Beaver Hills (New Haven)
Encyclopedia
Beaver Hills is a neighborhood in the city of New Haven, Connecticut
. The older, east central portion of the neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
as the Beaver Hills Historic District
. The southwest portion is a state historic district called the Fairlawn-Nettleton Historic District
.
The name “Beaver Hills” dates to the Colonial era
, when it was a piece of high ground near several "beaver ponds". Geologist
James Dwight Dana
later attributed the "Beaver Pond" to natural spring
s, rather than the activity of beaver
s.
The Beaver Hills Historic District
covers 97 acres (39.3 ha) of the neighborhood north of Goffe Street and east of Ella Grasso Boulevard. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1986 and included 235 contributing buildings. The listing recognized the district's significance as a nearly intact example of an early 20th-century suburb
an residential subdivision. The district in 1986 was composed mostly of single-family homes built between 1908 and 1936. One feature of note was the presence of "one of the city's best collections of early 20th-century garages." The district includes brick gateway piers at the intersections of Goffe Terrace with Norton Parkway and with Ellsworth Avenue, at the south end of the district. The piers include "tile plaques depicting beavers" and "were constructed by the Beaver Hills Company in 1908 to define the southern terminus of the neighborhood." Significant contributing properties in the historic district include the Pitkin House (1931 Tudor Revival style house at 207 Colony Road) and the Alan Krevit House (1936 Colonial Revival style house at 186 Colony Road)
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...
. The older, east central portion of the neighborhood is 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...
as the Beaver Hills Historic District
Beaver Hills Historic District
The Beaver Hills Historic District is a historic district in the Beaver Hills neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. In 1986, it included 235 contributing buildings....
. The southwest portion is a state historic district called the Fairlawn-Nettleton Historic District
Fairlawn-Nettleton Historic District
Fairlawn-Nettleton Historic District is a state-designated historic district in New Haven, Connecticut.It is located in the Beaver Hills neighborhood of New Haven. The street boundaries are Goffe Terrace on the northeast, Osborn Avenue on the northwest, Whalley Avenue on the southwest, and Ella T...
.
The name “Beaver Hills” dates to the Colonial era
Connecticut Colony
The Connecticut Colony or Colony of Connecticut was an English colony located in British America that became the U.S. state of Connecticut. Originally known as the River Colony, it was organized on March 3, 1636 as a haven for Puritan noblemen. After early struggles with the Dutch, the English...
, when it was a piece of high ground near several "beaver ponds". Geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
James Dwight Dana
James Dwight Dana
James Dwight Dana was an American geologist, mineralogist and zoologist. He made pioneering studies of mountain-building, volcanic activity, and the origin and structure of continents and oceans around the world.-Early life and career:...
later attributed the "Beaver Pond" to natural spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
s, rather than the activity of beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
s.
The Beaver Hills Historic District
Beaver Hills Historic District
The Beaver Hills Historic District is a historic district in the Beaver Hills neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. In 1986, it included 235 contributing buildings....
covers 97 acres (39.3 ha) of the neighborhood north of Goffe Street and east of Ella Grasso Boulevard. It 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...
in 1986 and included 235 contributing buildings. The listing recognized the district's significance as a nearly intact example of an early 20th-century suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an residential subdivision. The district in 1986 was composed mostly of single-family homes built between 1908 and 1936. One feature of note was the presence of "one of the city's best collections of early 20th-century garages." The district includes brick gateway piers at the intersections of Goffe Terrace with Norton Parkway and with Ellsworth Avenue, at the south end of the district. The piers include "tile plaques depicting beavers" and "were constructed by the Beaver Hills Company in 1908 to define the southern terminus of the neighborhood." Significant contributing properties in the historic district include the Pitkin House (1931 Tudor Revival style house at 207 Colony Road) and the Alan Krevit House (1936 Colonial Revival style house at 186 Colony Road)
External links
- Beaver Hills Historic District, New Haven Preservation Trust website (text adapted from NRHP nomination, plus gallery of 7 photos)