The West Hill Historic District is a prestigious residential subdivision of the town of
West Hartford, Connecticut
West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, west of downtown Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. The population was 64,083 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census.
The town's popular downtown area is colloquially ...
. Originally the site of the estate of
Cornelius J. Vanderbilt, son of transportation magnate
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877), nicknamed "the Commodore", was an American business magnate who built his wealth in railroads and shipping. After working with his father's business, Vanderbilt worked his way into lead ...
, it was developed as a planned subdivision of upper-class residences in the 1920s. It was established as a local historic district in 1988, and was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1996.
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Description and history
The West Hill subdivision is located east of West Hartford center, on the north side of Farmingtion Avenue between Vanderbilt Road and Hamilton Avenue. West Hill Drive consists of a semi-circular loop with ends on Farmington Avenue, and a longer loop extending northward from that one. The subdivision is flanked on two sides by a low brownstone wall that was originally part of the Vanderbilt estate, and is entered through original openings flanked by piers. The subdivision has 25 residences, set on properties roughly in size. All are two stories in height, and of similar massing and setback, although they differ stylistically. Fourteen of the houses are Colonial Revival in style, nine are Tudor Revival, and two are a combination of the two styles. All but two are finished in either brick or stucco.[
Land for the West Hill estate was purchased in 1857 by "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt as a place for his epileptic son ]Cornelius Jeremiah Vanderbilt
Cornelius Jeremiah Vanderbilt (December 29, 1830 – April 2, 1882) was an American member of the Vanderbilt family who, after having a troubled relationship with his father, Cornelius Vanderbilt, eventually died by suicide at the age of 51.
Early ...
to live. It was not immediately developed, and was sold by the father in 1872 and repurchased by the son in 1879. He had the estate developed, but never lived there, and committed suicide in New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
in 1882. The estate was purchased by Ira Dimock in 1888. Dimock's son demolished the mansion in 1918, and platted out the subdivision. The further development of the area was constrained by a number of restrictive covenants, including stipulations that the wall be retained, setbacks of the house from West Hill Drive be exactly , the house cost at least $10,000, and that it be designed by a seller-approved architect. The development process was largely overseen by Dimock's business partner Horace Grant. Early residents of the area were mainly prominent local businessmen.
Gallery
File:West Hill Historic District in West Hartford 2.jpg
File:West Hill Historic District in West Hartford 3.jpg
File:European_Beech_Tree,_West_Hill,_West_Hartford,_CT_-_May_30,_2015.jpg
See also
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References
{{National Register of Historic Places
Colonial Revival architecture in Connecticut
West Hartford, Connecticut
Historic districts in Hartford County, Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in Hartford County, Connecticut
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut