The Granby Center Historic District is a predominantly residential historic district encompassing a portion of the village of Granby Center in

Granby, Connecticut Granby is a town in far northern Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,903 at the 2020 census. The town center is defined as a census-designated place known as Salmon Brook. Other areas in town include North Granby a ...

. The village developed in the 18th century as a farming center, and a now includes a variety of architectural styles from the late 18th to early 20th centuries. The district 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 ...

(NRHP) in 1985.

Description and history

The town of Granby was settled in the 17th century, and was part of

Simsbury Simsbury is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 24,517 at the 2020 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's 21st town in May 1670. History Early history At the beginning of the 17th century, th ...

before incorporating in 1786. Granby Center, located in the eastern part of the town due to the later separation of East Granby, is one of three villages that arose in the town, and has historically been its principal civic center. Land use practice of the period was to place houses in the village, with agricultural lands in the outlying areas, and it was along what is now South Salmon Brook Street. This stretch of road, now designated

Connecticut Route 10 Connecticut Route 10 is a state highway that runs between New Haven and the state line near Granby. It continues north of the state line as Massachusetts Route 10, which in turn continues directly to New Hampshire Route 10. Route 10 was origina ...

and

United States Route 202 U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware to Maine, also traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massa ...

, retains a tree-lined streetscape of wide lawns and well-spaced houses. Most of the village's early civic and commercial buildings have not survived, in part due to a major fire in 1876, and were not rebuilt. The historic district extends from the town center at the junction of Salmon Brook Street, Granby Road, and Hartford Avenue, south roughly to a modern fire station. It has 35 properties historic properties, includes two buildings dating to the 18th century, 24 dating to the 19th century and 8 dating to the 20th century. The buildings are in a mixture of styles, including Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, Italianate, Georgian and Federal. Most of the buildings were used as dwellings, including the building at 4 East Granby Road. The building at 2 Park Place was originally a dwelling, then a hotel, and then reverted to a dwelling. One building, a former schoolhouse, served as the town hall between 1951 and 1964.and

References

{{National Register of Historic Places Queen Anne architecture in Connecticut Federal architecture in Connecticut Colonial Revival architecture in Connecticut Historic districts in Hartford County, Connecticut Granby, Connecticut National Register of Historic Places in Hartford County, Connecticut Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut

Description and history

See also

References