Church (built 1859). Behind the church is a cemetery. There are also several war memorial markers, a bandstand, and a flagpole around the perimeter of the green. Wooden benches are scattered at various locations on the green. A stone chess table with seating is located near Main Street. At the north end of Main Street is a stone monument to West Haven fire fighters, on top of which is a large bell. Near the east end of Savin Street is a large boulder commemorating British Adjutant William Campbell, who saved the life of Reverend Noah Williston during the British invasion (July 5, 1779) of West Haven in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. A modern octagonal bandstand is located north of the center of the block of Church Street.
Buildings on Campbell Street (named after William Campbell) are mainly two-story commercial buildings with store fronts on the first floor that were built in the 20th century. One exception is a three-story brick Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
structure on the corner of Main Street and Campbell Avenue. The Town Hall (built in 1969) is also located at the intersection of Main and Campbell. Savin Street consists mainly of early 20th-century single family homes, one exception being a red brick funeral home in the Colonial Revival
Colonial Revival architecture
The Colonial Revival was a nationalistic architectural style, garden design, and interior design movement in the United States which sought to revive elements of Georgian architecture, part of a broader Colonial Revival Movement in the arts. In the early 1890s Americans began to value their own...
style. On the west corner of Church Street across from the green are two 19th century wood frame houses. The rest of the block is taken up by the Christ Episcopal Church and its associated structures and sites.
The West Haven Green Historic District was listed 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...
on August 11, 2000. In addition to the green itself, the district includes 20 of 23 buildings on and around the green as contributing properties. Two of the memorials on the Green dating from the early 20th century (the World War I memorial and the Firefighters' Monument) are also considered to be contributing properties.